Anatomy of Prejudice: Jane Elliott's Seminar on Race DVD
Details
Program Contents: 49 minute DVD
Captioning: Subtitled
Copyright Date: 2009
AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED STATES ONLY
She may be an overzealous crusader. She may be on a power trip. Then again, maybe Jane Elliott has pioneered a truly honest and viable way to talk about racial prejudice—a way in which white people and people of color can explore the subject together. This program documents one of Elliott’s diversity training seminars, modeled on an experiment she first conducted as a third-grade teacher in 1968. In the film, British citizens of varied racial and cultural backgrounds are separated into brown-eyed “superiors” and blue-eyed “inferiors.” Before the day is over, a handful will have stormed out and the remaining group will face painful truths and equally painful opinions about race in the 21st century.
Segments in this Video - (29)
1. Introduction to the Jane Elliott Experiment (01:30)
A group of strangers in the UK are putting themselves at the mercy of Jane Elliott. For forty years Jane has been conducting a controversial exercise that she says reveals the truth about racism in White society, not everyone agrees.
2. Race Experiment Begins (01:28)
Men and women from a range of backgrounds and races have agreed to take part in a psychological exercise. Jane Elliott starts by segregating the group by eye color. The regime of discrimination begins immediately for those with blue eyes.
3. Psychological Tactics of Race Experiment (01:16)
Psychologists observing Jane Elliott's experiment watch as she asserts her dominance over the group of volunteers.
4. Creating a Minority Group (01:20)
Volunteers with brown eyes will be the privileged majority group In Jane Elliott's experiment. Blue eyes will be held together in an uncomfortable room and monitored by security.
5. Original Race Experiment (01:42)
Jane Elliot's plan is to get the brown-eyed group to turn against the blue eyes. She devised her experiment as a schoolteacher in racially segregated America in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
6. Inoculation Against Racism (01:13)
In race torn America Jane Elliott opened her students' eyes to overt racism. As she prepares to unleash the full force of her provocative methods on adults what will she reveal about multicultural Britain?
7. Purpose of Race Exercise (01:16)
The all White blue-eyed groups now secured in the holding room. At this stage none of the brown eyes know Jane Elliott's true intention is to turn them into a group willing to take part in humiliating the all white blue eyes.
8. Explanation of Race Experiment (00:50)
Jane Elliott's abrasive style is not to every one's taste. Over the years it has been criticized as bullying. Psychologists who are observing her experiment comment on her method to teach people about racism.
9. Resistance to Acknowledge Racism (01:53)
The brown-eyed adults are tough to bring into line and Jane Elliott's style soon hits a nerve with some of the white volunteers.
10. Uncertainty About Race Experiment (02:31)
Psychologists observing Jane Elliott's experiment comment on the reluctance of some of the brown-eyed whites to participate in the experiment. Two people are asked to leave when they refuse to cooperate.
11. White Freedoms in the U.S. (02:16)
After quelling descent in the brown eyes, Jane will turn her to attention the blue eyes. When she first conducted her experiment on children in the 60s she was shocked by the results. She has since put adults all over the world through her exercise.
12. Becoming the Minority (01:58)
Jane Elliott directs her confrontational tactics toward the blue-eyed group. Psychologists predict how the blue eyes will they react when they realize they will be on the receiving end of a dictatorial regime?
13. Developing Stereotypes (01:02)
A member of the brown-eyed group is chastised for giving up his chair to a blue-eyed woman. Jane Elliott's begin to make blue-eyed people look like liars.
14. Creating Feelings of Worthlessness (01:17)
The blue-eyed people will be put through a series of simple classroom exercises. Jane Elliott's mission is to grind down the blue eyes. Once they are feeling downtrodden what they learn can be a real revelation.
15. How Stereotypes are Perpetuated (01:38)
The blue eyes begin to fight back immediately when they realize they are being discriminated against. Jane Elliott explains that every time they argue she proves the negative attributes she has associated with them are true.
16. Defending the Racist System (02:15)
The blue-eyed group argues against Jane Elliott's method. A White man compares being overweight to being Black. Psychologists comment on the blue-eyed groups denial of racism. Another white volunteer leaves the experiment.
17. Exercise Veers Off Course (01:10)
Jane Elliott has carried out her controversial exercise all over the world. In the UK she has met stubborn resistance. In the blue-eyed group the all white volunteers are refusing to accept the exercise has anything to teach them.
18. Do You Get Angry About Racism? (00:51)
A Black man who was raised by his White family avoids racism by staying out of situations where people may have negative stereotypes.
19. Denying the Facts About Racism (02:00)
Jane Elliott introduces a set up designed to force any reluctant volunteers to finally step into the fray. Racism in the UK is subtle. White participants argue that racism isn't as bad as Black people make it out to be.
20. Blaming the Victim (01:38)
Jane Elliott gets the chance to point out that the victims of racism are often blamed and given the responsibility of solving the problem. Psychologists comment on how difficult it is for White volunteers to grasp the concept of racism.
21. Different Realities for Races (03:16)
As the disagreement escalates one of the more cautious volunteers finally steps forward. A Black participant explains how he must adapt his behavior because of his skin color.
22. Can White People Experience Racism? (01:46)
A White participant demonstrates that she doesn't understand racism. She believes that she has experienced as much racism in her life as many black people.
23. Racism and Power (00:47)
Psychologists comment on the power structure in Britain that gives privileges to a certain set of people. People fail to recognize the issue of power in racism.
24. Argument over Race Experiment (01:59)
Jane Elliott is undeterred and the segregation of the two groups continues during a food break. Two members of the brown-eyed group argue over whether or not it is fair to categorize all whites as racist.
25. Reactions to Race Experiment (01:36)
Jane Elliott's beliefs and methods have always been controversial. Is this bullying or is her unpopular approach revealing there is more racism beneath the surface than we think.
26. What is Modern Racism? (01:05)
Throughout the day Jane Elliott has divided the group by eye color, but a bigger division is taking hold amongst the White and Black over racism. Her exercise grew out of a time of racial conflict in 1960s America. Does it apply to subtle racism?
27. Race Experiment (02:12)
For Jane Elliott's final flourish everyone will take an intelligence test, but it has been rigged so that the blue eyes will fail. A White volunteer in the brown-eyed group derails the test.
28. Race Experiment Derailed (01:35)
The division between Whites and Blacks resurfaces after Jane Elliott’s final test is thrown off course.
29. Conclusions about Race Experiment (02:38)
Jane Elliott brings her exercise to a close. Has it revealed the reality that life in modern Britain is still very different for White and Black people? Participants and Jane Elliott herself comment on the experiment.
