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Fishbowls
Fishbowls incorporate many of the best processes and structures of group practice. The concept of a fishbowl group springs from an obvious metaphor: a group of sentient beings observing another group of sentient beings who are swimming around in a less rarefied medium, and are aware of being studied while behaving in their usual manner. The observer feels at once detached and envious; superior and wanting to be part of the action.
Fishbowls differ from other intergroup methods in that there is both a mutual process and a differentiation of task: the inner group in a cognitive activity and the outer group in a metacognitive one (generally).
The normal fishbowl configuration has the inner group discussing an issue or topic while the outer one looks for themes, patterns, soundness of argument etc., or uses a group behaviour checklist to give feedback to the group on its functioning; and the roles are then or at a later date reversed. They can of course be reversed without any feedback discussion. The tasks and the structure of fishbowls can be varied in many creative ways.
The sequence that follows would be difficult to replicate entirely online - role play, five-minute theatre and 'outward facing' in particular - but would lend itself to blending.
The book includes 10 variations of this stimulating activity.
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