ABSTRACT
Persona dolls have proved to be a powerful means of challenging ‘the values, stereotypes and prejudices that underpin racism and other social inequalities’ (Brown 2000). The dolls are given individual biographies which are shared with pupils. Through the telling of a life story, the doll becomes a ‘living being’ to whom children can relate. Once pupils have befriended the doll, it can be used as a vehicle to raise, discuss and resolve difficult issues and concerns that children experience in their lives. The fact that it is the doll that has the difficulty distances children from any emotional problems they might be experiencing in their personal lives and enables them to view a problem with empathy and a degree of objectivity. Solutions that children provide to problems are valued and treated with respect, which helps raise the child’s confidence and self-esteem.
