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mdiv_2013_ch4_powerpoint.pptChapter 4
Understanding the White Male Culture
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Workplace Diversity
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Historical Perspective
In 1980, approximately 200 million White Americans could trace some of their ancestry back to the following groups (in descending size order): English, German, Irish, French, Italian, Scottish, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Russian, Czechoslovakian, Hungarian, Welsh, Danish, and Portuguese.
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Individuals who make-up the original White-American people, came to America from three areas of the world:
a. North Africa related to the Berbers
b. Northwestern Europe
c. Southeastern Europe
Why migrate to the U.S.?
Workplace Diversity
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Workplace Diversity
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Indentured Servitude
In early America, many poor people were unable to get to the colonies on their own. To facilitate the trip, many individuals promised to serve as indentured servants in exchange for the cost of the voyage. Therefore not all white men who came to America, were free.
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Influence over workplace
Despite the varying cultures of what we call “White” it was the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) male who defined much of what we know today as the American workplace culture.
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Who is a WASP?
A male of Caucasoid, northern European, largely Protestant stock whose members constitute one of the most privileged and influential groups in U.S. society. In the New World, they were usually the landlord and their culture and values, with rare exception, were those that defined the culture. They created laws and societal rules that benefited their group. Not all white males are a WASP.
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WASP Values:
- Hardwork
- Perseverance
- Self-Reliance
- Puritanism
- Missionary spirit
- Abstract rule of law
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Who are the other white males?
If you look at the U.S. census definition of “white” discussed in chapter two we find that “White” refers to people having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
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Aspects of White Culture (focused on the White Male)
Some Workplace Dimensions
a. Rugged individualism - The individual is the most important societal unit.
b. Rationalism - mind, body, and emotions should be treated as separate entities.
Expressions
a. People should take care of themselves; individual achievement is most valued.
b. People who express emotions in "rational" situations (e.g., political speeches) are devalued.
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Some Workplace Dimensions
c. Time - time is perceived as a quantity.
d. European Aesthetics – limited use of color, smaller sized women, authority in men represents a suit and tie.
Expressions
c. People are expected to save time, spend time, and perform on time.
d. People must dress and be accepted by resembling the European ideal of beauty and status. Ethnic hairstyles and religious dress seen as unprofessional.
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Some Workplace Dimensions
e. Action Orientation - Everyone is responsible for what happens to her/him and controls one's own fate.
f. Universalism - the normative and best characteristics are defined by European culture.
g. Competition - the workplace's resources belong to the best.
Expressions
e. If people are not promoted, it is because they have not worked for it, it is not due to sexism, racism, etc.
f. The melting pot theory for the workplace is best-everyone should melt into the WASP culture.
g. Access to goods is determined by competition as reflected in test scores-even though not all school systems are the same, etc.
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Is there a problem with those values?
That depends on who you ask. For those whose values differ—it requires assimilation. Look at some workplace differences that are based upon race generalizations.
Workplace Differences based on Race Generalizations
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| Communication Style (Focus Groups) | Very little | Little | Medium | Much | Very Much |
| Task-Based Purpose vs. Relationship | Native, Hispanic, Asian | African | Anglo | ||
| Long term history between groups is important | Anglo | Native, Hispanic, Asian, African | |||
| Perceived right to set rules and agenda for meeting | Native, Hispanic, Asian | African | Anglo | ||
| Perceived right to represent or speak for the group | Native Asian | African, Hispanic | Anglo | ||
| Collaborators must have community respect and support | Anglo | Native, Hispanic, Asian, African | |||
| Concern with clock time | Native, Hispanic | African | Asian | Anglo |
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White Males as Advocates for Diversity
Just as there are white males who participate and benefit from their “whiteness and maleness” in America and from the good ‘ol boy network, there are many more white males who have been and are advocates for diversity.
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Oftentimes, when we discuss the problems of America that transcend into the workplace (as we will later discuss in this text) it is the “white male” as a group who is seen as the perpetrator by women and people of color.
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This is unfortunate as this does not allow those white males who could be and are advocates for diversity to be viewed as such—instead there can be a preconceived notion by subordinate groups that ALL white males are against equality and diversity initiatives.
Who Am I?
- Divide into pairs
- Complete Who Am I? sheet with your best guess of who is pictured based on your readings of Chapter 4
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Advocates
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Society of the friends of the blacks
William Wilberforce- Quaker fought against slavery
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Have white males experienced forms of discrimination in America?
Yes specific ethnic groups and other white males have experienced discrimination.
- The Irish were originally discriminated when they migrated here.
- German & Italian Wartime Mistreatment.
- Other categories that white males and other races and genders belong to, such as: older workers, the disabled and homosexuals.
Workplace Diversity
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Workplace Diversity
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The Irish Experience
- Due to the Penal Laws then the potato famine many Catholic Irish came to America.
- They arrived poorly education, poverty stricken with a rebellious reputation.
- They were discriminated against and lived with blacks. This is where the term mulatto originated.
- For acceptance they gave up their culture and connection to blacks. They melted into the pot.
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German & Italian Wartime Mistreatment
- These people were interned during wartime and loss freedom, assets and civil rights.
- They were considered “enemy” aliens due to their ethnicity despite many who were actually American citizens.
Critical Thinking
- You are part of a team that has diverse races of individuals. Some people show up late to the meetings even though the times were agreed upon. Others socialize at the meeting because they are relationship oriented and not task oriented.
- Who is right? How do you bridge the gap of the extremes?
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Critical Thinking
- You are having a community fundraiser and need to elect a leader of your group.
- Do you elect someone with the same background as that community? Why or why not?
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Critical Thinking
- There is a group meeting and an employee comes dressed informally. There is no dress code, but you know that people are judging this employee by their personal appearance. You hired this person and know that they are more than qualified to do the job however by their appearance they are not convincing.
- What do you do?
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