Reflection paper
lbazz
EuropeanAmericans.PT2.pptxWhite Privilege
Research on Whites and Diversity
Perceptions of Discrimination
Discrimination Cases Against Whites
Recommendations
European Americans
You are privileged if you can respond “yes” to most of these items (adapted from McIntosh, 2004):
I can go shopping and be fairly sure that I won’t be followed or harassed by store detectives.
I do not need to worry that my children’s teachers and employers will have negative attitudes about them due to their race.
I can be reasonably sure that if I ask to “talk to the person in charge” I’ll be dealing with someone of my own race.
I can go home from most meetings feeling that I belong, rather than feeling isolated, outnumbered, or out of place.
I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having co-workers suspect that I got it because of my race.
I can be late to a meeting without having the lateness reflect on my race.
I can go out to a public place or event without being worried that people of my race cannot get in or will be mistreated.
If I have low credibility as a leader, I can be assured that my race is not the problem.
White Privilege
One of the advantages of being White is that one badly behaving white person does not reflect on the entire race.
e.g., Timothy McVeigh convicted of bombing US Federal Building in Oklahoma City
e.g., Eric Rudolph responsible for 1996 Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta.
Both young white men, high profile cases
didn’t result in young white men as a group being widely believed to be terrorists.
White Privilege
If dominant and in the majority group, less likely to be viewed as homogenous
in group and out group bias
in group heterogeneity and out group homogeneity
White Privilege
Relevant to Work place
discrimination against customers, racial profiling, stereotyping, perceptions that people of color are unqualified
Racism involves not just “individual acts of meanness” but also “invisible systems conferring racial dominance”. (McIntosh, 2004)
White Privilege
Majority of research focused on experiences of Whites
Management
Psychology
Sociology
Numerical majority
Relatively new area of research - race differences in experiences, outcomes, opportunities
Research on Whites and Diversity
Cox and Nkomo (1990)
emphasized the absence of race as a variable in organizational behavior research
noted invisibility of people of color
Since 1990 a substantial amount of research has been conducted which includes race and ethnicity
Research on Whites and Diversity
Most of the research has focused on Whites as the norm
comparing minorities to whites.
some research has shown differences in:
Promotions
Performance evaluations
Training
Opportunities for mentoring
Job-related attitudes (job satisfaction, commitment)
Research on Whites and Diversity
9,000 employees, service industry, 6-year period
No differences in starting salary
Smaller salary growth for women and minorities
Factors that might contribute to salary differences (job experience, performance, work unit, supervisor) controlled
Women and minorities lower salary than white men even when same performance
Organizational Careers (Castillo, 2008)
Reverse discrimination –
no legal meaning
belief that White men experience discrimination due to efforts to include and reduce discrimination of minorities.
Favoring minorities and women at expense of white males.
Research consistently shows that Whites are more negative toward affirmative action programs than other groups.
Perception of Reverse Discrimination
Reverse discrimination is uncommon
An (imperfect) indicator of discrimination is number of EEOC complaints.
Very few cases in which whites complain that they were discriminated against due to race.
Multiple audit studies conducted in major US cities confirm the likelihood of Whites to be preferred over Blacks and Latinos.
Perception of Reverse Discrimination
Another indicator - disproportionate change in representation of whites in positions of power and status
White men’s representation in these positions far exceeds their representation in the population.
Perception of Reverse Discrimination
EEOC v West Front Street Foods
Charlotte, NC grocery store
Settled for $30,000
allegedly fired White non-Hispanic meat cutter based on race; replaced by less qualified Hispanic
Remedy: Written anti-discrimination policy, train employees on the policy and on discrimination laws
Discrimination Cases: Race
EEOC v Noble Metal Processing
Warren, MI auto supplier
$190,000 settlement
Termination of White for refusing to comply with discrimination
Claimed that company repeatedly overlooked qualified non-white employees for promotion
After White employee complained; fired
Discrimination Cases: Retaliation
EEOC v In-Town Suites Management
White district manager complained about race discrimination in the company; exclusion of African-Americans and other minorities from management positions
Reprimanded, threatened with performance improvement plan, and fired
Remedy: implement a non-retaliation policy; advise employees of this; training on EEOC obligations
Discrimination Cases: Retaliation
Whites have more interpersonal power to make changes than people of color
Consider that diversity is beneficial to everyone in the long run
Competitive advantage to organization, more profit, higher pay
More opportunities for all
Individual Recommendations
Recognize privileges associated with whiteness.
Whites may be members of dominant racial and ethnic group but may also belong to non-dominant groups
Religion, sexual orientation, gender, disability, age, weight
Apply learning from these experiences to experience of race and racial privilege
Individual Recommendations
White women
unique position
may benefit from marriage to White men
earnings and occupational status make them similar to minorities
Spouses, fathers, and other male relatives tend to be White, have power to influence beliefs and behaviors of white men.
Share experiences of discrimination, the glass ceiling, harassment, and exclusion.
Real and pervasive problems, rather than isolated and unique incidents.
Individual Recommendations
Whites more likely to be executives and managers – able to use influence
Create climates favorable for diversity
Mentors to non-dominant group members
Help minorities and women move up in organizations; break the glass ceiling
Individual Recommendations
Whites must be actively included in diversity efforts.
resist diversity efforts if feel excluded or threatened
Message that diversity is not an “us or them” situation.
not taking away from Whites
advantages to everyone of increased diversity
Organizational Recommendations
Facilitate mentoring of non-dominant group members by Whites.
Mentoring programs, mentoring training, recognition for mentors.
Monitor initial salaries, salary increases and promotion programs for fairness.
Formalization of HR programs reduces gender and race discrimination in earnings.
Formalize and monitor practices as much as possible.
Organizational Recommendations
