During the past two years, the conflict resolution activities provided by EnTeam Organization have addressed interpersonal conflicts between students who are together in one site for the after-school program. These students know each other and may even have grown up together. The conflicts that arise among them are different from the intergroup conflicts that exist between people who have never met. 

People who have never met have intergroup conflicts because of stereotypes, prejudices, and lack of constructive contact.  These conflicts are manifest in racism and other forms of prejudice. 

For many people in St. Louis (and most cities), the intergroup conflict is often suppressed because students from diverse backgrounds rarely have contact.  Racial segregation in housing patterns and neighborhood schools prevent students from making contacts and building friendships that would strengthen awareness of everyone’s similarities and common humanity. 

Prior to the pandemic, the only way to make connections between segregated communities was to physically transport students from one building to another.  Now, although the digital divide is still a problem, many more students have access to the Internet and can play and build diverse friendships without leaving their neighborhood.

 

Over the last year, EnTeam has been creating a range of online games and Zoom meet ups to challenge students from diverse backgrounds and social groups to accomplish goals collaboratively.  

 

For example, EnTeam Organization has used games to build skills in collaboration among students who attend Muslim, Christian, and Jewish schools.  As a result of playing EnTeam Games, educators from the schools segregated based on religion report that students are more respectful of other groups. Find out more about Operation Cooperation here.

 

The same process can be used to combat segregation based on race.

Of course, legal barriers to reducing intergroup conflict must be removed. However, removing legal barriers does not eliminate intergroup conflict. The US Supreme Court outlawed segregation in 1954 and yet research shows that most students in the United States still attend segregated schools. Racial segregation in housing and employment was outlawed in the 1960s and yet the housing patterns and employment practices continued to be inequitable and segregated by race. Until the stereotypes that feed prejudice and racism are dissolved and people from diverse backgrounds have greater contact, legal action alone will not end intergroup conflicts.  Hearts must change before the laws will be effective.

One of the steps that we can take to change hearts is to learn to play together. 

In November and December, EnTeam led workshops introducing educators in St. Louis to virtual games that create experiences strengthening students’ ability to resolve conflicts peacefully in intergroup relationships.  Looking ahead, EnTeam hopes to continue leading games for educators in both interpersonal and intergroup situations.  

These games all follow the same structure:

  1. Play a game that keeps score of improvements in cooperation between different sides. It’s important to use a game that’s somewhat hard the first time because that creates a mild form of stress and – because of the stress – allow for small and controlled conflict to arise.
  2. Play the same game several times and make note of whether scores are improving. One key way EnTeam helps groups measure cooperation is by tracking improvement over time. Are groups communicating effectively? Are they learning from mistakes? Are the planning strategies together? These are all key indicators of cooperation taking place.
  3. Between games, reflect with students so they develop their own strategies for resolving conflicts and alleviating stress collaboratively. Debriefing the games and discussing the changes in the scores after each game lets students see whether their strategies are increasing the combined scores they earn.  

 

As a result, the students become stronger in their ability to resolve conflicts and relieve stress by using the skills in the safe environment of the games.

 

Are you interested in having EnTeam facilitate a Zoom workshop to help break down barriers — whether they be racial, religious, social or other? Contact us today, we’d love to help!