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Lesson ideas

Gangs or Cliques?

Students examine bias in language and images in popular media.
Students critically examine how prejudiced attitudes conveyed through the popular media contribute to the creation of negative ethnic stereotypes.

The popular view that young people from ethnic minorities are more likely to be involved in groups coming together specifically for anti-social activities is inconsistent with available research.
Although the article Gangs or Cliques? features misconceptions about Asian youth groups similar issues apply to youth groups from other ethnic minorities.

1 Gangs or Cliques?

Download student copies of Gangs or Cliques? (or read from individual screens).
Read together and discuss.
Refer to Face the Facts questions and answers: (download excerpt or visit the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission site.)
Do people from migrant backgrounds commit more crime?
Do young people from ethnic minorities commit more crime?
Are ethnic 'youth gangs' a problem?

2 Class discussion

Recently sections of the media have also turned their attention to other groups of young people e.g. Mediterranean, Lebanese, Arabic speaking, Islander.
Why do you think this is?
Is it fair?
How are these groups identified?
Why are they formed?
Where in Australia do gangs and groups live?
What factors are issues in the formation of youth groups? (gender, age, socio-economic factors, experience of social marginalisation, ethnicity, locale, community, school, family life)

3 Polarised debate

Conduct a polarised debate (See Teacher's Notes download) which allows students to argue a viewpoint and to modify that viewpoint as the debate proceeds. Choose propositions based on the article and class discussion e.g.

Any congregation of young people from an ethnic minority is a gang.
Society makes gangs out of "ethnic" youth groups.
Ethnicity determines society's perception of gangs and groups.
Gangs are only undesirable if you're not a member.
The media turns groups into gangs.
Gangs are a healthy part of growing up.
Give a dog a bad name and it will behave accordingly.
Can we judge a book by its cover?

1 Make a scrapbook of current newspaper clippings related to youth, ethnicity and crime. Critically examine articles for accuracy, bias, stereotyping and prejudice.

2 Read and discuss the cover story from The Bulletin magazine, August 7 2001, The other Australians-The sons and daughters of immigrants find themselves caught in a world between the cultural roots of their parents and the demands of acceptance by the majority- Diana Bagnall.
This can currently be found on The Bulletin website.

Kebabs, Kids, Cops & Crime- Youth, Ethnicity and Crime,
COLLINS Jock, NOBLE Greg, POYNTING Scott and TABAR Paul, ,
Pluto Press 2000
Face the facts, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, 2001

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission