Feelings:
Before we start the analysis of the experience, we want to learn how you felt during the game? Frustration? Happiness? Sadness? Excitement? Proudness?
For those that were at one extreme, what were your greatest frustrations or successes during the activity?
How many think there were different versions of the rules?
-‘No’ or ‘not sure’ people what else might be going on?
- Confirm backstory only after alternate explanations are discussed
- Important to understand each person interpreted the few discrepancies very differently, and that this caused a great deal of consternation, frustration, uncertainty, suspicion, etc
BARNGA is a well-known simulation game on cultural differences. Participants experience the shock of realizing that despite their good intentions and the many similarities among them, people interpret things differently from one another in profound ways, especially people from differing cultures. Players learn that they must understand and reconcile these differences if they want to function effectively within a group.
The goal is to raise awareness of the covert nature of some cultural differences as well as the necessity to adapt behaviors and adopt strategies to overcome differences.
The goal is to raise awareness of cultural differences, particularly when people move from 1group to another.
Everyone played the same game except that each group has just slightly different rules. When a player moved to a new group, unable to communicate, he/she ran into obstacles in winning a trick.
When someone joined a new group, or moved to a new table, the rules in that new place were similar to what he/she was used to but with some important differences which the personhad to figure out.
Analysis:
-all did their best, but each group was operating on different set of circumstances and ground rules.
-What made communicating difficult in this activity? In real life?
-demands sensitivity and creativity
-many discovered or suspected that the rules were different but didn’t always know what to do to bridge the differences.
-even if people knew how the rules were different, they didn’t always know what to do to bridge the differences.
-These are true even when almost everything is the same and the differences are very few or hidden. In fact, when the differences are very few or hidden, it may be even more difficult to bridge them than when there are many or obvious differences.
-in spite of many similarities, people have differences in the way they do things. You have to understand and reconcile these differences to function effectively in a group.
Life situations:
What specific real-life situations does this activity simulate?
Have you ever had an experience where there was a “rule difference” you didn’t know about?
How did you view of things change once you became aware of the difference? In retrospect, how could you have handled the situation differently?
Are there any similarities between the activity rules in Barnga and real-life work rules?
(Choose a couple of the situations)What are the underlying causes of the problems thatwere raised?
What does the game experience suggest about what to do when you are in the situation in the real world (what did you do during the game that worked?).
What are the most important things have you learned after playing?
When someone joins our program, branch, circle of friends, neighborhood,etc, we should be flexible and supportive when the person doesn't quite "get" how we do things here.
-Personal responsibility in communication
-Adaptability to surroundings, rules, and people
-Educating others by taking social action