1. What was the one thing that Adichie said that really resonated with you? What did you think or realize?

Listen to what Adichie says about her experiences of reading as a child. Think of a culture other than your own that you heard or read about as a child. What image of that culture was created in your mind because of your early exposure? 

 Think of a culture that you know little about. What ideas do you have about this culture? Where did these ideas come from?

Most of us tend to use stereotypes to make assumptions and judgements about others, especially when we have little information. In your experience, what is the danger or harm in doing this?

Listen to what Adichie says about the power structures of the world:
"Power is the ability not just to tell the story of another person, but to make it the definitive story of that person." 
"How [stories] are told, who tells them, when they're told, how many stories are told, are really dependent on power."
Are you surprised by her statements? Why or why not?

As Adichie points out, we all hold some single stories or stereotypes about other groups of people, even though we are not often aware of it. Adichie believes that reading stories can help us to reject single stories in favor of a more complex view of the culture. In your experience, what are some other ways of doing this? Give an example or two from your own.  These could be things that you have done or that you could do to increase your understanding of other groups or cultures.

The Danger of a Single Story

Class Discussion (5% of your final grade)

Due:  TBD; check the Learn News Announcement

 

Instructions

As you watch this video, think about your responses to these discussion questions. (You may wish to use the interactive transcript for the video to help you understand the speaker or for later reference.) Please type your responses in this document.  Answer in complete sentences. Submit your responses in Dropbox, in the Danger of a Single-Story folder by the assigned due date.  Please review the grading rubric on Learn for details on how you will be evaluated.

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

Adichies statement about the danger of a single story resonated with me because it highlights how li... View the full answer