Jane Elliott’s Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Experiment on Racism

What a great story. It’s a shame that today, the teacher would most definitely be sued.

We talked about this in one of my classes this week, in relation to the genocide in Rwanda. Scary.

I had to learn about this in Ethics class. We watched a video about it but I cannot remember the name.

A classic.

I think it’s creepy to use students in social experiments. That’s not the teacher’s job. She made her point by letting kids suffer. She had no right.

That had no lasting harm I’m sure. I’m sure it had an impact, and it taught them something valuable.

Thanks for the laugh, Timm. Nice to see you’re still persisting in your delusion.

This experiment is interesting, but it means nothing unless the results are analyzed. Of course, I have no degree in the social sciences, but I believe that I’m just as qualified to have an opinion about human beings, seeing as how I am one.

Consider the fact that the kids were already on the bottom of a social hierarchy. They were order-takers and the teacher was an order-giver. Being at the bottom of a social hierarchy can adversely affect a person’s mood, which can make it harder to learn and solve problems. The blue-eyed kids were placed in an even lower class, which made them even “dumber” than they were already.

On the other hand, being in a relatively higher class can adversely affect a person’s empathy. Although the brown-eyed kids weren’t elevated to a higher class, they did become a middle-class when the blue-eyed kids were demoted. As a result, the brown-eyed kids were happier and less empathic.

However, this experiment doesn’t illustrate the positive effects of social equality. For that, we need to look at the Spanish Revolution. When class distinctions were abolished, the people became happier and more empathic, which increased their intelligence and productivity. The libertarian communes became freer, more prosperous, and more peaceful. Unfortunately, they were outnumbered by their fascist enemies and betrayed by their Marxist allies, thus leading to their defeat.

Compare the Spanish Revolution to the various Marxist revolutions that have occured, in which members of the lower-class replace the higher-class. This creates an even greater social hierarchy, which results in increased oppression, poverty, and strife.

Bear in mind that people have free will. Our position in society can influence our emotions, but it doesn’t control us. If we treat people as equals, we can be happier and more empathic.

Heard about this way back when in university in a freshman psych or sociology class. The results are interesting of course, but I seem to recall the prof saying these types of experiments on children are now considered unethical.

(The children never gave their consent to be used as the teacher’s lab rats. Moreover, the teacher had no idea if there would be lasting effects.)

Interesting how the low-achievers did better once they were made part of an “in” group, and vice-versa. As I often say, “People are only as stupid as they want to be.” If one believes oneself to be inferior, of course they’ll fail. It takes strength of character to ignore social conditioning and reach one’s true potential.

The real trick to doing well, though, is not to feel superior to others, but to view all as equals. Hitler & his thugs thought they were superior. But Gandhi cleaned latrines with untouchables, and Einstein once insisted that he not be exempt from handing over his wallet to an armed robber in a diner.

You can infer multiple ideas from the experiment:

Children become what they are told they are.

People are sheep.

People like having power over other people.

1984 and Idiocracy are both true prophetic visions.

People will do what they are told to their own detriment.

People suck.

When I was in elementary school a teacher of mine tried this experiment. Although she did it a different way. She told us research had said that blue-eye children where better than non-blue eye children. She began sorting us by blue eye and non-blue eye children.
Then began to allow the blue eye children to talk among themselves while the non blue eye children had to be quiet.
Someone in the class protested about this and stated that it was illegal. They continued to protest till the teacher stopped the ‘experiment’ and told us the truth.

I spoke to someone later about this situation and they stated that the person protesting may have saved the teacher’s job as the teacher did not inform anyone of the ‘experiment’ and did not obtain permission.

I remember this because I always wondered why the person protested about the situation. To me it showed that if you think something is wrong you need to stand up be counted.

Interesting thread. Timm needs to read some history of white supremacy–Madison Grant and Lothrop Stoddard, for instance. And KidReviewer–or his dad–misses the point. We DO condition children to believe things we adults tell them–that’s EXACTLY what Jane Elliott is trying to show. Kalel is absolutely right to bring up the Stanford Prison Experiment. Check it out, folks–the “them” ain’t so different from “us.”

I think she is a great women for standing for the rights of other races until you are considered colored you have no idea what i feels like to be discriminated against. I know this first hand my husband is African American and I am Hispanic.