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The Buyer, the Seller and the Goods

Aim of the Game: To study interpersonal relationships

Learning Objectives:
• To experience relationships of power.
• To discuss ways to maintain a balance in relationships of power.

Structure: Groups of three

Time: 15-30 minutes

Materials: None

Method:
• Ask the Scouts to form groups of three and to assign each member of the group as either A, B or C.
• Tell them that in the activity:
        - A will play the Buyers,
        - B will play the Sellers,
        - C will play the Goods (or Merchandise).
• Instruct the Buyers not to buy the Goods and instead to find defects in them.
• Instruct the Sellers to try to convince the Buyers to buy their Goods.
• Instruct the Goods to keep silent and not to move unless told to do so by the Sellers and the Buyers.
• After a few minutes, ask the players to switch roles and continue the role-play until everyone has experienced being the Buyer, Seller and the Goods.

Evaluation:
• What can you say about the activity?
• How did you feel when you were the Buyer/Seller/the Goods?
• Of the three, who do you think is the most powerful and why?
• Who do you think is the least powerful and why?
• What power does the merchandise have?
• What could the Seller do to 'empower' the Goods?
• In our everyday life situations, when do we feel like a Buyer, a Seller and Goods?
• How do we deal with these feelings?

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© World Organization of the Scout Movement - 2008

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