DOCSLIB.ORG

Modern-Day Racism in the Workplace: Symbolic Diversity Or Real Change?

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Modern-Day Racism in the Workplace: Symbolic Diversity Or Real Change? Volume 1 Issue 1 FROM SCIENCE TO PRACTICE: ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN Winter 2015 Modern-Day racism in the workplace: Symbolic diversity or real change? Ashly Williams Coca-Cola made headlines when 16 current and continue to plague our organizations? There is former African American and Latino employees overwhelming evidence that modern day racism filed a racial discrimination suit against the persists, and although it doesn’t always resemble corporate hegemon. The suit claimed that the overt forms characterized by “old fashioned” minorities at Coca-Cola are surrounded by a racism, in many ways the covert forms of “cesspool of racial discrimination” (Greeenwald, discrimination in organizations may be more 2012, p. 1). A number of accusations pertaining harmful due to their insidious and pervasive to a discriminatory work environment were made nature. One recent study found that over a two against the company including inequities in week time period 78% of the Asian Americans promotional advancement, punitive and participants experienced a microaggression (Ong retaliatory actions against minorities, and et al., 2013). disproportionate dispersion of overtime hours (Greenwald, 2012). Several of the employees Since the emergence of the movement towards reported that racial slurs against minorities were political correctness, racism has taken on recurrent and had gone unpunished (Marzulli, distinctly more subtle and aversive forms. People 2012). Possibly the most shocking part of this suit have begun to guard against the overt forms of is that it was filed in 2012, and referred to events racism frowned upon in a politically correct occurring during the same period in US history as landscape (Deitch et al., 2003). Current research the election of the first black President. investigating discrimination within the workplace has revealed the disturbing fact that racial How much progress did our society make? microaggressions are frequent, pervasive, and Reports like these motivate the question of cause significant harm to both individuals and whether we have truly made the kind of racial organizations. Microaggresions is a term that has progress towards equality often presumed. Have been used to identify many forms of we truly experienced real racial change or has discrimination, but has most commonly been discrimination simply undergone a used to refer to the discrimination experienced by metamorphosis? Many people point towards the racial and ethnic minorities. Within this context election of a black President, or the increased Microaggressions can be defined as numbers of minorities represented within our “commonplace verbal or behavioral indignities, organizations, but are these truly indications of whether intentional or unintentional, which progress? Or is this purely symbolic diversity that communicates hostile, derogatory, or negative obscures a pervasive underlying problem and racial slights and insults” (Sue et al., 2007, p. 278). perpetuates denial about the inequalities that From Science To Practice: Organizational Psychology Bulletin, Volume I, Issue II, pp. 6-10 © 2015 is a publication of Vanguard University of Southern California Master of Science In Organizational Psychology Program Page | 6 Volume 1 Issue 1 FROM SCIENCE TO PRACTICE: ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN Winter 2015 What is a microaggression? Microaggression can created equality within the workplace. While further be organized according to subcategories hiring disparities have certainly decreased, this that include microassualts, microinsults, and does not mean that experiences of discrimination microinvalidations. Microassaults are most similar within the workplace have been eradicated. In to the overt forms of “old fashioned” racism (Sue fact, the more covert forms of discrimination that et al., 2007). Examples of microassaults include are prevalent today throughout our organizations explicit racial epithets associated with language are astonishingly frequent. Sometimes these more characteristic of the antebellum period incidences are overlooked due to the inherent (Ong, Burrow, Fuller-Rowel, Ja, & Sue, 2013). covert nature of microaggressions which Microinsults are more covert styles of verbal and functions to perpetuate the problem because nonverbal communication that lack sensitivity they are difficult to identify by the perpetrator towards issues faced by minorities. For example, (Offerman et al, 2014). It would be a mistake to when an African American employee is promoted dismiss these occurrences as less harmful than within an organization, other employees often overt forms of racism due to the “daily frequency believe that the promotion was based upon and chronicity, microaggressions likely have a Affirmative Action rather than intelligence or cumulative, inimical effect on health and well- competency. Employees that then approach the being”(Ong et al., 2013, p. 197). The stealth newly promoted individual and question how the nature and frequency of discrimination in the job was acquisitioned would be insulting the form of microaggressions within the workplace minority colleague by implying that the directly refutes the argument that Affirmative promotion was due to something other than Action programs have gone far enough to create intelligence or competency (Sue et al., 2007). equality within organizations. Finally, microinvaldiation is a form of discrimination that invalidates or disavows the Recently Forbes magazine published an article psychological and emotional experience of describing the detrimental outcomes for minorities. For example, it has become widely organizations that ignore race by attempting to popular within the mainstream media to accuse adopt a color blind perspective (Nobel , 2013). minorities of invoking the “race card,” this The claim of colorblindness among people is often functions to invalidate the subjective used as a way to express that they view all psychological and emotional experiences individuals as the same regardless of skin color. described by minorities (Sue et al., 2007). Statements of color blindness often fail to address the underlying attitudes that are far more Symbolic Diversity or Real Change? Many times responsible for covert forms of discrimination. A people point to the progress that society has study on workplace discrimination revealed that made with respect to the more overt forms of people who ascribe to a colorblind worldview are racism as evidence that there is racial equality less likely to perceive discrimination within the within our country. For example, people often workplace. People that hold a color blind argue that Affirmative Action programs have worldview are therefore likely to be unaware of From Science To Practice: Organizational Psychology Bulletin, Volume I, Issue II, pp. 6-10 © 2015 is a publication of Vanguard University of Southern California Master of Science In Organizational Psychology Program Page | 7 Volume 1 Issue 1 FROM SCIENCE TO PRACTICE: ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN Winter 2015 discrimination in the workplace and even Individuals and organizations are suffering as a unaware of their own discriminatory behavior. result of the blind spot that is created by the Fostering a belief that people are all the same and prevalence of symbolic diversity, colorblindness, are all treated equally is a form of denial that and misguided beliefs about the supposed “race minimizes the daily discrimination experienced by card” which all result in the failure to address minorities. Since this worldview denies the very actual issues of modern racism. Microaggressions real experiences of minorities, color blindness is have been linked with negative physical and itself a microinvalidation (Offerman et al., 2014). emotional consequences for minorities (Ong et al., 2013). These consequences affect the overall The media has focused extensively on the issue of health of individuals as well as the absenteeism minorities employing the “race card” within and turnover rates within organizations. Some of discussions of race relations. The claim that the individual-level outcomes include depression, minorities are falsely attributing certain lower self-esteem, and even PTSD (Ong et al., experiences to race is again a form of 2013). Also, discrimination within the workplace microinvalidation. The pejorative “race card” has been linked with poor job performance denies or invalidates the daily experiences of (Deitch et al,, 2003). These documented negative discrimination minorities face within the consequences strongly suggest the need for workplace (Sue et al., 2007). One study attempted organizations to work on solutions for their to discover if people really are incorrectly employees and organizations alike. assigning discrimination as the motive behind behavior within the workplace, as the race card Where are we, and where do we go from there? supporters would claim. In order to do this the There is a significant body of research on modern researchers used data previously collected for a forms of racism and discrimination that suggest completely different study that investigated initiatives like Affirmative Action, and cultural mistreatment within the workplace. Using this sensitivity training are not going far enough to data about mistreatment within the workplace, combat the problems of discrimination within our the researchers were able to examine if there organizations (Deitch et al., 2003). Arguments were in fact real differences between the extent that the symbolic representations
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Science of Diversity and the Impact of Implicit Bias
    The Science of Diversity and the Impact of Implicit Bias Hannah Valantine, MD NIH Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity ~ National Institutes of Health ~ / Office of the Director Scientific Workforce Diversity Use of This Module • This presentation presents information about scientific workforce diversity and factors that contribute to limiting diversity, including implicit bias • Viewing this presentation is not a substitute for broader efforts to reduce implicit bias and its negative outcomes on scientific career advancement • Please contact us with questions: [email protected] Presentation Outline • Why diversity? – Diverse is a driving force for excellence and innovation – Defining diversity – Lack of diversity in science: the evidence • Hurdles to diversity: Implicit bias – Pervasiveness of implicit bias – Evidence – Strategies for overcoming bias Why Diversity Matters Capitalizing on the Opportunity • Excellence, creativity, innovation • Broadening scope of inquiry - solutions to complex problems of health and disease • Impact of workforce diversity on health disparities • Ensuring fairness – Changing demographics – Leveraging the entire U.S. intellectual capital Capturing the Benefits of Diversity Identity is a Proxy for Cognitive Diversity *Underrepresented Thinking Populations in U.S. Language Ethnicity*Ethnicity Religion Style Biomedical, Clinical, Behavioral and Social Science Research Perspectives ExperiencesNationality* Nationality GeographyGender* Physical RaceRace* Culture Skills SocioeconomicGender Status*
    [Show full text]
  • Race and Membership in American History: the Eugenics Movement
    Race and Membership in American History: The Eugenics Movement Facing History and Ourselves National Foundation, Inc. Brookline, Massachusetts Eugenicstextfinal.qxp 11/6/2006 10:05 AM Page 2 For permission to reproduce the following photographs, posters, and charts in this book, grateful acknowledgement is made to the following: Cover: “Mixed Types of Uncivilized Peoples” from Truman State University. (Image #1028 from Cold Spring Harbor Eugenics Archive, http://www.eugenics archive.org/eugenics/). Fitter Family Contest winners, Kansas State Fair, from American Philosophical Society (image #94 at http://www.amphilsoc.org/ library/guides/eugenics.htm). Ellis Island image from the Library of Congress. Petrus Camper’s illustration of “facial angles” from The Works of the Late Professor Camper by Thomas Cogan, M.D., London: Dilly, 1794. Inside: p. 45: The Works of the Late Professor Camper by Thomas Cogan, M.D., London: Dilly, 1794. 51: “Observations on the Size of the Brain in Various Races and Families of Man” by Samuel Morton. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, vol. 4, 1849. 74: The American Philosophical Society. 77: Heredity in Relation to Eugenics, Charles Davenport. New York: Henry Holt &Co., 1911. 99: Special Collections and Preservation Division, Chicago Public Library. 116: The Missouri Historical Society. 119: The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, 1882; John Singer Sargent, American (1856-1925). Oil on canvas; 87 3/8 x 87 5/8 in. (221.9 x 222.6 cm.). Gift of Mary Louisa Boit, Julia Overing Boit, Jane Hubbard Boit, and Florence D. Boit in memory of their father, Edward Darley Boit, 19.124.
    [Show full text]
  • A Partial Historical Timeline of Slavery and Structural Racism in Amherst
    A PARTIAL HISTORICAL TIMELINE OF SLAVERY AND STRUCTURAL RACISM IN AMHERST An appendix in support of A RESOLUTION AFFIRMING THE TOWN OF AMHERST’S COMMITMENT TO END STRUCTURAL RACISM AND ACHIEVE RACIAL EQUITY ____________________________________________________________________________ AUTHORING STATEMENT This timeline represents only a small sampling of Amherst’s history of white supremacy, anti-Black racism, and racial inequity. It was compiled by Reparations for Amherst, with research by Amherst resident Mattea Kramer. Cynthia Harbeson, Jones Library Special Collections, and Aaron Rubinstein, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts, provided research assistance. This document was created in order to prepare and present evidence and factual information related to historic and contemporary instances where the Town of Amherst might have facilitated, participated, stood neutral, or enacted acts of segregative and discriminatory practices in all aspects of engagement with the Amherst Black community. The intention of this report is to compile, in one cohesive document, published facts from various works, studys, surveys, articles, recordings, policies, and resources that are freely available for public consumption. The authors have worked to compile this information and have cited materials in order to assist others in locating the document’s sources. This report is in progress and will have periodical updates when new information presents itself. VERSION UPDATES October7, 2020 Start date November 6, 2020 Review
    [Show full text]
  • The Issue of Diversity and Multiculturalism in Japan
    Jie Qi & Sheng Ping Zhang The Issue of Diversity and Multiculturalism in Japan THE ISSUE OF DIVERSITY AND MULTICULTURALISM IN JAPAN Jie Qi Utsunomiya University, Japan Sheng Ping Zhang Meijo University, Japan Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association March 24-29, 2008 New York In Session: Internationalization and Globalization in the Curriculum 1 Jie Qi & Sheng Ping Zhang The Issue of Diversity and Multiculturalism in Japan THE ISSUE OF DIVERSITY AND MULTICULTYRALISM IN JAPAN The purpose of this paper is to problematize that which has been taken for granted about the notion of multiculturalism in Japan. Multiculturalism is a novel issue in Japan. As the Japanese government started to promote “internationalization” since 1980’s, slogans such as “international exchange,” “cultural exchange,” “understanding of other cultures,” etc, have become the most popular hackneyed expressions among policy maker and educators. This paper demonstrates that the notion of multiculturalism in Japan is intricately and deeply embedded in Japanese society, Japanese culture and the Japanese educational system and that this type of multiculturalism excludes ethnic groups which have lived in Japan since old times. Firstly, the intention in this study is to interrupt the assumptions about homogeneous nation in Japanese educational discourse as have been accepted since the end of World War II. I assert that Japan is not homogeneous nation rather a society with diverse cultural groups. Secondly, this paper traces the path of the past notion of multiculturalism as embodied in the Japanese political, social and cultural conditions. In undertaking this I first look at the way cultural studies emerged in the 1980’s which created a new image of cultural studies.
    [Show full text]
  • Complementary International Standards First Session Geneva, 11-22 February 2008
    UNITED NATIONS A General Assembly Distr. GENERAL A/HRC/AC.1/1/CRP.4 18 February 2008 Original: ENGLISH ONLY HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary International Standards First session Geneva, 11-22 February 2008 COMPLEMENTARY INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS COMPILATION OF CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STUDY BY THE FIVE EXPERTS ON THE CONTENT AND SCOPE OF SUBSTANTIVE GAPS IN THE EXISTING INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS TO COMBAT RACISM RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED INTOLERANCE A/HRC/AC.1/1/CRP.4 Page 2 I. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE CONTENT AND SCOPE OF SUBSTANTIVE GAPS ON COMPLEMENTARY INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS WITH REGARD TO POSITIVE OBLIGATIONS OF STATES PARTIES Assessment and recommendations 1. The role of human rights education 29. The DDPA underlines the importance of human rights education as a key to changing attitudes and behaviour and to promoting tolerance and respect for diversity in societies1 and, therefore as crucial in the struggle against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.2 The importance of human rights education is also underlined in several other human rights documents. The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action assert that “human rights education, training and public information are essential for the promotion and achievement of stable and harmonious relations among communities and for fostering mutual understanding, tolerance and peace.”3 The World Programme for Human Rights Education identifies the promotion of understanding, tolerance, gender equality and friendship among all nations, indigenous peoples and racial, national, ethnic, religious and linguistic groups as one of the constitutive elements of human rights education that aims at building a universal culture of human rights.4 The 2005 World Summit Outcome calls for the implementation of the World Programme for Human Rights Education and encourages all States to develop initiatives in this regard.5 30.
    [Show full text]
  • Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy Rethinking Women of Color Organizing
    Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy Rethinking Women of Color Organizing Andrea Smith Scenario #1 A group of women of color come together to organize. An argu- ment ensues about whether or not Arab women should be included. Some argue that Arab women are "white" since they have been classified as such in the US census. Another argument erupts over whether or not Latinas qualify as "women of color," since some may be classified as "white" in their Latin American countries of origin and/or "pass" as white in the United States. Scenario #2 In a discussion on racism, some people argue that Native peoples suffer from less racism than other people of color because they gen- erally do not reside in segregated neighborhoods within the United States. In addition, some argue that since tribes now have gaming, Native peoples are no longer "oppressed." Scenario #3 A multiracial campaign develops involving diverse conpunities of color in which some participants charge that we must stop the blacklwhite binary, and end Black hegemony over people of color politics to develop a more "multicultural" framework. However, this campaign continues to rely on strategies and cultural motifs developed by the Black Civil Rights struggle in the United States. These incidents, which happen quite frequently in "women of color" or "pee;' of color" political organizing struggles, are often explained as a consequenii. "oppression olympics." That is to say, one problem we have is that we are too b::- fighting over who is more oppressed. In this essay, I want to argue that thescir- dents are not so much the result of "oppression olympics" but are more abour t-, we have inadequately framed "women of color" or "people of color" politics.
    [Show full text]
  • The State of Racial Diversity in the Educator Workforce 2016
    THE STATE OF RACIAL DIVERSITY IN THE EDUCATOR WORKFORCE 2016 THE STATE OF RACIAL DIVERSITY IN THE EDUCATOR WORKFORCE JULY 2016 POLICY AND PROGRAM STUDIES SERVICE OFFICE OF PLANNING, EVALUATION AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION i U.S. Department of Education John B. King, Jr. Secretary Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development Amy McIntosh Delegated Duties of Assistant Secretary Policy and Program Studies Service Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger Director July 2016 This report is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted. While permission to reprint this publication is not necessary, the citation should be U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, Policy and Program Studies Service, The State of Racial Diversity in the Educator Workforce, Washington, D.C. 2016. This report is available on the Department’s website at http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/highered/racial-diversity/state-racial-diversity- workforce.pdf. Availability of Alternate Formats Requests for documents in alternate formats such as Braille or large print should be submitted to the Alternate Format Center by calling 202-260-0852, or by contacting the 504 coordinator via e-mail at [email protected]. Notice to Limited English Proficient Persons If you have difficulty understanding English you may request language assistance services for Department information that is available to the public. These services are available free of charge. If you need more information about interpretation or translation services, please call 1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327) (TTY: 1-800-437-0833), or e-mail us at [email protected].
    [Show full text]
  • Issues of Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Diversity in Preparing School Administrators Carolyn Ridenour University of Dayton, [email protected]
    University of Dayton eCommons Educational Leadership Faculty Publications Department of Educational Leadership 2001 Issues of Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Diversity in Preparing School Administrators Carolyn Ridenour University of Dayton, [email protected] Patricia F. First University of Dayton Angela Lydon University of Dayton Michelle C. Partlow University of Dayton Follow this and additional works at: http://ecommons.udayton.edu/eda_fac_pub Part of the Educational Leadership Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Gender Equity in Education Commons, Higher Education Commons, and the Race and Ethnicity Commons eCommons Citation Ridenour, Carolyn; First, Patricia F.; Lydon, Angela; and Partlow, Michelle C., "Issues of Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Diversity in Preparing School Administrators" (2001). Educational Leadership Faculty Publications. 83. http://ecommons.udayton.edu/eda_fac_pub/83 This Book Chapter is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Educational Leadership at eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Educational Leadership Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Issues of Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Diversity in Preparing School Administrators Carolyn S. Ridenour, Patricia F. First Angela Lydon, and Michelle C. Partlow There are very real differences between us of race, age, and sex. But it is not those differences between us that are separating us . It is rather our refusal to recognize those differences, and to examine the distortions that result from our misnaming them and their effects upon human behavior and expectations. -Audra Lorde (1995, p. 285) The four of us teach in the Department of Educational Leadership at the Uni­ versity of Dayton.
    [Show full text]
  • Apartheid and Jim Crow: Drawing Lessons from South Africaâ•Žs
    Journal of Dispute Resolution Volume 2019 Issue 1 Article 16 2019 Apartheid and Jim Crow: Drawing Lessons from South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Benjamin Zinkel Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/jdr Part of the Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Commons Recommended Citation Benjamin Zinkel, Apartheid and Jim Crow: Drawing Lessons from South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation, 2019 J. Disp. Resol. (2019) Available at: https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/jdr/vol2019/iss1/16 This Comment is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at University of Missouri School of Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Dispute Resolution by an authorized editor of University of Missouri School of Law Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Zinkel: Apartheid and Jim Crow: Drawing Lessons from South Africa’s Truth Apartheid and Jim Crow: Drawing Lessons from South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Benjamin Zinkel* I. INTRODUCTION South Africa and the United States are separated geographically, ethnically, and culturally. On the surface, these two nations appear very different. Both na- tions are separated by nearly 9,000 miles1, South Africa is a new democracy, while the United States was established over two hundred years2 ago, the two nations have very different climates, and the United States is much larger both in population and geography.3 However, South Africa and the United States share similar origins and histories. Both nations have culturally and ethnically diverse populations. Both South Africa and the United States were founded by colonists, and both nations instituted slavery.4 In the twentieth century, both nations discriminated against non- white citizens.
    [Show full text]
  • How Would You Define Diversity? Open-Ended Responses from Student-Conducted Survey, 28 April 2010
    How would you define diversity? Open-ended responses from student-conducted survey, 28 April 2010 A wide range of interests, backgrounds, experiences. Differences among groups of people and individuals based on ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, gender, exceptionalities, language, religion, sexual orientation, and geographical area. Diversity of experiences, viewpoints, backgrounds, and life experiences. Tolerance of thought, ideas, people with differing viewpoints, backgrounds, and life experiences. Diversity can be measured across many variables -- age, race, sex, economics, geography, religion, philosophy, etc. variation in race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, political leanings, professional and personal background Diversity in graduate school includes a group of people from different backgrounds (this can be many things not just racial). People with different skills and career interests and hobbies. People with different political points of view. Anything that sets one individual apart from another. However, often it is used to specifically reference gender, race, ethnicity, and more recently sexual orientation differences. Diversity is differences in racial and ethnic, socioeconomic, geographic, and academic/professional backgrounds. People with different opinions, backgrounds (degrees and social experience), religious beliefs, political beliefs, sexual orientations, heritage, and life experience. dissimilar My definition of diversity would include openness to differences among people, cultures and perspectives. Having a multitude of people from different backgrounds and cultures together in the same environment working for the same goals. difference in students' background, especially race and gender. variability of perspectives, people, backgrounds, skin color, language, age, sex in a group or community. Diversity involves having people from a variety of cultural, ethnic and racial backgrounds consortium of different perspectives Differences in characteristics of humans.
    [Show full text]
  • What Is White Supremacy? by Elizabeth “Betita” Martinez
    What is White Supremacy? by Elizabeth “Betita” Martinez Copyright Elizabeth Martinez, February 1998. *Workshop Definition* White Supremacy is an historically based, institutionally perpetuated system of exploitation and oppression of continents, nations, and peoples of color by white peoples and nations of the European continent, for the purpose of maintaining and defending a system of wealth, power, and privilege. I. What does it mean to say it is a system? The most common mistake people make when they talk about racism is to think it is a collection of prejudices and individual acts of discrimination. They do not see that it is a system, a web of interlocking, reinforcing institutions: economic, military, legal, educational, religious, and cultural. As a system, racism affects every aspect of life in a country. By not seeing that racism is systemic (part of a system), people often personalize or individualize racist acts. For example, they will reduce racist police behavior to "a few bad apples" who need to be removed, rather than seeing it exists in police departments all over the country and is basic to the society. This mistake has real consequences: refusing to see police brutality as part of a system, and that the system needs to be changed, means that the brutality will continue. The need to recognize racism as being systemic is one reason the term White Supremacy has been more useful than the term racism. They refer to the same problem but: A. The purpose of racism is much clearer when we call it "white supremacy." Some people think of racism as just a matter of prejudice.
    [Show full text]
  • Diversity at Work: MAKING the MOST out of INCREASINGLY DIVERSE SOCIETIES  1
    FOCUS ON Diversity at work: MAKING THE MOST OUT OF INCREASINGLY DIVERSE SOCIETIES 1 September 2020 http://www.oecd.org OECD societies and workforces are becoming more and more diverse. Over the past two decades, the labour market participation of women has increased strongly; the population shares of migrants and their children are growing in almost all OECD countries; and more LGBTI people are open about their sexual orientation. Ensuring that groups that historically have been under-represented or disadvantaged in the labour market and society can participate fully is now more essential than ever. Preliminary evidence suggests that the COVID-19 crisis has had a disproportionate impact on some diverse groups, especially migrants and ethnic minorities. The death of George Floyd and the global “Black Lives Matter” movement have placed at the centre of the policy debate long-standing issues of discrimination and disadvantage against ethnic minorities. Full participation of diverse groups is not only an ethical imperative, it makes great sense also from an economic and social cohesion perspective. The economic case to justify measures promoting diversity and inclusion thus supplements the social justice obligation to promote inclusion and equal opportunity. There is a clear need to better understand under what conditions governments and employers can ensure inclusion, thereby harnessing the potential of a diverse populations more effectively. This policy brief assesses how OECD countries can be equipped to make the most out of diversity and ensure equality of opportunity. Key findings OECD societies and workforces have become increasingly diverse over the past decades; women’s participation in the labour market has increased significantly, the numbers of immigrants and people from ethnic minorities have increased virtually everywhere and more LGBTI people are open about their sexual orientation.
    [Show full text]