1.6
Understanding Values in Context
Submitted by Lori Britt
This activity highlights how the ordering of values can change according to context. Often, discussion groups are not in conflict over the existence of specific values, but they are in tension about how these values are ordered differently for different discussants.
Learning Goals
Understand how we rank and order values based on the context or issue.
Understand that we sometimes have very different interpretations of a value.
Instructions
Set Up: Prepare for the Activity
As the facilitator, select approximately ten values. Each value will be written on a slip of paper. Provide each participant with a set of common values written on small slips of paper. Sample values include: Security, Community, Prosperity, Responsibility, Inclusion, Equality, Tradition, Opportunity, Justice, Freedom, Innovation.
The facilitator should select values that are relevant for the discussion group.
Begin by introducing the learning goals of this activity.
Step One: Individually Identify and Rank Top 5 Values (5 min)
Distribute the sets of values to each participant. Ask them to rank these values by moving around the slips of paper. Their most important values should be at the top.
Ask them to identify their top five values. They will use these five slips of paper for the next steps of this activity.
Step Two: Share and Define Values (10 min)
Ask volunteers to name their top values. Once a few participants have shared their top values and some common themes emerge, invite participants to discuss how they defined these values. This can be done in small groups, if needed. The goal is to acknowledge that common values are often interrupted differently.
Step Three: Rank and Define Values in Response to Particular Issues (20 min)
The facilitator will Introduce a series of issues, such as: Gun Legislation, Loan Forgiveness, Vaccination, the Death Penalty.
For each topic, ask participants to re-sort their values. Discuss:
Did your top values shift? When? Why?
Did you reinterpret what any of the values meant in the context of a particular issue?
Step Four: Debrief as as Full Group (10 min)
Discuss:
How can understanding that many people share similar values but prioritize them differently help us work together in groups?
How might collaborative groups explore and find common values?
TIME
45
min
MODULE
Introduction to Collaborative Discussion
This activity can be completed by any discussion group.
This activity can be used to support facilitation skills. See Sample Facilitation Certificate Program Design to illustrate sample sequencing.
This activity is best implemented with in-person learning groups, requiring hands-on techniques that may not be easily replicated online.
Tell us what you think. Rate and review this activity:
Have any helpful suggestions or modifications for this activity?
Share them in the comments below!
0 Comments
Sovi Herring
May 30, 2024 at 6:42:10 PM
This activity is great when a group is comfortable sharing thoughts--but it is modified to be more introspective at first. There are two versions of this, one to recognize "normalized" feelings, the other is labeled "extreme" as the group was practicing navigating high emotion. This first one covers parents, cats, dogs: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IvLsBe_FtDG6twalxiKxBHEdt99gJR1V/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113770591818162655510&rtpof=true&sd=true This one is to recognize more difficult to talk about feelings of fear, disgust, etc.: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1NkZoBCJ3iI5VbkqmjqVuW-_I36MBASOW/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113770591818162655510&rtpof=true&sd=true
Sovi Herring
May 30, 2024 at 6:28:11 PM
This activity was modified for a Business & Professional Communication class. It is best when the groups have gone through the guidelines activity to help facilitate how to communicate and even the 3.4 ambiguity. This is a difficult activity if the class is uncomfortable speaking (and in my case they were very adverse to discussing these in any group). Here is how I set it up (along with a print out of the words). It is modified to fit the business world, but worked well as a concept. https://liveduq-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/herrings1_duq_edu/EWr2jxM5HLlNmgWvYA43gwwBmoBYJP9juGJDD4m1M2H0BQ?e=TYnsVb
May 28, 2024 at 1:33:05 AM
May 28, 2024 at 1:31:01 AM
February 14, 2024 at 1:03:34 AM
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February 11, 2024 at 3:55:15 AM
January 4, 2024 at 7:22:22 PM
December 12, 2023 at 11:56:40 PM
Lori Britt
October 3, 2023 at 5:00:05 PM
Have done this in the past, but today a group really blew me away. I did this as a Fishbowl with 7 students taking roles. Prior to the converstaion they could seek input from a few other students about what which decision they think the person in their role would support and why. I also asked them to come up with some things that were concerns for them. This 10 minute of prep time helped my role play participants really embody and feel confident in their roles. Great discussion about what deliberation looks like in practice and about how power can impact conversations and how a facilitator can try and minimize these power imbalances. I used the scenario above and assigned these roles (I was not sure my students woul be able to consider roles that would offer different perspectives): • Facilitator (non-voting) • Mayor • High school teacher • 17-year-old high school student • Transportation planner for the region • Local business owner • Economic development office for the region (your community and the surrounding communities served by the train) • 50-year-old who lost his job last year and who has been on unemployment