“Unfair Monopoly”: Experiencing Social Inequality Through a Board Game

Instructor

• Chihiro Kariya
• kariyach@staff.kanazawa-u.ac.jp

Workshop details

• time: 13:00-17:00
• location: “Anywhere”

Workshop description

This seminar uses a specially designed board game, “Unfair Monopoly” developed by the French nonprofit organization Observatoire des inégalités for educational purposes, to explore social inequality. Unlike ordinary board games, in which all players begin with equal conditions, this game assigns players different starting resources, opportunities, and advantages based on social categories. Through gameplay, students experience how unequal initial conditions and institutional rules can shape outcomes. Following the game, students participate in discussions and short lectures to reflect on the relationship between inequality, politics, and society. By combining simulation, dialogue, and critical thinking, the seminar encourages students to consider how social systems can create and reproduce inequality.