power flower assignment

Power Flower

Justice, equity & inclusion.

The “Power Flower” is a tool developed by Canadian social change educators when working with groups to “identify who we are (and who we aren’t) as individuals and as a group in relation to those who wield power in our society” (Educating for a Change, p. 87). The centre of a daisy-type flower is divided into 16 segments, each representing one facet or category of our social identity. This centre is surrounded by a double set of petals, one outer, one inner. The outer petals describe the dominant or powerful identities in society. The inner petals are filled in by participants and describe the social identity of each individual. 

The below definitions will support you in leading this activity:

• Power (institutional): Possession of control, authority, or influence over others (Merriam-Webster, 2018). The ability or official authority to decide what is best for others. The ability to decide who will have access to resources. The capacity to exercise control over others.
• Privilege: A right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor : prerogative; especially : such a right or immunity attached specifically to a position or an office (Merriam-Webster, 2018)

Privilege operates on personal, interpersonal, cultural, and institutional levels and gives advantages, favors, and benefits to members of dominant groups at the expense of members of target groups. In North America, privilege is granted to people who are part in one or more of these social identify groups:  

• White people;
• Able-bodied people;
• Heterosexuals;
• Christians;
• Middle class people;
• Middle-aged people;
• English-speaking people

Privilege is characteristically invisible to people who have it. People in dominant groups often believe that they have “earned” the privileges that they enjoy or that everyone could have access to these privileges if only they worked to earn them. In fact, privileges are unearned and they are granted to people in the dominant groups whether they want those privileges or not, and regardless of their stated intent. People in dominant groups are frequently unaware that they are members of the dominant group due to the privilege of being able to see themselves as persons rather than stereotypes.

It is important to indicate that a group does not have to be a majority to be a dominant social group. 

• Oppression: Unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power (Merriam-Webster, 2018)

The combination of prejudice and institutional power which creates a system that discriminates against some groups (often called “target groups”) and benefits other groups (often called “dominant groups”). Examples of these systems are racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, classism, ageism, and anti-Semitism. These systems enable dominant groups to exert control over target groups by limiting their rights, freedom, and access to basic resources such as health care, education, employment, and housing.

• Marginalization: The process of to put or keep putting (someone) in a powerless or unimportant position within a society or group (Merriam-Webster,2018).

An alternative definition to marginalization defined by Jenson (2000) is “Marginals: people the system of labor cannot or will not use, as a result they are excluded from one of society’s major integrating activities, thereby missing out on one of the basic factors leading to full inclusion

Marginalization is a kind of exclusion or isolation of the young people from the main political, social, economic mainstreams.

The object of the exercise is to discover how close, or how distant, each person is to the dominant identity of their current society. The more inner petals match the outer (dominant) ones, the more social power that person possesses. 

Often one or more centre segments are left blank for the group to identify aspects or categories of social identity that carry special power significance peculiar to their context. For instance, whether a person is born in Canada or outside Canada would likely make a difference.

• Printed handout for each participant (see below)
• Chart paper
• Reflective music (optional)
• Make a large replica of the power flower on a piece of chart paper and hang out on the wall

Time:  1 hour

Framing  “We are going to take some time to reflect on our individual privilege and power in society. In this activity you will have the time to explore your personal identities. At no point will you be required to share this with the group if you do not feel comfortable with that.” 

• Discuss definitions. Start with a conversation on what is “power and privilege”. Give them the space to discuss in the group. 
• Then, go over the definitions with them. Write them on the board (optional).
• Ask for some examples of dominant groups in our society that hold power. 
• Hand out the flower diagram copies to each participant.
• For instance, when completing the race category, it would not be too difficult to agree that “white” should go in the outer petal. 
• The same might go for “English” in the language category language, and “heterosexual” in the sexual orientation category. 
• Optional: put on some reflective music while they write. 
• Ask them to answer in their head: where does your inner petal match the outer petal (i.e. your identity is that of the dominant group in our society)?
• Option 1- Pair and Share: Ask participants to turn to the person next to them and share and compare their place in the flower diagram and the society based on the discussions we have been having.
• Option 2 – Volunteers Share: Ask for volunteers to hold up their flower and share with the group. 
• Option 3 –  ask people to come forward and transfer their inner petal locations onto the inner petals of the large flower. This makes up the composite, communal social identity of your group.

This activity requires a clear debrief to wrap up and discover the purpose of doing this exercise. The facilitator can choose to focus the debrief on different lenses such as personal social identities, group social identity, or interpersonal relations within the group. 

As this exercise reveals aspects of our social identity that we are often not aware of, sometimes the unveiling can cause pain, anger, or even denial. A person who feels personally powerless is confronted by the fact that regardless of how she might feel, she is seen as wielding quite a bit of power by society in general. When working with marginalized groups, it’s important to create space for individuals to discover where they do hold power in society. 

On the other hand, someone who feels personally responsible for not having succeeded may be freed from self-blame when they see that there are structural reasons holding them back. Helping one another untangle the personal from the structural can help us move forward with anti-racism work and with our struggle to seek justice against other oppressions.

• How did it feel to reflect on which groups in our society you identify with? 
• Have you ever taken time to reflect on these identities before? 
• What surprised you about your flower diagram? 
• How does this diagram represent marginalization/oppression? 
• How does this diagram represent the power you hold in society? 
• When you are working in a group how do you think your privilege or power may affect how you work with these groups?
• How can this activity help us work better as a group?

LGBTQ2S Toolkit

Time Needed

Participants needed, difficulty level, in-person / online, materials needed, about social innovation unlocked.

The Power Flower: An Inclusion and Diversity Activity

This strategy is designed to enhance students’ awareness of multiple intersecting identities that they have. It can be used for fostering inclusion and promote diversity in a classroom. It encourages students to accept others and work with others with respect.

Canadian educators in the field of social change created the “power flower” tool to help groups understand their social identity concerning those who hold power in our society (Rick et al., 1991, p. 87). The original design of this tool is like a daisy with 16 segments (see Figure 1), each representing a different aspect of our social identity. In the center, there is the name. There are two layers of petals, one inside and one outside. The outer petals represent the dominant identities in society. The inner petals include participants’ their own identity. The purpose of this exercise is to determine how similar or different each person’s social identity is from the dominant identity in their society. The more the inner petals match the outer ones, the more power that person holds.

Strategy Implementation

While teaching her International Studies course at a Canadian university, Marwa Younes introduced The Power Flower: Inclusion and Diversity Activity . She did this because some students felt uncomfortable due to insensitive comments shared by some and tackling heated discussions in the class. Since the class had students from diverse backgrounds, Marwa believed it was a good idea to use the Power Flower activity. This activity helped students explore their own identities and become more aware of others’ identities. By reflecting on their own identity, it deepened their understanding of how some unintended comments can create exclusion on individuals, class, and society. This activity was used as online activity, yet it can be used in in person class. I followed the below steps:

Online Discussion Board

• Describe how this exercise allows us to examine who we are in relation to others. Because we are both members of one class at the same time, we may be discriminated against and entitled to benefits at the same time. By reflecting on these aspects of our own lives, we can better understand ourselves and.
• Post the power flower on landscape paper as a discussion starter on the discussion board. Each petal represents a different aspect of our identity. When creating the flower, I chose seven categories of identity that I thought were most relevant to my context. I included gender, economic class, age, education, ethnicity, and religion. In the flower, the central part includes the name, the inner petals represent a person’s specific identity, and the outer petals represent the dominant group of that facet of identity (Figure 2).
• List the number of personal characteristics that differ from their dominant identity.
• Mention if you can change any of these characteristics.
• Share any light bulb moments you had while filling the Power Flower.
• How does the exercise reveal our group’s characteristics?
• Is there any difference or similarity between us?
• Share any light bulb moments when reading the power flower of others.
• Synthesize key ideas and share them with class.

Reflections

Implementing The Power Flower: Inclusion and Diversity Activity in my International Studies course proved to be a valuable and enlightening experience. The benefits of this activity were multifold. Firstly, it created a safe space for students to explore and reflect on their own identities, fostering a deeper understanding of themselves and their peers. The structured nature of the exercise, with its clear categories like gender, economic class, age, education, ethnicity, and religion, facilitated a comprehensive exploration of various aspects of identity.

The online format of the activity allowed students to engage in thoughtful self-reflection and share their Power Flowers on the discussion board. This not only encouraged individual introspection but also promoted a collective understanding of the diverse identities within the class. The subsequent discussion and synthesis of key ideas brought forth meaningful insights into the group’s characteristics, highlighting both differences and similarities.

One notable benefit was the increased awareness of how seemingly innocuous comments could unintentionally exclude individuals based on their identities. The Power Flower acted as a powerful tool to unveil these dynamics, promoting empathy and sensitivity among students.

However, like any pedagogical strategy, there were challenges, implementing The Power Flower: Inclusion and Diversity Activity posed some challenges:

• Some Students might resist engaging in discussions about personal identities due to discomfort, fear of judgment, or a lack of awareness. Encountering resistance requires a delicate approach to ensure a supportive and inclusive environment.
• The chosen categories might not fully capture the diversity of identities within the group. Some students may feel their identities are not adequately represented, leading to a potential sense of exclusion.
• The activity’s success depends heavily on effective facilitation. Ensuring a respectful and inclusive discussion, managing potential conflicts, and addressing sensitive topics require skilled facilitation that may be challenging for educators.
• Conducting the activity online may lead to challenges in ensuring active participation. Technical issues, varying levels of digital literacy, or reluctance to share personal information in an online forum may hinder the effectiveness of the activity.
• As for the applicability of this strategy, I believe The Power Flower: Inclusion and Diversity Activity is particularly well-suited for courses focused on social sciences, humanities, and cultural studies due to its emphasis on identity exploration and diversity awareness. However, the core concept of promoting inclusivity, empathy, and understanding of diverse perspectives can be adapted and incorporated into various disciplines. Here are some disciplines where similar strategies could be applied:
• Psychology: Activities that explore individual and collective identities can contribute to understanding human behavior, biases, and group dynamics.
• Sociology: The Power Flower aligns with sociological concepts related to identity, social stratification, and intersectionality, making it a natural fit for sociology courses.
• Ethics and Philosophy: Discussions about personal values, biases, and ethical considerations can be integrated into courses that explore ethical theories and philosophical perspectives.
• Cultural Studies: The activity is particularly relevant for courses focusing on cultural diversity, intercultural communication, and multiculturalism.
• Communication Studies: Understanding one’s identity and recognizing diverse perspectives are essential in communication contexts. The activity can enhance communication courses.
• Education: Educators can incorporate similar activities in teacher training programs to promote awareness of diverse student backgrounds and foster inclusive teaching practices.
• Human Resources Management: In a business context, similar activities can be beneficial for employees to understand their own biases and contribute to a more inclusive workplace.

While the categories may differ, the fundamental concept of exploring one’s identity and understanding the diverse identities within a group remains universal. It fosters a sense of inclusivity and empathy, making it a versatile tool for promoting understanding and collaboration in diverse educational settings.

Scholarly References

Arnold, R., Burke, B., James, C. & Martin, D. (1991). Educating for a Change , Toronto, ON: Between The Lines.

Younes, M. (2024). The Power Flower: An inclusion and diversity activity . In deNoyelles, A., Bauer, S., & Wyatt, S. (Eds), Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository . Orlando, FL: University of Central Florida Center for Distributed Learning.

Power Flower

The Power Flower illustrates our social identities and the ways in which we experience power, privilege, and oppression in society in intersecting ways. Each petal of the flower represents a category of our social identity (for example, gender, race, and class).  

Each petal contains an inner section and an outer section. The outer section represents the dominant (privileged)  identity. The inner petal represents the non-dominant (marginalized) identity within the category.

Step One: To begin the exercise, consider each and every petal and decide what you believe the dominant/non-dominant identities are in contemporary society.  

For example, on the petal labelled ‘disability’ you may decide that the outer section (privileged) of the petal represents non-disabled identity. Correspondingly, you may decide that the inner section (marginalized) of the petal represents disabled identity.

Step Two: Next, consider how you personally identify. In the example given above, if you identify as non-disabled (sometimes referred to as ‘able-bodied’), place your sticker on the outer section of the petal by clicking on it. If you identify as disabled, click the inner section of the petal.

Social identities are often conceptualized as binary, however, they are not.  

There exists an in-between, and this is represented by the line between the two inner and outer petals. You may wish to place your sticker on this line by clicking on it. For example, perhaps you have an episodic disability or an ‘invisible’ disability, and you believe this is better represented by clicking on the line in between ‘disabled’ and ‘non-disabled.’

In sum: To fill in the flower according to your own social identities, click either (1) the inner petal, (2) outer petal, or (3) in between the two petals. There is also an empty text box for you to add a social identity that is missing and applies to you. The objective of this activity is to illuminate how we experience power, privilege, and oppression in multiple and intersecting ways . One person may experience marginalization in some respects, while experiencing power and privilege in others. Importantly, none of these identities can be separated out from one another, or layered on top of one another – they are experienced as mutually constitutive (many different parts create one whole). Please note the flower is for your use only and will not be recorded.

Adapted with permission from Educating for a Change by Rick Arnold, Bev Burke, Carl James, D’Arcy Martin, and Barb Thomas (Toronto: Doris Marshall Institute for Education and Action and Between the Lines Press, 1991).

• Why do we need to reflect on power and privilege as service providers?
• How many of your petals differ from the dominant petal?
• Does the privilege/oppression of any of your petals shift depending on the context?
• Which petals can be changed and which cannot?
• Does this activity shed light on your life experiences of either privilege or marginalization?
• How does your Power Flower impact your work?
• Why is it helpful to reflect upon social location, privilege and oppression as service providers
• What, if anything did you learn from Flower Power?
• How, if at all, did the activity provide a new perspective that may inform your work with clients
• What, if anything, are you taking away from this activity?

Power flower

Goal or purpose:.

To support groups and individuals to recognise how their own social identity does – or doesn't – align with those most powerful in society.

Preparation/materials:

Before the workshop, draw a blank version of the 'power flower' on flip chart paper. You will also need blank copies printed on smaller pieces of paper – enough for everyone to have one each.

How it's done/facilitator's notes:

Introduce the exercise. Tell the group that they are going to reflect as a group and individually on who has power in society, what the features of the most powerful people in society are, and in what ways we as individuals do (and don't) intersect with those.

Introduce the power flower – each 'petal' represents one social category; for example gender, ethnicity, educational background, economic class, language, geographic region, age group, etc. Facilitate a discussion with the group about what the main features are of the most socially powerful people, identifying the dominant characteristic in each feature (for example, is there a particular age group who tend to have the most power? Where does their power come from?) When the group agrees on one, write it in one of the outer petals. Power could be derived from economic positions, the cultural or historical background, access to policy makers, for example.

When the outer petals are full, hand out the smaller printed versions. Ask everyone to write their name – or draw a picture that represents them – in the centre, and to copy the features from the large version across. Everyone now works independently, writing how their own identity reflects that of the most powerful in society (for example, if an outer petal refers to ethnicity, they write a word reflecting their own ethnicity in the corresponding inner petal.)

Give five minutes for people to think about and fill in the flower; ask if people need more time, and if everyone is read then bring the group back together. Use what people have identified as the start of a discussion. Which features overlapped? Which didn't? Is there anyone in the group who identified with all of the dominant characteristics? Had they recognised this before? Similarly, is there anyone for whom there is no overlap? How does the group uphold – or subvert – dominant power structures? Is there anything else the group can do to identify and empower those who share little with the features of those with most societal power?

• If the group is struggling to identify the dominant identity features, ask the group what they notice about the number of men in governmental positions in comparison to women, historically disenfranchised or oppressed groups, or which groups do (or don't) get most media airtime.
• This exercise will obviously be more complex if done with an international audience – if this is the case, group people into country-specific groups, or work together still, but focus on a particular country (perhaps where the training is taking place).
• Excercises like these – which can remind people of the structural conditions they face – can leave people feeling very downtrodden. Towards the end, encourage discussion about how the individuals or the group have responded positively to the issues that the exercise has brought up.
• Gender and nonviolence
• Gender awareness in a nonviolent campaign
• Working in groups
• ANFEM (antimilitarist feminists)
• The pillars of power

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The Power Flower

Alex Storer (he/him)

Drawing of The Power Flower 

Depending on your passions and interests, reading the words “power flower” might trigger different thoughts: some might think about cake baking (apparently the power flower is a revolutionary method to colour your chocolate & cocoa butter) or, if you are into DIY, it might make you think of electrical engineering (as this is also the name of a specific arrangement of energy collectors and antimatter relays). Or perhaps some of you might think of a certain plant with “medicinal” powers! But as this is a website dedicated to workplace diversity and inclusion, hopefully the first thing many of you will have been reminded of when reading “Power Flower” is an exercise used to help people reflect about their privilege (or lack thereof) and the impact that this has on their lives and opportunities in the workplace.

The picture shows an example of a Power Flower completed during such exercise. If you look carefully you can even spot a hint of which Country this was carried out in. The Power Flower outlines the identities that often result in a comparative advantage in life, or, to call it like it is: privilege. Being heterosexual, well educated, white, male, with no disability will result in privilege pretty much everywhere in the world. When it comes to a workplace context, this means that the healthy carrier of such mix of characteristics will most likely find it easier to get a job, progress in it and be successful compared to others that do not share the same identity (e.g. non-white, female, LGB or disabled peers). The point of this exercise, and the reflections it should hopefully trigger, is far from wanting to make anyone feel guilty or ashamed of their privileges; on the contrary, the aim is to make sure everyone of us is aware that the more privilege we recognise in our lives, the more power we have. Once we realise this, we can then choose to use such power to ensure others can benefit from the same opportunities we benefited from. The second important message of this exercise is to help us all see that most of us have some privilege, whether we realise it or not. If we think hard enough, most of us will be able to identify times when an aspect of our identity or background helped us get something we wanted. Of course, on a superficial level, there is nothing wrong with getting ahead using the “assets” emerging from who we are or from our upbringings. But, if we think a bit more deeply about it, we will appreciate that for every “easy ride” we got in life, someone else was left at the bus stop and was never even given the chance to compete fairly with us. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to live a life where everything is constantly handed over to me, where I would become unable to know what I am really worth, what I am good at. The joy and gratification of an accomplishment largely comes from knowing that you deserved that achievement, that you worked hard, that you were able to shine amongst your peers. At this point the obvious question might be: What does that mean for me? I cannot change my upbringing or the colour of my skin, so what can I possibly do to make the playing field more level for everyone? To adapt a famous phrase: with privilege comes responsibility. It is our responsibility to use every ounce of privilege we have to create societies and workplaces where we can all thrive. And the great news is that the “game of privilege” is not zero-sum: using our privilege to make the game fairer does not reduce our chances, it simply gives the same to others. And this is what being an “ally” really means: choosing to use our position (or indeed the power that comes from our privilege) to support groups or individuals that have historically not benefited from the same rights or opportunities. But to do that authentically, we must first and foremost accept that our privilege comes from historic and institutionalised inequalities that for too long have allowed one group in the population to get ahead for no other reason than who they were, how they looked, where they came from, or the accent they spoke with. Only once we have truly grasped the negative impact of the inequalities created by privilege, can we truly embrace our role of allies. And let us be clear on this point: we can all be allies to someone else, no one excluded. It doesn’t take expertise or extra time to be an ally. “Ally” is not a badge, it is a state of mind emerging from self-awareness. The second responsibility that comes with the privilege of being an ally is to continuously listen to other people’s experiences and struggles and understand how we can use our voice, our position, our power to reduce that struggle and lift everyone up, ourselves included. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we must remember that as we constantly benefit from privilege, our role as allies must also be constant: there is no such thing as a “part-time ally”! So, let’s acknowledge our privilege and, whether it is a lot or a little, let’s use the power that such privilege gives us to create a world of inclusion and equal opportunities. And if you don’t know where to start, if you are not sure what being an ally really means, at least engage in the conversation. You should always feel able to ask questions. Sometimes we get it wrong, and that’s ok, as long as we keep talking to one another with respect and with the genuine intention to learn and continue making steps, even small ones, in the right direction!

Author: Alex (Alessandro) Storer (he/him), Executive Director, Diversity Pride

Alex is an experienced inclusion and culture change practitioner. He specialises in behavioural change and inclusive leadership. He regularly delivers live online training sessions designed to minimise the impact of our unconscious biases and to develop more inclusive behaviours. For more information, please visit: https://diversitypride.org/unconsciousbias

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Power Flower Activity

Community Values Education Programme (CVEP)

Flower power.

Aim This activity aims to help students achieve a better understanding of their experiences of privilege and oppression, as well as those of other students. Flower Power promotes a fuller understanding of the different aspects of our identity and facilitates discussion around how the impacts of some categories may be felt more strongly in current society. Students are encouraged to think about the relevance of this activity to their time at Warwick and how the activity relates to challenges and solutions in their discipline. Students also explore what community means to them by linking the activity to Warwick Values.

Considerations

• Online and in-person variant.
• Estimated time: 1 hour (less time required if the flowers were completed in advance).
• Would work well as a general community-building activity.
• Would work well to introduce intersectionality - we are members of more than one community at the same time and can experience oppression and privilege simultaneously.

How to carry out the activity

Students are given the drawing of a flower (or they can draw their own): a circle in the middle surrounded by petals. Example flower templates for you to use.

Each petal has the name of an axis of differentiation/marginalization. Some examples are race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, language, ability, immigration status, class background.

Students are told to color the inside half of the petal if they feel marginalized in that particular category and to color the outside half if they feel they are privileged. They can also color the full petal if they feel they are both privileged and oppressed in a certain category. Suggested time: 15 minutes.

This is followed by a conversation on the activity. Suggested time: 45 minutes. Here are some suggested prompts but you may develop your own:

• What did students learn about privilege and oppression from colouring their flowers?
• The facilitator could share some pre-prepared examples of completed flowers (no students are expected to share their own completed flowers). What do students think after seeing those coloured by others?
• What categories were missing from the petals?
• Are the impacts of some categories felt in a stronger way than others?
• What is the relevance of this activity to the students' time at Warwick?
• What are the connections to your discipline?
• As part of the discussion, share the Warwick Values page so students can see the five values. Encourage students to reflect on their understanding of the values and of the Warwick community having just participated in this activity.

Adaptation for online groups

• For smaller groups (suggested under 50), make use of breakout rooms on Teams Link opens in a new window .
• Use a Padlet to capture discussion points. Here is an example Padlet we set up Link opens in a new window for this activity.

Example flower template:

Reflection on the experience of planning and/or delivering the activity

Submitted by Carolina Alonso Bejarano, School of Law .

Why do this activity? This activity has worked well for me in the past. Students appreciate the opportunity to share their experiences in a different way, and they enjoy coloring in class. Some students resist the activity, though. Some of them wonder what coloring has to do with their classes and some don’t want to share their experiences of marginalization with everyone (CVEP has added variations to make the activity more anonymised).

What works well? In the future, I would make the flowers anonymous [if any] sharing takes place. I would also let the students draw their own flowers and give each petal a different size depending on how important each category is to their experience of the world.

Sources: Ng, W. (n.d.). A Tool for Everyone: Revelations from the “Power Flower”. Retrieved February 8, 2015, from http://lgbtq2stoolkit.learningcommunity.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/flower-power-exercise.pdf

Thank you to Carolina Alonso Bejarano, School of Law for sharing this activity.

The CVEP team has included adaptations for moving this activity online and for keeping outputs anonymous.

"Students appreciate the opportunity to share their experiences in a different way, and they enjoy coloring in class."

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