Paul Bloom - Bias and Prejudice and Auberge Espagnole

Task 1

http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_bloom_can_prejudice_ever_be_a_good_thing?language=en

Ask the questions in full sentences in your notebooks, trying to use the vocabulary underneath to help you.

1) In his introduction, what is Paul Bloom´s attitude to prejudice and bias?

2) What does he use the idea of the dog, chair and apple to show us?

3) What does the case study about Kandinsky and Klee prove to us?

4) What happened on Ebay with the sale of the baseball cards?

5) What has been the major catalyst in America for moral change/challenging bias and prejudice? What do you think about this? 

6) I think prejudice and bias illustrate a fundamental duality of human nature. We have gut feelings, instincts, emotions, and they affect our judgments and our actions for good and for evil, but we are also capable of rational deliberation and intelligent planning, and we can use these to accelerate and nourish our emotions, and in other cases stop them. And it's in this way that reason helps us create a better world.

Do you agree or disagree with this final statement?

Useful Vocab

üAs far as i´m concerned/In my opinion

üI´m no expert but generally speaking …

üThis idea/case study suggests that ...

üIt’s inevitable that …

üAlthough it seems like a huge generalisation, maybe there is some truth in this stereotype because

üWhilst I don´t find the texts personally offensive, stereotypes do lead to …

Key Vocab

üTo marry up to

üTo consist of

üTo give rise to

üTo end up believing

üTo wind me up

üTo fit in with

üTo challenge preconceptions

üA cliche

Task 2



Watch the extracts/timings of the film Auberge Espagnole that I have listed below:
Auberge Espagnole is a film set in Barcelona about a group of International Erasmus students. The film presents some stereotypes.

1) Make a list of the different national stereotypes that are presented. (Italian, British, French, Spanish, Catalan, Belgian, German)

2) Does this presentation of national stereotypes encourage prejudice/racism? 
3) Choose 2 of the stereotypes - one that you agree with and one that you disagree with and explain your opinion.



Part 2 (Especially from 1.15mins - 7min) (9.05 mins - 12.40 mins) (46.15mins - 50.11mins)
Part 3 (Especially from the beginning - 7.25)