CWAB - Session 1 - Exercise 1.1

Child welfare

across borders

Session 1 - Course introduction

Exercise 1 - Personal Audit

Perceptions of Canada, England, Netherlands and Sweden

Suggested time in minutes
45

Aims of Exercise

	to raise awareness of personal national stereotypes and assumptions
	to identify gaps in knowledge and awareness about your own country and the other three explored in the course
	to provide a focus for researching country information
	to encourage you to use an evidence-based approach in your work

Step 1: Word Association

Next to the country you live in and/or are a citizen of list some words and images that you think represent the stereotypes held by foreign nationals.

For the remaining countries list some words and images you associate with those places. Don't think too deeply, use the first words you think of and be honest with yourself.

If you do not feel attached to any country or feel associated with more than one don't worry, just brainstorm the words and images anyway.

Canada		England


Netherlands		Sweden

Step 2: Now look at your list and answer the following questions.

You may find it useful to do this with another student. If you do not know anyone else yet post a request for an open or closed discussion on the bulletin board.

Questions	Comments
Did you find it easy to think of lots of words for all the countries or were some lists shorter than others? Why do you think there were differences?
Where do you think the words and images come from?
Read the quote below and then comment upon its application to the this exercise and child welfare work Our own perceptions are a limited and limiting way of dealing with the world.
What do your lists really tell you about the lives and people who are in those countries?

To help you further with building a picture of life in the four countries spend some time familiarising yourself with general information, provided in the Country Information and Maps. Alternatively go to 1.3 Learning Outcomes