Beverley Hill

7/31/2019 Beverley Hill

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Conversations about Privilege

24 May 2012

Workplace Diversity in Australia Conference

Beverley HillAssociate Director, Equity and Diversity


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2013 Centenary

Only W.A. University until mid 1970s

One of the Group of 8 leadingresearch intensive Universities

24,000 students

4,000+ staff

80+ language groups represented

65 hectare campus, listed on

Register of the National Estate

The University


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Unconscious Bias

Refers to stereotypes about groups of people that

individuals form outside their own consciousness

Replicates the social hierarchy and influences behaviour

Results in decisions and actions based on perceptions ofpeoples gender, race, class, and other characteristics

Often completely incompatible with our values

Perception and reality can disconnect

Is well documented and pervasive

Implicit Association Test http:implicit.harvard.edu/


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How Unconscious Bias Manifests at Work

Evaluations of resumes and job credentials

Letters of recommendation

Academic esteem

Auditions

Pay gaps

Distribution of mentoring, coaching, sponsorship

The construction of merit


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Four Layers of our Diversity

Functional Level/

Classification

Geographic

Location

Personality

AgeGenderRace

Ethnicity

Physical

Ability

Sexual

Orientation

Management

Status

Union

Affiliation

Work

Content/

Field

Work

LocationSeniority

Marital

StatusIncome

ParentalStatus

PersonalHabits

AppearanceRecreational

Habits

EducationalBackground

Work

ExperienceReligion

Division/

Department

Unit/

Group

Adapted from Marilyn Loden & Judy Rosener.From Diverse Teams at Work, Gardenswartz& Rowe


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A fish is the last one to know what

water is .

The invisible knapsack of advantage and fit


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Privilege and Fit

An invisible package of unearned assets which I can count on

cashing in each day, but about which I am meant to be

oblivious

A weightless knapsack of special provisions, assurances, tools,

maps, guides, codebooks, passports, visas, clothes, emergency

gear and blank cheques

privilege is the flipside of discrimination

as much a psychological matter as a material one

its about awareness and responsibility, not guilt

one way I personally experience privilege and power is ..

Peggy McIntosh: White Privilege and Male Privilege


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Understanding Privilege

Diverse social systems are characterised by a majority

group and a number of minority groups

Privilege is described as those conditions and

circumstances enjoyed by a person because they are a

member of the majority group at any given point in time

Majority group refers to the largest group, with the

minority group having fewer members represented in the

social system

Majority group also signifies the group that has

historically held advantages in terms of power and

economic resources


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The way things are done around here

When the organisation invites people of 'difference into its

culture, it is usually the people and not the culture that is

expected to change

Consider organisational behaviours that are taken for

granted:

how meetings are conducted

how consultations are managed

how feedback is received

how merit is constructed

These are not constructed as racial or gender issues but

are presented as neutral, necessary and normal elements

of organisational culture


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The way things are done around here

Dominating the conversation

Reframing or invalidating the experiences of others

Heroic leadership

Valuing the product over the process

The idea that logic, reasoning and linear thinking do

not involve emotion

Being agenda bound cultural norm of the agenda

driving the process, approached in a linear fashion

Hollins and Govan


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Self-reinforcing Cycle

Lowered achievementrate

Accumulation of

disadvantage

Performance underestimatednot encouraged

Positioningand Evaluation

bias

Unconscious

bias

Lack ofcritical mass

or fit


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Addressing Privilege at Work

Individually

Check yourself mindfulness

Be an Ally advocacy

Believe the impact walk in the shoes of others

Organisationally

Distinguish your organisation by inclusive practice

Target recruiting, positioning and evaluation

Mentor across allnetworks


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Courageous Conversations about Race

Cultural Competency:

a set of skills that allow individuals to increase their

understanding of cultural differences and similarities

within, among and between groups..... and to incorporatethat understanding into professional practice, such that

all social groups are treated with respect and in

recognition of differing needs Nunez

Surfacing undiscussables

To what extent does race impact on my life?

The power of narratives and conversation


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Opinion


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Way of Life


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Handing of Problems


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The Boss


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ALLY Network

Provide a visible network of identifiedAllies to the GLBTI

community (DSG)

Create a safe, encouraging, inclusive and affirming

environment

Build support and advocacy network active Champions

Develop further awareness and visibility of GLBTI staff

and students and their issues

Forge cultural change from the local level


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Heterosexual Privilege and HeteronormativityHeterosexual people:

will not fear rejection from friends or workmates if they talk about their partner,

social life

will not become adept at the use of third person impersonal pronouns

will not be in a position of having to lie about their lives to avoid exposure

would not consider their sexuality or gender identity a factor in not getting a

job, promotion

will not hear comments such as that heterosexual looking one over there

can hold hands with their partner without being stared at or have comments

made

do not have to fear assaulted because they are straight

UWA Ally Workshop Manual


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Achievement Relative to OpportunityAR2O

Assumptions around normative and ideal workers

Assumptions around career paths and human capital

Not a special consideration ordeficitapproach

Generational change

Reconceptualising Merit the what and how of

measurement

Employees career an organisational (and national)

investment the what and how of performance planning


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Embedding AR2O Principles

Academic promotions

Professorial appointments and appointments more widely

Internal grants

Workload models

Career opportunities

Discretionary allowances

Leadership Development for Women, career seminar

Qualitative study of career pauses, diversions and hijacks


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Inclusive Leadership

Personal openness, approachability, emotional

intelligence, maturity, empathy

encouraging empathy, self-disclosure, psychological

safety, collective identity and shared goals in staff

inclusive, open environment

A high level of gender and cultural competence

Learning from mistakes and discomfort

Having courageous conversations capacity building

Supported by an overarching workplace culture of

inclusivity practice


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Leaders and Cohesive Teams

Create an environment that is optimal for peoples

learning and working together .

where different perspectives are the end game Deloitte

Analyse accurately the impact that various people have

on processes and outcomes

Balance processes and outcomes (inclusiveness as a

process)

Be an agent for systemic and cultural change and for the

development of all


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The Diversity Agenda for each of us

Identity: Who am I? What am I what worth?

Inclusion: Do I leave aspects of my identity in the car park?

Performance & Achievement: How is meritconstructed in this workplace?

Cultural Competence: How intellectually andemotionally comfortable am I around diversity?

Social Justice: Have I examined my position on a range ofsocial issues?


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Responses Questions?

www.equity.uwa.edu.au

[email protected]

(08) 6488 3791

Documents

Beverley Hill