Method guide · Work with a structured grid
Reviewing Mainstream and Margins
Review participation conditions treated as normal for a specific issue, redesign mainstream-side practice, and retain several participation routes without fixed identity labels.
- People
- 4–30
- Base procedure time
- 30 minutes
- Recording
- Shared record
Purpose: Explore through dialogue; Build working relationships.
English guide
Text acceptance is not approval of this rendered page, its media, or publication.
How this method works
A method for reviewing participation conditions implicitly treated as standard for the present issue. Mainstream and margin positions change with the issue and dynamics, so do not permanently classify individuals or attributes or ask anyone to explain on behalf of a group. Anonymously collect the opportunities and barriers created by speaking, materials, time, and decision-making, then design mainstream-side changes and several participation routes. Treat speaking, anonymity, individual responses, passing, and leaving equally. Do not resolve concerns about discrimination, harm, or retaliation through whole-group dialogue alone; separate them for individual support chosen by the person and formal action. The outputs are issue-specific barriers, change owners, participation routes, and a recheck date. This description is a distinct adaptation, with changes, of Supporting Mainstream and Margins by Rhizome, published in Commons Library, under CC BY-SA 4.0, and is provided under the same terms.
Phase schedule
Minutes are cumulative from the start of the base plan, not a live timer. Read scaling for any additional time. Phase controls do not advance automatically.
Use the arrow keys, Home or End while these controls have focus. The complete phase schedule remains below, including without JavaScript.
- Check the issue and boundaries against fixed classification0–5 minutes from the start (5 minutes)
Action: Check boundaries. Participation: Everyone.
Shared record
- Identify implicitly standard participation conditions5–10 minutes from the start (5 minutes)
Action: Identify standards. Participation: Groups of 4–5.
Shared record
- Collect gained and lost opportunities anonymously10–15 minutes from the start (5 minutes)
Action: Collect barriers. Participation: Groups of 4–5.
Shared record
- Redesign mainstream-side action and participation routes15–25 minutes from the start (10 minutes)
Action: Redesign routes. Participation: Groups of 4–5.
Shared record
- Decide owners, support routes, and a recheck date25–30 minutes from the start (5 minutes)
Action: Confirm owners. Participation: Everyone.
Shared record
Facilitation steps
- For 5 minutes, limit the work to one issue and confirm that individuals or attributes will not be fixed as mainstream or margin.
- For 5 minutes, identify the speaking, materials, time, and decision-making implicitly treated as standard here.
- For 5 minutes, anonymously collect participation opportunities gained and lost under those conditions.
- For 5 minutes, choose one change each in mainstream-side actions, materials, time, and decision-making.
- For 5 minutes, establish participation routes and support allowing speaking, anonymity, individual responses, passing, and leaving.
- For 5 minutes, write implementation owners, connection to formal support, and a recheck date on the four-field sheet.
If something changes
If
Even once, an individual or attribute group is fixed as a representative of mainstream or margins.
Then
Stop recording, remove the label, and return the question to anonymous participation conditions and how the setting works.
If
Even one concern about discrimination, harm, or retaliation is indicated.
Then
Do not resolve it through whole-group dialogue; connect to individual support chosen by the person and formal discrimination/complaint procedures.
If
Even one person does not want explanation, sharing, or recording.
Then
Without asking why, let them choose passing, anonymous input, an individual response, or leaving.
Preparation
Materials
- One self-made four-field sheet per group for issue, standard conditions, barriers, and changes
- 3 anonymous input cards per person
- One speak/anonymous/individual/pass/leave card set per person
- One formal-support/discrimination-complaint route card per person
- One broad-tip pen per person
Room and setup
- Limit the work to one issue and explain that mainstream/margin positions change with the issue and dynamics. Do not fix people into attribute categories or ask anyone to explain on behalf of a group
- Offer speaking, anonymous input, individual responses, passing, and leaving equally, and collect only participation conditions that can be handled anonymously
- Design changes in mainstream-side actions, materials, time, and decision-making together with several participation routes. Separate discrimination and harm for formal support rather than concluding them through whole-group dialogue
Adjust for people and time
Use one group for 4–5 people; two groups of 3–5 for 6–10; three groups of 3–5 for 11–15; four groups of 4–5 for 16–20; five groups of 4–5 for 21–25; and six groups of 4–5 for 26–30, with group sizes differing by no more than one person. Cover the same issue, without grouping people by individual identity or attributes.
Safety and non-applicable situations
Do not fix individuals or attributes into mainstream/margin categories or make someone a group representative. Offer anonymous, individual, passing, and exit routes equally without reasons. Stop and remove fixed representative labels. Concerns about discrimination, harm, or retaliation require chosen individual support and formal response, not resolution through whole-group dialogue alone.
Historical translation and source notes
These original notes are retained verbatim with their fixed source versions. This historical label does not resolve a source-specific concern or establish current acceptance.
- The middle phase labels specify groups of 4–5, while scaling allows groups of 3–5 for totals of 6–15. Both instructions remain without changing the phase labels or scaling allocation.
Manuscript's recorded references
These translate the original manuscript's source and rights claims. They remain separate from any current-page notice below; they do not establish new verification.
- Commons Library / Rhizome Facilitation Tools and Techniques: Supporting Mainstream and Margins
https://commonslibrary.org/facilitation-tools-and-techniques/#h-supporting-mainstream-and-margins
Adaptation under CC-BY-SA-4.0; changes made
- Conditions for applying CC-BY-SA-4.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Diagram, print, and video language
Original Japanese guide, diagram, and print view. Their labels and print text have not been translated; an English print edition is not provided here.
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Editorial provenance
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