Dialog across difference #13: Hungry for understanding

When we facilitate groups, we do better when we attempt to lower barriers to participation and to cross-cultural understanding. Sometimes that cross-cultural work is between groups with different collective identities; sometimes it is done with groups that are a different ethnicity than that of the facilitator; sometimes there are more than one cultural identities of individuals in the same group. 

Indeed, it is likely more rare to facilitate a monocultural group by a facilitator of the same cultural identity, especially in a pluralistic culture. It can feel as if there are too many factors to be able to either succeed or to properly evaluate the facilitation experience. 

At the very least, then, facilitators might need a checklist to attempt to pre-arrange as many factors as possible toward a successful experience. 

One factor in one five-week cross-cultural facilitation exercise of different racial-identified middle schoolers revealed on factor not commonly discussed in analysis of variables was an observation made nearly at the conclusion of the exercise, that the groups of students in the discussions about racial identity were participating right before lunch (Candelari & Huber, 2002). 

In their evaluations of the experience, the researchers noted that levels of hunger--possibly particularly for the adolescents involved--and accompanying anxiety, anticipation, and growing body signals--were unhelpful in cultivating as much focus and engagement as might have happened if another time or another method (provision of healthy snacks) mitigated that distraction. 

The best facilitators may be assisted by a checklist to make all conditions for a successful group process as conducive to that outcome as possible.

References

Candelario, N., & Huber, H. (2002). A School-Based Group Experience on Racial Identity and Race Relations. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 73(1), 51–72.