What are effective ways to increase respect and reduce prejudice between groups?  How can prejudices due to differences in race, culture, and socioeconomic status be overcome?

To answer these questions, four organizations are collaborating to engage parents and their children to explore the use of games that keep score of cooperation as a tool for building relationships that combat racism.  EnTeam Organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, Missouri Historical Society, and The College School are inviting families that want to dismantle racism in St. Louis. 

The families that accept this invitation will come together — online or in-person — to play games collaboratively.  The objective of this bridge-building program is to increase networks of respect and friendship among families from racially diverse communities.  The success of the program will be measured by the number of new relationships that are positive.  

The families will work together to accomplish goals collaboratively.  Each game only takes a few minutes. The real work is between games when the young people and adults plan how they will improve their work together.  They lose together if they cannot improve.  They win together if they can improve their score each time they collaborate.  

Surveys have shown that most Americans have social networks that are racially segregated:

Fully three-quarters (75%) of white Americans report that the network of people with whom they discuss important matters is entirely white, with no minority presence, while 15% report having a more racially mixed social network. Approximately two-thirds (65%) of black Americans report having a core social network that is composed entirely of people who are also black, while nearly one-quarter (23%) say their network includes a mix of people from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. (PRRI Research, 2014)

Given the social segregation that is widespread in the USA, the question that the families will be answering is whether youth and adults who play collaborative games strengthen their ability to think together to develop effective strategies for increasing the score they earn.  Does this kind of interaction lead to broader networks that span the racial divide?  Does playing together lead to friendships that connect diverse families? 

The idea of using collaborative games to build bridges that connect families is in alignment with a body of research known as intergroup contact theory.  

In 1954, Gordon Allport published a strategy for combating racism in his book The Nature of Prejudice and expounded intergroup contact theory.  The basic idea is to give people from different groups opportunities to make contact in activities that meet four conditions for reducing prejudices.  The conditions are listed in the left column of the table below.  The right side of the table explains how EnTeam Games provide the conditions needed to reduce prejudices when diverse groups make contact.

 

*Recent advances in intergroup contact theory, Thomas F. Pettigrew, Linda R. Tropp, Ulrich Wagner, Oliver Christ, International Journal of Intercultural Relations volume 35 (2011) pages 271–280.

 

The research shows that intergroup contact theory has been tested extensively and found to be effective in a wide variety of cultures, countries, and contexts.  The bridge-building project will use games to give players — including children — experience with the conditions needed for combating racism and prejudice.

The Center for Character and Citizenship at University of Missouri-St. Louis has prepared a plan to evaluate the program.  Our expectation is that the act of playing games that keep score of cooperation between teams will make a difference in the level of prejudice in the players.  

Families who want to participate can apply using this application form and you can share this invitation with others.  If you have questions or comments, you can contact Ted Wohlfarth, Delia Lomack, Monroe Smith, or here at enteam@enteam.org.   

You can help prepare for this project by adding to the list of outcomes you expect from people working to reduce prejudice.  Please give your suggestions in the comments section below.