The Danger of a Single story

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• Middelbare school
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• Leerjaar 6

The danger of a single story

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

TEDGlobal 2009

Think for a minute...

Has someone else ever made an assumption about you because of some aspect of your identity? Was it a positive assumption or a negative one? How did you find out about the assumption? How did you respond?

Stereotypes

Brainstorm in pairs:

write down words, phrases, and ideas that you associate with stereotypes. Organize these around the word stereotype on a piece paper.

Street Calculus

Garry Trudeau’s cartoon from the Doonesbury comic strip comments on the calculations we make about one another.

First impressions

1. What’s happening in this image?
2. What do you notice about what each person is thinking in his thought bubble?
3. How are each of their thoughts similar? How are they different?

What are stereotypes?

Stereotypes are a type of story that we tell about individuals based on our beliefs (erroneous or accurate) about a group to which they belong. 

In pairs...

1. Do you think the situation depicted here is realistic? Do people use “lists” like these to make judgments about each other?
   
2. How aware do you think people are of the lists they make? When someone sees you walking down the street, what lists might they make about you? What lists do you sometimes make about others?
   
3. How might these lists shape choices people make (beyond greeting each other)? What would it take to change the lists people make about each other?

www.ted.com

Discussion questions

1. What does Adichie mean by a “single story”? What examples does she give?
   
2. How did Adichie learn single stories about others? How did these stories impact her understanding of herself and of others? How did these single stories impact the choices she made at home and in her travels?
   

Discussion questions

1. What enabled Adichie to change her single story? What are other ways for these types of stories to change?
   
   
2. According to Adichie, why can “single stories” be dangerous? What is the relationship between “single stories” and stereotypes?

Letter to the editor

A letter to the editor is a letter sent to a publication about issues of concern from its readers. Usually, they are intended for publication.

WHY SHOULD YOU WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR?

Letters to the editor are among the most widely read features in any newspaper or magazine. They allow you to reach a large audience. You can probably think of many more specific reasons why you might want to write to the editor, but here are a few general ones:

• You are angry about something, and want others to know it
  
• You think that an issue is so important that you have to speak out
• Part of your group's strategy is to persuade others to take a specific action
  

Or you want to:

• Suggest an idea to others
  
• Influence public opinion
  
• Educate the general public on a specific matter
  
• Influence policy-makers or elected officials directly or indirectly

WHEN SHOULD YOU WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR?

Letters to the editor can be written any time you want to shape public opinion, tell others how you feel about people, programs, or ideas, or just inform the public on a certain issue. They are a great way to increase awareness of the issues that you or your organization are working for, as well as to advocate for your cause.

 

Letters to the editor can also be used to start a community conversation about an issue important to you. A planned series of letters to the editor can stimulate public interest and media coverage. It's up to you to determine when is the best time to start writing the letters, allowing time for them to be published.

HOW DO YOU WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR?

OPEN THE LETTER WITH A SIMPLE SALUTATION.

Don't worry if you don't know the editor's name. A simple "To the Editor of the Daily Sun," or just “To the Editor:” is sufficient. If you have the editor's name, however, you should use it to increase the possibilities of your letter being read.

GRAB THE READER'S ATTENTION.

Your opening sentence is very important. It should tell readers what you’re writing about, and make them want to read more.

EXPLAIN WHAT THE LETTER IS ABOUT AT THE START.

Throughout your letter, remember the rule:

Be quick,

Be concise, and then

Be quiet.

Don't make the editor or the general public wait to find out what you want to say. Tell them your key point at the beginning.

HOW DO YOU WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR?

EXPLAIN WHY THE ISSUE IS IMPORTANT.

If you are motivated enough to write a letter to a newspaper or magazine, the importance of your topic may seem clear to you. Remember, though, that the general public probably doesn't share your background or the interest. Explain the issue and its importance simply. Use plain language that most people will understand

GIVE EVIDENCE FOR ANY PRAISE OR CRITICISM.

If you are writing a letter discussing a past or pending action, be clear in showing why this will have good or bad results.

STATE YOUR OPINION ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE DONE.

You can write a letter just to ''vent," or to support or criticize a certain action or policy, but you may also have suggestions about what could be done to improve the situation. If so, be sure to add these as well. Be specific. And the more good reasons you can give to back up your suggestions, the better.

HOW DO YOU WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR?

KEEP IT BRIEF.

Generally, shorter letters have a better chance of being published. So go back over your letter and see if anything can be cut or condensed. If you have a lot to say and it can't be easily made short, you may want to check with the editor to see if you could write a longer opinion feature or guest column.

SIGN THE LETTER.

Be sure to write your full name (and title, if relevant) and to include your address, phone number, and e-mail address. Newspapers won't print anonymous letters, though in some cases they may withhold your name on request. They may also call you to confirm that you wrote the letter before they publish it.

CHECK YOUR LETTER TO MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR AND TO THE POINT.

A newspaper may not print every letter it receives, but clear, well-written letters are likely to be given more serious consideration.

Assignment

• Write a letter to the editor for a newspaper.
• Write about watching Adichie and the ways it made you think about the topic.
• Why it is so important to have multiple perspectives.
• Include an example of a situation caused by a 'single story'.
• Make clear why you feel it is important to share this with the readers (what do you want to change?)