Factors That Support or Limit Participation
In the technology workshop, it's time to use the drill. Three classmates raise their hands, and two female classmates stay in the back, taking notes. Nobody scolded them or forbade anything, but they finish the class without having drilled. What happened? Was it their own decision, or did something leave them out? By the end of this page you will be able to answer it.
Interest, Prejudice, Stereotype, and Aspiration
When a person takes part (or doesn't) in a technical process, there is almost always one of these four ideas behind it:
The key difference: interest and aspiration come from the person; prejudice and stereotype come from what others think of them. An interest can support participation. A prejudice or a stereotype almost always limits it.
Tell the three concepts apart with a short definition and an example of your own from school life: interest, prejudice and stereotype. Then write one example of each…
Tell the three concepts apart with a short definition and an example of your own from school life: interest, prejudice and stereotype. Then write one example of each that fosters or limits participation in the technology workshop.
Equal Opportunity in the Workshop
Equal opportunity means that everyone has a real chance to participate, learn, and try things out, without their gender, age, disability, origin, or place of residence getting in the way.
Careful: it's not the same as "everyone does the same thing." It means everyone has the same chances to learn. Sometimes a different kind of support is needed (a taller stool, a large-print guide) to get to the same place.
A prejudice or stereotype limits participation in two ways:
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From the outside: others don't let you or don't take you into account ("you just take notes").
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From the inside: you end up believing it and stop trying ("that's not for me").
In the middle school workshop, whenever it is time to use the drill or the soldering iron, several classmates assume the girls «don't know how» or «might get hurt» and…
In the middle school workshop, whenever it is time to use the drill or the soldering iron, several classmates assume the girls «don't know how» or «might get hurt» and push them aside to take notes. Identify which factor is at play (interest, prejudice or stereotype), explain how it limits equal opportunities and propose one concrete measure for the group.
Custom and Roles in the Community
It's not just school that has these factors. In community work, custom ("that's how it's always been done"), trust among acquaintances, and age also carry weight.
A custom is not bad in itself: it passes on valuable knowledge. It becomes a problem when it closes off learning to some people.
In a community bricklaying crew, don Pedro always assigns the concrete mixing and the carrying of materials to the newly arrived young people «because that is how it has…
In a community bricklaying crew, don Pedro always assigns the concrete mixing and the carrying of materials to the newly arrived young people «because that is how it has always been done», while the trusted ones do the finishes. Classify the factors involved (custom, interest, prejudice) and propose a way of sharing the tasks that gives everyone the same opportunities to learn.
Material Barriers: Schedules, Distance, and Accessibility
It's not all prejudice. Sometimes the problem lies in how the course, workshop, or job is organized: schedule, location, cost, facilities. These are called barriers.
| Barrier | Example | Who it leaves out |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule | Course only on weekday mornings | People who work, study, or care for family members |
| Distance | Two hours by bus | Remote communities, people who can't afford the fare |
| Accessibility | Workshop with steps and no ramp | People with mobility disabilities |
| Cost | Expensive materials or transportation | Lower-income families |
| Information | Announcement only online | People without a cell phone or data |
For each barrier there is a measure that reduces it: a Saturday or afternoon schedule, locations in the communities, ramps, help with the fare, announcements at the open-air market and on local radio, child care during the course.
The municipality offers a free course on solar panel installation, but it is taught only on weekdays from 9:00 to 14:00, downtown, two hours by bus from the surrounding…
The municipality offers a free course on solar panel installation, but it is taught only on weekdays from 9:00 to 14:00, downtown, two hours by bus from the surrounding communities. Analyze which factors limit the participation of women who care for relatives, of people with disabilities and of young people from the communities, and propose two changes that would widen equal opportunities.
How to Analyze a Case and Propose Improvements
With any case, you can follow these four questions:
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Who participates and who is left out?
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Which factor is at work? Interest, prejudice, stereotype, custom, or a material barrier.
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How does it limit? What do those people miss out on learning or doing?
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What concrete change improves it? It should be for everyone, clear, and possible.
An important point about tone: we criticize ideas and ways of organizing things, not people. Someone who holds a prejudice can change if they are shown another way of doing things.
Back to the beginning: in the workshop, the female classmates didn't drill because a stereotype ("they don't know how, they get hurt") closed the opportunity to them from the outside. It wasn't their decision. The solution is a rotating turn system and safety rules that are the same for everyone.