Italy

You have entered cyber-region of Central Europe and are now in the cyber-country of: **Italy** You have a mission to learn about **Connected Culture** dealing with:

**// Breaking Down Hate Speech //** Your job, if you chose to accept this mission, is to complete as many "**//Activities"//** below that will allow you to earn up $20 American Dollars. Remember, to earn that many American dollars you will have to complete at least 2 (//two//) "Activities"

**Introduction to this Mission:**

//**Key Vocabulary**//

 * **Hate Speech:** Making cruel, hostile, or negative statements about someone based on their race, religion, national origin, disability, age, gender, or sexual orientation
 * **Stereotype:** A simplified and often negative assumption about a particular group of people
 * **Derogatory:** Intentionally hurtful and harmful, designed to insult or degrade
 * **Mediation:** Efforts by someone who is not part of a situation to settle disputes

**You** will learn to recognize hate speech online and offline. You will hear examples of hate speech and explore how it affects individuals, groups, and communities both online and offline. In reviewing and reading about these matters does not mean anyone approves of the statements.

**Activity #1**

**Write** a short journal entry describing an incident in which you or someone you know has been the target of hate speech of any kind. If you cannot think of one, then you can describe an incident in literature, on television, or in the movies.

Post this journal in your Travel Logs within the "Intellegence Activites" discussion tab and title the post; "Journal".

[Worth upto $5 American Dollars]

**Recognize Hate Speech ** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">Think about the following questions.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">What are some general ways that hate speech can be used in the offline world? <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">Sample responses:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">Calling people names based on their race, religion, national origin, disability, gender, sexual orientation, orany other type of group that is disenfranchised in our society
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">Saying things about people that are based on social identity stereotypes

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">What are some general ways that hate speech might be used online? <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">Sample responses:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">Sending an email or a text to someone that insults their religion, national origin, disability, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">Saying derogatory things about people in a chat room, on Facebook, or Twitter, about these groups

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt;">**Read** the following excerpt which comes from the story [|“Hate Speech Corrodes Online Games”] by Associated Press writer Nicholas K. Geraniols: //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">"It’s not just cyberbullets that are exchanged during firefights on the XBox Live version of “Call of Duty.” Many gamers also exchange hate speech over their headsets as they stalk each other across the virtual battlefields. Players trade racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic insults so frequently that game makers are taking steps to tone down the rhetoric. The comments would shock parents who may not realize their children are constantly exposed to language that might make a sailor blush. Most parental concerns have focused on violence, not language. One gamer told an opponent he presumed to be Jewish that he wished Hitler had succeeded in his mission. Many exchanges involve talk of rape or exult over the atomic bombing of Japan. There are frequent slurs on homosexuals, Asians, Hispanics and women. Such comments can be heard on all online video gaming systems, including PlayStation Network, Blizzard Entertainment (World of Warcraft) and others." //

The following **questions** are to be **answered** and **posted** on your Travel Logs page within the discussion tab titled; "Intellegence Activities" with the title; "**Hate Speech**".
 * Activity #2**

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">What are some examples of hate speech that were described in the article? //(Understand that the comment about Hitler is hate speech against Jewish people, comments about rape are hate speech against women and girls, and references to the bombing of Japan are hate speech against Japanese people, or Asians in general. In all three cases, the offenders wish their opponents serious harm based on their presumed membership in a particular group.)//

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">How do you think you might feel if you were the recipient of derogatory messages? <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">Why do you think people make derogatory remarks? <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">What might their motives be? <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">How are these kinds of attacks similar to or different from calling your opponent a “loser”?

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 10pt;">**Think** about why so much hate speech takes place online. You should be aware that with online hate speech, the offenders often remain anonymous. They may find it easier to make derogatory or prejudiced statements or spread negative stereotypes because they are not face-to-face with the people they affect. This doesn't make it right, but unacceptable.