Submitted by Višnja Kisić, University of Arts Belgrade
Tags: Othering, experience based, collective
Download Method Guide
The method engages participants in exploring and researching the topic/problem/issue, building their arguments and story line for or against a specific position. It gives inputs as well as a lot of freedom to participants in building knowledge on the topic, finding sources and debating etc. The method is excellent for dealing with issues and topics that are divisive and contested in a society or a particular professional field, as well as with trends in a professional field that are pushed with no space to be critically examined and thought through (such as audience development and citizen participation in culture). It is suited for different cultural backgrounds and age, but it requires reading skills and time to explore the topic.
In which way is this method alternative?
The method engages participants in exploring and researching the topic/problem/issue, building their arguments and storyline for or against a specific position, and constructing knowledge through that process. It gives inputs as well as a lot of freedom to participants in building knowledge on the topic, finding sources and debating, and develops research, argumentation, and dialoguing skills.
Experiences with the method
Together with two other colleagues I have used and adapted the method in few situations. The longer version of it was a project Zauzmi stranu (Take a side) which we run in Museum of Yugoslavia in 2016 for museum professionals and students from the Balkan region on the issue of citizen participation in heritage and museums. This is the longer 8 days outline that I have explained above.
In Heritage Management Course I teach, I use the method in a shorter manner for exploring issues of colonial looting and repatriation of cultural heritage with students. The students are given assignment to read Universal Museum Declaration as well as other writings on the topic, and take side on whether they are for or against the concept of Universal Museum, constructing their point of view and argument particular position, while providing examples. I usually do it over two classes and homework, but the longer the time dedicated to it, the more participants can dive into the issue and form informed arguments.
Therefore, the method can be adapted for different topics and purposes, as long as there is an issue around which dialogue and opposing arguments should be constructed and debated.
Settings and participants the method is best suited for
The method is excellent for dealing with issues and topics that are divisive and contested in a society or a particular professional field, as well as with trends in a professional field that are pushed with no space to be critically examined and thought through (such as audience development and citizen participation in culture). It is suited for different cultural backgrounds and age, but it requires reading skills and time to explore the topic.
Requirements for applying the method
The method is not suited for short time slots and quick educational processes, as it requires at least 2 hours for a basic simulation to take place. It is best suited for a weeklong or longer educational processes, with actual argumentation and “court case arguments” happening as an outcome of the overall exploration and educational process, followed by a debate and reflection.
In which context was the method developed?
Two colleagues and myself have developed the specific approach for the project Zauzmi stranu (Take a side) which we run in Museum of Yugoslavia in 2016 for museum professionals from the Balkan region on the issue of citizen participation in heritage and museums. However, a part of the inspiration came from the exercises and competitions of law students in which they take up a case and play defendants or prosecutors, exercising how to apply legal instruments and measures on real life cases, as well as to defend or tackle positions that are not necessarily their own personal preferences. The form we came up with is not bound by specific laws and legal texts, but allows for the freer exploration of different ideas and texts, coming up with unique arguments and defending them.
