What is the root?
an activity for understanding motivations
What is it for?
In workshops or group discussions, it is easy to be carried away by the immediate goals of the session and neglect individuals’ various standpoints and motivations about the given topic. This activity makes space and time in those sessions for participants to reflect on each their individual belief systems. They are prompted to unpack the driving forces of their actions.
Impact
This conversation framework helps identify the source of people’s actions and understanding their motivations and beliefs.
What does it look like?
The researcher or facilitator guides participants to reflect on the roots of participants’ beliefs based on a specific event or period in time. Participants privately ask themselves, ‘What is the source of my action?’ (Where did I learn to respond in this way? From school, fellow staff, parents, friends?). Later, participants are asked to share their thoughts to prompt conversations to clarify gaps and matches in core values and beliefs.
Participants’ State of Mind
vulnerable, expressive
Level of Complexity (1–5)
5
Time of Participation
10~20 mins
Source
Matter–Mind Studio. Also practiced in close collaboration with facilitated by a personal friend and friend of the studio, Kate McEntee, for an Equity-Centered Design workshop. Summer 2018 for Service Design Melbourne.
