FACES IN THE CROWD is

• Introduce the Faces in the Crowd Workshop series. 
• Develop an understanding of “the story” and how stereotypes are formed. 
• Encourage introspective thinking about attitudes towards other people. 
• Guide participants in their workplace role as a service provider to the diverse consumer population they serve.

Engage in role-play conversations with your partner and create unique stories based on mask identities. These conversations aim to foster recognition and understanding of hidden stereotypes based on race, appearance, media images, etc., as well as the phenomenon of “invisible persons.” 

• Examine the process of forming assumptions about others. 
• Understand individual and shared social comfort levels. 
• Apply insights for personal and workplace interaction improvement. 

We delve into our assumptions based on physical appearances and personal perspectives through mask identities and pop-up crowd activities. Participants learn the nature of assumptions and how these assumptions are impacted by individual perspectives. Applications to workplace experiences are discussed.

• Discover and understand personal decision-making processes. 
• Acknowledge objective and subjective factors influencing those processes. 
• Apply these insights to personal and workplace experiences.

Using multicultural cards, participants make decisions concerning people based on appearance and other qualities, diving deep into the reasons and principles behind these decisions.

• Understand interpersonal dynamics in “game playing.” 
• Understand how and why individuals get locked into roles and behaviors in their interactions. 
• Learn effective communication techniques for personal and professional use.

In groups of three, each participant respectively takes on the role of victim, oppressor, or protector. Participants learn the nature of “game playing” in human interactions and how “not to play game” by “open, honest, direct, and appropriate communication.” Participants discuss how they can apply this understanding in their lives and relationships. The nature of anger as a secondary emotion that acts to disguise a primary emotion is discussed.

• Raise awareness of age-related prejudices. 
• Increase understanding of ageism and age discrimination.

In small groups, assess (masked) people based on age to challenge existing preconceptions and discuss the validity of such decisions.

• Raise awareness of the tendency to label people based on appearances. 
• Develop sensitivity to language usage and its more profound implications.

Label “pop-up” crowds and engage in word association exercises to understand how labels shape our worldviews.

• Raise awareness of gender issues. 
• Enhance sensitivity towards sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and gender bias.

Male/female pairs take opposite gender masks and role play different situations, highlighting male/female power dynamics against real-world challenges and experiences.

• Increase awareness of and sensitivity to mental, physical, and emotional disabilities. 

• Enhance sensitivity in interactions with others with or without disabilities. 
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and stigmas faced by disabled people. 

Engage in role-play activities focused on peaceful coexistence and respect for those with hearing or speech disabilities, inspiring empathy and understanding. Participants discuss the nature of being “different,” left out, laughed at, and shunned and the individual choices for how each person decides to conduct his or her life.

• Understand how cultural expectations influence success and failure. 
• Enhance a sense of justice and fairness in decision-making.

Similar to Social Twister, participants use multicultural cards to make decisions concerning people based on appearance and other qualities. Participants learn about how and why decisions about others are made and discuss the validity of these decisions and the decision–making process.

• Compare objective and subjective assessments of oneself and others. 
• Grasp the concept and implications of “Lookism.”

In pairs, participants “label” each other’s pop-up crowd with five to six words or phrases, then do word association exercise with the original list. Participants discuss final label list concerning the nature of the labels.

• Review previous workshop content. 
• Introduce the concept of “issues of access.” 
• Empower participants to rethink their behaviors and attitudes.

Consolidate all your learning experiences in our workshop sessions and discuss the overarching concept of “issues of access,” fostering a new approach to thinking and behaving.