C U LT UR A L A W A R EN ES S G A M E

(NSW Department of Education and Training, 1996)

Students break up into two equal groups.
Materials
Two Baskets
Basket One: Contains objects similar in material and shape eg; wooden blocks.
Basket Two: Contains objects that are decidedly different from the objects in the other basket, eg shells. The number of blocks
and shells needs to equal the number of males in each group.
Group One Instructions:
You are about to enter a new culture. It is your goal to interact with the people of this culture in a positive and friendly way. You
should also note down observation of significant cultural practices and their meaning on the paper provided. As a way of
preparing yourself you should discuss amongst yourselves now some strategies that may be useful to enable you to achieve your
goals.
Group Two Instructions:
You all members of a culture that is based on the belief that sharing and communication are primary practices and that social
interaction is an obligation for all. The symbols of interaction, wooden blocks and shells, have no signification meaning or value;
they are simply an excuse for socialising.
In you culture males are subordinate to females. This point is very important and the following procedure for communication
between males and females should not be breached.
When a male wishes to communicate with a female he must do the following.
Take a single shell from the basket containing shells and take a wooden block from the basket containing wooden blocks.
Approach the female with the right arm extended, the palm open, cupping the shell. The left index finger and thumb should, at
the same time, hold the elbow bone of the extended right arm. The female is obliged to take the shell, inspect it briefly and
return it to the still extended right arm and palm. The male pockets the shell and then offers the wooden block in the same way.
The female takes the block and then walks away returning it to the basket used for containing wooden blocks. The male must
remain where he is for a count of 20 before resuming communication.
All communication is one-on-one.
Females are never to initiate communication with a male.
On no account must a female be approached by anyone, male or female, while returning blocks to the basket, this is a breach in
communication procedure.
If at any time a male or female become aware that a breach in procedure has occurred while communicating with a male or
female they begin to clap, remaining where they are. On hearing this, all communication in the room ceases immediately, blocks
and shells are returned to baskets. Everyone looks at the clapper and the same sex culture members begin to clap as well. While
clapping they walk towards to the site of the breach of communication. On arrival, all the clapping females or clapping males,
including the clapping male or females who first became aware of the breach, move towards a corner of the room. When
several metres away from the breach site normal communication resumes.
This is the method of leaning appropriate communication behaviour in your culture. No one is blamed or admonished as there
are often mistakes made by young or new members of your culture. No one is blamed as there are often mistakes made by
young or new members of your culture. There may however, be a little embarrassment for the male or female making the
mistake; this is normal.

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Procedures for communication between females are thus; the two catch each others eye and approach. When at arms length
they stop and raise their right arms to rest on the shoulder of the other. There is a count of five and then the arms are lowered.
The females then turn back to back and walk away looking for another encounter.
Procedures for communicating between males involve the two catching each others eye and then approaching to within about
a metre. They face each other and then toss their shells on the floor between them. While still looking at each other they begin
to walk in a circle rotating clockwise around the shells three times. They then pick up their shells and turn back to back, count to
twenty and walk away look for another encounter.
Strangers
Strangers are welcome to your culture as long as they behave themselves and follow the correct procedure for communication.
No allowance is made for their ignorance, they must learn as everyone does. If a stranger is not actively communicating you are
obliged to engage them in communication following the correct procedures.

Questions on Conclusion:
Can anyone describe any instance when they felt insecure and threatened?
Did anyone feel angry and frustrated?
What did you learn from participating in this activity?
How can we use these understandings in the school setting?

A PPENDIX T HREE
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