The Impact of Power Status on Gender Stereotypes, Sexism, and Gender Discrimination Toward Women in the Workplace and the Career Identity Development of Women

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Impact of Power Status on Gender Stereotypes, Sexism, and Gender Discrimination Toward Women in the Workplace and the Career Identity Development of Women University of North Dakota UND Scholarly Commons Theses and Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, and Senior Projects January 2016 The mpI act Of Power Status On Gender Stereotypes, Sexism, And Gender Discrimination Toward Women In The orW kplace And The Career Identity Development Of Women Juemei Yang Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.und.edu/theses Recommended Citation Yang, Juemei, "The mpI act Of Power Status On Gender Stereotypes, Sexism, And Gender Discrimination Toward Women In The Workplace And The aC reer Identity Development Of Women" (2016). Theses and Dissertations. 2088. https://commons.und.edu/theses/2088 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, and Senior Projects at UND Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UND Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE IMPACT OF POWER STATUS ON GENDER STEREOTYPES, SEXISM, AND GENDER DISCRIMINATION TOWARD WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE AND THE CAREER IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN by Juemei Yang BA, University of Conneticut, 2008 MA, Boston College, 2010 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of North Dakota In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Grand Forks, North Dakota December 2016 ii PERMISSION Title: The Impact of Power Status on Gender Stereotypes, Sexism, and Gender Discrimination toward Women in the Workplace and the Career Identity Development of Women Department: Counseling Psychology Degree: Doctor of Philosophy In presenting this dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a graduate degree from the University of North Dakota, I agree that the library of this University shall make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for extensive copying for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor who supervised my dissertation work or, in her absence, by the Chairperson of the department or the dean of the School of Graduate Studies. It is understood that any copying or publication or other use of this dissertation or part thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of North Dakota in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my dissertation. Juemei Yang November 29, 2016 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... vii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1 II. LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................... 6 History of Women’s Career Development and Identity .............. 6 Colonial Era (1492-1776) .................................................... 7 The Revolutionary War (1775-1783) and Industrialization ................................................................... 9 Civil War (1861-1865) and its Aftermath ............................ 12 Post-World War I Prosperity and the Great Depression (1900-1930).......................................................................... 13 World War II (1939-1945) .................................................. 15 Contemporary Patterns......................................................... 16 Factors Impeding Career Development for Women in the United States ................................................................................ 18 Gender Stereotypes .............................................................. 18 Sexism .................................................................................. 30 Gender Discrimination ......................................................... 40 Power Status......................................................................... 46 iv Purpose of the Study .................................................................... 51 Hypothesis ................................................................................... 53 III. METHOD .............................................................................................. 55 Participants Demographics .......................................................... 55 Measures ...................................................................................... 61 Design .......................................................................................... 66 Procedures ................................................................................... 67 IV. RESULTS .............................................................................................. 71 Preliminary Analysis Section ...................................................... 71 Hypothesis 1......................................................................... 72 Hypothesis 2......................................................................... 73 Hypothesis 3......................................................................... 75 Hypothesis 4......................................................................... 76 Hypothesis 5......................................................................... 80 Post Hoc Analyses ....................................................................... 88 Main Effects Analysis of International Sample ................... 88 Post Hoc Analysis of Hypothesis 5-Using Non- International Sample ..................................................... 89 V. DISCUSSION ........................................................................................ 91 Discussion of the Results ............................................................ 91 Hypothesis 1......................................................................... 91 Hypothesis 2......................................................................... 93 Hypothesis 3......................................................................... 97 v Hypothesis 4......................................................................... 100 Hypothesis 5......................................................................... 102 Post Hoc Analyses ....................................................................... 104 Summary of Results Discussion .................................................. 105 Limitations ................................................................................... 106 Sampling Methods ............................................................... 106 Sample Demographics ......................................................... 107 Design of Methodology ....................................................... 108 Measurements ...................................................................... 110 Implications ................................................................................. 112 Research Implications .......................................................... 113 Clinical Implications ............................................................ 116 Practical Implications at the Workplace ............................... 117 Summary ..................................................................................... 120 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................... 122 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 135 vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Participants Demographics – Combined and for Each Conditions .................... 58 2. Means and Standard Deviations of Scores on the ASI, GDPI, BSRI- Femininity, BSRI-Masculinity, and BSRI-Neutral for High Power Status (N = 46), and Low Power Status (N = 40) ......................................................... 73 3. Means and Standard Deviations of Scores on the ASI, GDPI, BSRI- Femininity, BSRI-Masculinity, and BSRI-Neutral for Male Participants (N = 41) and Female Participants (N = 45) ....................................................... 74 4. Means and Standard Deviations of Scores on the ASI, GDPI, BSRI- Femininity, BSRI-Masculinity, and BSRI-Neutral for Male Vignette (N = 90), and Female Vignette (N = 86) ............................................................ 76 5. ANOVA Results and Descriptive Statistics for ASI by Gender and Power Status of Participants.......................................................................................... 77 6. ANOVA Results and Descriptive Statistics for GDPI by Gender and Power Status of Participants .............................................................................. 78 7. ANOVA Results and Descriptive Statistics for BSRI-Femininity by Gender and Power Status of Participants ........................................................... 80 8. Simple Main Effect Results for Differences between Power Status for Men, and Power Status for Women ................................................................... 80 9. ANOVA Results and Descriptive Statistics for ASI by Power Status of Participants and Gender of the Person in Vignette ............................................ 81 10. ANOVA Results and Descriptive Statistics for GDPI by Power of Participants and Gender of the Person in Vignette ............................................ 82 11. ANOVA Results and Descriptive
Recommended publications
  • A Qualitative Exploration
    “I CAN FEEL IT MORE THAN I CAN SAY IT”: A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF BLACK WOMANHOOD A Dissertation Presented to The Graduate Faculty of The University of Akron In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Myriam Tamouhan Kadeba December, 2017 “I CAN FEEL IT MORE THAN I CAN SAY IT”: A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF BLACK WOMANHOOD Myriam Tamouhan Kadeba Dissertation Approved: Accepted: ______________________________ ______________________________ Advisor Department Chair Suzette L. Speight, Ph.D. Paul Levy, Ph.D. ______________________________ ______________________________ Committee Member Dean of the College Amber Hewitt, Ph.D. John Green, Ph.D. ______________________________ ______________________________ Committee Member Dean of the Graduate School Dawn Johnson, Ph.D. Chand Midha, Ph.D. ______________________________ ______________________________ Committee Member Date Delila Owens, Ph.D. ______________________________ Committee Member Nicole Rousseau, Ph.D. ______________________________ Committee Member John Queener, Ph.D. ii ABSTRACT Black Womanhood has been historically defined as antithetical to the normative feminine ideals in the United States. This hegemonic femininity prescribes standards that are considered ideals in describing the archetypical feminine woman. Black women have been stereotyped as unfeminine and unattractive, and this negative and pervasive social rhetoric continue to have a long lasting adverse impact on this population. Black feminist scholars have long articulated the importance of defining Black womanhood not in relation to hegemonic femininity, but by incorporating the actual experiences of Black women. Using an interpretative phenomenological methodology and based on interviews with Black women in the United States, the current study investigated Black women’s notion of womanhood. This study uncovered ways participants self-defined, resisted negative and oppressive societal messages, and celebrated their own Black Womanhood.
    [Show full text]
  • Gender, Sexism, Sexual Prejudice, and Identification with U.S. Football and Men's Figure Skating
    Sex Roles (2016) 74:464–471 DOI 10.1007/s11199-016-0598-x Gender, Sexism, Sexual Prejudice, and Identification with U.S. Football and Men’s Figure Skating Woojun Lee1 & George B. Cunningham2 Published online: 24 February 2016 # Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016 Abstract Prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans- Prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender gender (LGBT) individuals can affect a number of attitudes (LGBT) individuals can affect a number of attitudes and be- and behaviors relevant to sports; however, there is compara- haviors relevant to sports. Parents with anti-LGBT attitudes tively little focus on sexual prejudice among sport fans. As are unlikely to let their children on teams coached by sexual such, the purpose of the present study was to examine the minorities (Cunningham and Melton 2012), and there is a associations among sexual prejudice, sexism, gender, and similar pattern among former players and their willingness identification with two sports: men’s figure skating and U.S. to play for LGBT coaches (Sartore and Cunningham 2009). football. To examine these associations, we draw from multi- In sport organizations, sexual prejudice is associated with a ple perspectives, including Robinson and Trail’s(2005)work reticence to support diversity initiatives (Cunningham and on identification, Herek’s(2007, 2009) sexual stigma and Sartore 2010), lesbian coaches report their sexual orientation prejudice theory, and McCormack and Anderson’s(2014a, being Bused^ against them by opposing coaches in the 2014b) theory of homohysteria. Questionnaire data were col- recruiting process (Krane and Barber 2005), and some lected from 150 students (52 women, 98 men) enrolled at a LGBT employees report feeling the need to hide their identi- large, public university in the Southwest United States.
    [Show full text]
  • Stereotypes and Prejudice
    Stereotypes and Prejudice Their Overt and Subtle Influence in the Classroom CONNIE T. WOLFE University of Michigan STEVEN J. SPENCER Hope College The authors examine overt and subtle forms of stereotyping and prejudice. Two theories that explain overt prejudice are reviewed: realistic conflict theory and social identity theory. Although overt prejudice seems to have declined, subtle stereotyping is still pervasive. The authors review one theory, aversive racism theory, that explains this phenomenon. They also discuss two perspectives, attributional ambiguity and stereotype threat, which provide accounts of the impact of subtle racism. Both overt and subtle prejudice present challenges for the classroom. The authors describe one intervention called the jigsaw classroom that encourages work toward common goals and helps reduce the expression and impact of overt discrimination. A second intervention program, wise schooling, is presented, which aims to reduce the impact of subtle stereotypes by reducing stereotype threat. Why do prejudice and discrimination exist? Has overt racism been replaced by more subtle forms of prejudice? How does stereotyping affect its targets? In this article we describe two theories, realistic conflict theory and social identity theory, which provide an answer to the first question. We address the second question by noting that although overt discrimination has decreased, subtle forms of prejudice are still quite common and we describe one theory, aversive racism, that provides a compelling account of this change in the expression of prejudice. Finally, we answer the third question by describing two phenomena, attributional ambiguity and stereotype threat, that result from the pervasive nature of subtle stereotyping. This article is a selective overview of what social psychology has to say about these crucial issues.
    [Show full text]
  • Pink Is the New Tax
    Humboldt State University Digital Commons @ Humboldt State University Communication Senior Capstones Senior Projects Fall 2020 Pink Is The New Tax Eliana Burns Humboldt State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/senior_comm Part of the Communication Commons Recommended Citation Burns, Eliana, "Pink Is The New Tax" (2020). Communication Senior Capstones. 1. https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/senior_comm/1 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Senior Projects at Digital Commons @ Humboldt State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Communication Senior Capstones by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Humboldt State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Eliana Burns Humboldt State University 2020 Department of Communications Pink Is The New Tax 1 Historically women in America have made colossal advances that have proven they are just as capable as men. Women had fought and continued to challenge the system since 1919 with the 19th Amendment giving them a right to vote. However, even with this crucial progression, womens’ oppression can be found all around us only in much more subtle ways such as “ the pink tax”. As of 2020 there are currently no federal laws to outlaw companies from charging different prices depending on which gender they are meant to be marketed to. This rhetorical analysis will first address the concept of gendered products, how the tax benefits from these products, and why gendering of products reinforce gender discrimination and stereotypes. A brief explanation as to why the tax is nicknamed “the tampon tax” is included.
    [Show full text]
  • Escaping the Master's House: Claudia Jones & the Black Marxist Feminist
    Trinity College Trinity College Digital Repository Senior Theses and Projects Student Scholarship Spring 2017 Escaping the Master’s House: Claudia Jones & The Black Marxist Feminist Tradition Camryn S. Clarke Trinity College, Hartford Connecticut, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/theses Part of the Feminist Philosophy Commons, and the Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons Recommended Citation Clarke, Camryn S., "Escaping the Master’s House: Claudia Jones & The Black Marxist Feminist Tradition". Senior Theses, Trinity College, Hartford, CT 2017. Trinity College Digital Repository, https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/theses/608 Escaping the Master’s House: Claudia Jones & The Black Marxist Feminist Tradition Camryn S. Clarke Page !1 of !45 Table of Contents Acknowledgements i Abstract ii Introduction 5 To Be Black: Claudia Jones, Marcus Garvey, and Race 14 To Be Woman: Claudia Jones, Monique Wittig, and Sex 21 To Be A Worker: Claudia Jones, Karl Marx, and Class 27 To Be All Three: Claudia Jones and the Black Marxist Feminist Tradition 36 Conclusion 41 Bibliography 44 Page !2 of !45 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I cannot express enough thanks to my advisors for their support, encouragement, and enlightenment: Dr. Donna-Dale Marcano and Dr. Seth Markle. Thank you for always believing in me in times when I did not believe in myself. Thank you for exposing me to Human Rights and Philosophy through the lenses of gender, race, and class globally. Thank you. My completion of this project could not have been accomplished without the support and strength of the Black Women in my life: my great-grandmother Iris, my grandmother Hyacinth, my mother Angela, my sister Caleigh, and my aunt Audrey.
    [Show full text]
  • The Stereotype of African American Characters In
    ADLN Perpustakaan Universitas Airlangga CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study African Americans‘ history has become national history of America. Roger Daniels in his book entitled Coming to America year 2002 described that African slave trade existed for over four centuries. The history began with the slave trade in the past. African Americans were forced to leave Africa and move to New World or America by European colonization. From middle 15th century to 1870, about ten million people were kidnapped out of Africa; about 350,000 of them were sold in America (51). The slave trade was a business entered into white people for profit. For Europeans colony, Africans were used as their property and forced to work and without being paid. Oftentimes, they were separated from their family members. At that time, cotton, sugar cane and slavery became the dominant commodities of Southern America economy. Africans lived in Southern America which was very rich of soil and fertile, full of large farms and huge plantations. A History of U.S Families with a Focus on African American showed the domination of White people in economy: The political economy of slavery was characterized by segregation between whites and African Americans, the concentration of power 1 Skripsi THE STEREOTYPE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CHARACTERSRESTYA ANDARU WINANDITA IN WILLIAM H. ARMSTRONG’S SOUNDER ADLN Perpustakaan Universitas Airlangga 2 and wealth… The dominant economic activity in the region was production of agricultural products especially cotton to export to the North and to Europe (Iasewords 57) African Americans are defined as the citizens of the United States of America who are also of African descendants.
    [Show full text]
  • Shaming and Suppression of Female Sexuality
    THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CLINICAL SEXOLOGY SHAMING AND SUPPRESSION OF FEMALE SEXUALITY AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT THE EVOLUTION OF HUMAN SEXUALITY, GENDER ROLES, FEMALE LIBERATION, AND LONG TERM EFFECTS OF SHAMING OF FEMALE SEXUALITY A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CLINICAL SEXOLOGY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY INGRID D.THRALL ORLANDO FLORIDA ii Copyright © 2017 by Ingrid D. Thrall All Rights Reserved iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my committee members; Dr. Claudia Rieman, for her guidance and support, and most of all for inspiring and encouraging me to pursue my doctoral degree at The American Academy of Clinical Sexology; Dr. Julia Breur for her input and for encouraging me to enjoy the process; Dr. William Granzig for his ubiquitous reassurance, sharing of his vast knowledge, and challenging me to think outside the box. I would like to thank my husband Ed for his unwavering love and support of all my endeavors and always believing in me. I would like to thank my son Jonathan for his faith in me in my pursuit of my passion and for allowing me to inspire him to pursue his own journey in the field of Psychology. I would like to thank each and every woman who took the time to participate in the survey. Without these wonderful women this project would not have been possible. iv VITA Ingrid D. Thrall is a graduate of Nova Southeastern University where she earned a Master of Science degree in Mental Health Counseling Psychology. She is a member of AASECT.
    [Show full text]
  • SEXISM, STEREOTYPING, and the GENDER WAGE GAP a Thesis
    SEXISM, STEREOTYPING, AND THE GENDER WAGE GAP A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of Graduate Studies O t- The University of Guelph In partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy June, 2000 @Christine Alksnis, 2000 National Library Bibliothéque nationale I*I of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. nie Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada Your fila Vom nlemw Our W Notre raterence The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sel1 reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/fiim, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts f?om it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Canada ABSTRACT SEXISM, STEREOTYPING, AND THE GENDER WAGE GAP Christine Alksnis Advisor: University of Guelph, 2000 Dr. S. Desmarais For decades, women's average earnings have been a fraction of men's earnings. This dissertation is predicated on the assumption that gender stereotypes facilitate sexist behaviour by employers that in turn contributes, at least in part, to the persistence of this gender wage gap.
    [Show full text]
  • Women and Anger: the Roles of Gender, Sex Role, and Feminist Identity in Women's Anger Expression and Experience Susan Renee Stock-Ward Iowa State University
    Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1995 Women and anger: the roles of gender, sex role, and feminist identity in women's anger expression and experience Susan Renee Stock-Ward Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Clinical Psychology Commons, Personality and Social Contexts Commons, Psychiatry and Psychology Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Recommended Citation Stock-Ward, Susan Renee, "Women and anger: the roles of gender, sex role, and feminist identity in women's anger expression and experience " (1995). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 11089. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/11089 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Hius, some thesis and dissertation copies are in Qpewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. Hie qnality of this reprodnction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photogr^hs, print bleedthrough, sul»tandard margins, and improper alignment can adversety affect reproductioa In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted.
    [Show full text]
  • Connecting Gender-Based Violence, Sexual Harassment and Everyday Sexism
    Feminist Pocketbook TIP SHEET #3: Connecting gender-based violence, sexual harassment and everyday sexism The Coalition of Feminists for Social Change (COFEM), created in 2017 to reassert a feminist perspective in violence against women and girls (VAWG) work, is a collective of activists, academics, and practi- tioners working globally to end VAWG. This Tip Sheet is part of the COFEM Feminist Pocketbook. For access to the full Pocketbook, go to: www.cofemsocialchange.org. Tip Sheet 3 explores how gender-based violence, sexual harassment and everyday sexism are related, and discusses potential actions for a holistic approach to building gender equality. Key points • Everyday sexism, sexual harassment and other forms of gender-based violence (GBV) all share a root cause — gender inequality and the oppression of women and girls. • Feminist movements and women’s collective voices show that women across the world experience multiple forms of violence throughout their lives. • Distinguishing different forms of GBV as ‘more serious’ than others ignores how patriarchy and gender inequality create a culture in which violence against women and girls is accepted and normalised. What is the issue? have been shared through collective actions such For several decades, GBV1 has been recognised as the #MeToo movement, facilitated by social me- as a serious global health epidemic and a breach dia and an increasing global connectedness. This of women’s basic human rights. Over the last 20 powerful movement, which has empowered many years, a growing body of data on the scope of the women to speak out for the first time, has provid- problem — and evidence demonstrating how GBV ed even further evidence of the scope of GBV and is driven by gender inequality — have given great- resulted in increased calls for accountability.
    [Show full text]
  • The Scapegoat Study Guide
    Scholars Crossing Faculty Publications and Presentations Helms School of Government 2003 René Girard: The Scapegoat Study Guide Steven Alan Samson Liberty University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/gov_fac_pubs Part of the Other Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons, Political Science Commons, and the Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons Recommended Citation Samson, Steven Alan, "René Girard: The Scapegoat Study Guide" (2003). Faculty Publications and Presentations. 108. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/gov_fac_pubs/108 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Helms School of Government at Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contact [email protected]. RENÉ GIRARD: THE SCAPEGOAT STUDY GUIDE, 2003 Steven Alan Samson CHAPTER ONE: GUILLAUME DE MACHAUT AND THE JEWS Study Questions 1. What are some of the catastrophic events Machaut describes? What led to the massacre of the Jews? How is the process of scapegoating described in a fable by Jean La Fontaine? [The tendency to euphemize an evil is similarly depicted in the Harry Potter stories, as, for example, with "He who must not be named"]. (1-3) 2. [SKIP] How does Machaut's account of the arrival of the plague illustrate the phenomenon of scapegoating? What makes Machaut's use of epydimie [epidemic] a "linguistic scapegoat" and how is its essential structure the same as a human sacrifice? Does he ever connect these events into a single entity? ["The Thirty Years War" and "The Hundred Years War" were, of course, not perceived as such at the time].
    [Show full text]
  • •Understanding Bias: a Resource Guide
    Community Relations Services Toolkit for Policing Understanding Bias: A Resource Guide Bias Policing Overview and Resource Guide The Community Relations Service (CRS) is the U.S. Justice Department’s “peacemaker” agency, whose mission is to help resolve tensions in communities across the nation, arising from differences of race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and disability. CRS may be called to help a city or town resolve tensions that stem from community perceptions of bias or a lack of cultural competency among police officers. Bias and a lack of cultural competency are often cited interchangeably as challenges in police- community relationships. While bias and a lack of cultural competency may both be present in a given situation, these challenges and the strategies for addressing them differ appreciably. This resource guide will assist readers in understanding and addressing both of these issues. What is bias, and how is it different from cultural competency? The Science of Bias Bias is a human trait resulting from our tendency and need to classify individuals into categories as we strive to quickly process information and make sense of the world.1 To a large extent, these processes occur below the level of consciousness. This “unconscious” classification of people occurs through schemas, or “mental maps,” developed from life experiences to aid in “automatic processing.”2 Automatic processing occurs with tasks that are very well practiced; very few mental resources and little conscious thought are involved during automatic processing, allowing numerous tasks to be carried out simultaneously.3 These schemas become templates that we use when we are faced with 1.
    [Show full text]