colorblind social work: combats or contributes to racism!

colorblind social work: combats or contributes to racism!

Anthony F. Harris, LCSW, LADC

1

What are your first impressions?

First impressions- what race of people live here?

First impressions- what race of people live here?

First impressions- What race of people eat this?

First impressions-Math wiz or not?

First impressions- legal or illegal?

First impressions- on welfare or not on welfare

First impressions-reservation or apartment?

Which one would you hire?

Which one is the convicted felon?

some definitions

What is prejudice?

An evaluation of outgroup members (which includes the affect, cognitions, and behaviors of the evaluator) that places the outgroup members at a disadvantage not merited by the outgroups own misconduct.

Fiske, S. (2010). Social Beings: Core Motives in Social Psychology. Wiley & Sons.

What is a stereotype?

Stereotypes are beliefs about the characteristics of group members and theories about why those attributes go together. They are fixed ideas that accompany a category. They justify or rationalize our affective and behavioral reactions to the category. (Fiske, 2010).

What is Discrimination?

Acting on the basis of ones stereotypes and prejudices, denying equality of treatment that people want to have.

Fiske, S. (2010). Social Beings: Core Motives in Social Psychology. Wiley & Sons.

What is A bias?

The tendency or inclination to sway your favor towards something due to personal preference or belief. Can cause problems when we're not aware of them and we apply them inappropriately, leading to rash decisions or discriminatory practices.

(Psychology Today, 2013)

todays definition of racism

An underlying belief in the superiority of one race over another and its right to dominate.

What racism really is

Racial prejudice and discrimination that are supported by institutional power and authority. The critical element that differentiates racism from prejudice and discrimination is the use of institutional power and authority to support prejudices and enforce discriminatory behaviors in systematic ways with far-reaching outcomes and effects.

What racism really is

In the United States, racism is based on the ideology of White (European) supremacy and is used to the advantage of White people and the disadvantage of people of color.

Enid Lee, Deborah Menkart and Margo Okazawa-Rey (eds.)

Beyond Heroes and Holidays: A Practical Guide to K-12 Anti-Racist, Multicultural Education and Staff Development

What contributes to racism the most is not the idea that one race is better than the other but the refusal or hesitancy to enact change in the nations racial ideology and structure.

The essential feature of racism is not hostility or misperception, but rather the defense of a system from which advantage is derived on the basis of race.

The manner in which the defense is articulated - either with hostility or subtlety - is not nearly as important as the fact that it insures the continuation of a privileged relationship.

Thus it is necessary to broaden the definition of racism beyond prejudice to include sentiments that in their consequence, if not in their intent, support the racial status quo.

David T. Wellman(Portraits of White Racism, Second Edition)

What is culture?

Shared beliefs and values of a group:the beliefs, customs, practices, and social behavior of a particular group of people

We dont always know whats best for a person until we learn about their culture.

What does colorblind mean?

The racial ideology that posits the best way to end discrimination is by treating individuals as equally as possible, without regard to race, culture, or ethnicity.

(Psychology Today, 2011)

Colorblind ideology

In a colorblind society, White people, who are unlikely to experience disadvantages due to race, can effectively ignore racism in American life, justify the current social order, and feel more comfortable with their relatively privileged standing in society (Fryberg, 2010). Most minorities, however, who regularly encounter difficulties due to race, experience colorblind ideologies quite differently.

Colorblindness creates a society that denies negative racial experiences, rejects cultural heritage, and invalidates unique perspectives.

Being colorblind means being culture-blind

Case study

Its the Message, Not the Messenger: The Declining Significance of Black-White Contact in a Colorblind Society.

OBrien, E., Korgen, K.O. (2007). Its the Message, Not the Messenger: The Declining Significance of Black-White Contact in a Colorblind Society. Sociological Inquiry, Vol. 77, No. 3, August 2007, 356-382.

Contact theory

First proposed by Gordon Allport (1958), the contact hypothesis, or contact theory as some have termed it, states that the more contact a person has with others who are not members of his/her group, the less likely he or she is to have prejudice against members of that outgroup. (OBrien & Korgen, 2007).

Contact theory

In over 40 comprehensive studies conducted, Forbes (1997) found that 36 out of the 40 studies lent support to the contact theory. Two studies did not support the hypothesis and two other studies had mixed results.

Contact theory

In contact theory, however, in order for prejudice to be reduced, the type of contact includes contact between those who are:

Similar in social status

Share common goals and are interdependent on each other

Have contact that is supported by social norms and/or authorities

Case study

The idea is that the information received today regarding other races is more influential than cross-racial contact with others from the race white people want to learn from.

Case study

People of color may or may not be the bearers of alternative ideology, or, may not choose to share such worldviews with the whites with whom they come in contact with.

Case study

The term symbolic racism was coined by Kinder and Sears (1981) to describe contradictions that they found in which respondents supported ideals of equal opportunity regardless of race but did not support public policy measures which would bring about such equality.

OBrien, E., Korgen, K.O. (2007). Its the Message, Not the Messenger: The Declining Significance of Black-White Contact in a Colorblind Society. Sociological Inquiry, Vol. 77, No. 3, August 2007, 356-382.

Case study

The concept of the Colorblind Ideology in the United States has actually moved people away from Black-White contact and more towards not noticing race which keeps people from crossing over racial boundaries.

Whats at least one solution?

ASK QUESTIONS!

What questions do you have but were afraid to ask?

Four types of colorblind racism

Abstract Liberalism

Naturalization

Cultural Racism

Minimization of Racism

Abstract liberalism

The belief that all Americans, regardless of race, should have equal rights and opportunities but wont support governmental programs and policies that bring about such equality for all.

Example: Affirmative Action, Busing

naturalization

Racist practices in society, like highly segregated schools and neighborhoods and low rates of interracial marriage, are seen as natural, as a part of human nature not as the outcome of white racism. That means it is no ones fault, that there is little that can be done to change it.

Cultural racism

Unlike Jim Crow racists, most whites no longer believe that there is anything wrong with blacks biologically. Instead it is cultural: mostly bad families, bad values, bad discipline, and a bad work ethic. Some note that blacks use racism as an excuse and expect handouts.

Minimization of racism

Most whites believe there is still discrimination against blacks, but it is not as bad as it used to be, is rare, and it is no longer the main thing holding blacks back. The belief is that black people are whining, complaining, and just need to get over it.

Why is this important to social work?

SOCIAL WORKERS ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO CLIENTS

1.05 Cultural Competence and Social Diversity

(a) Social workers should understand culture and its function in human behavior and society, recognizing the strengths that exist in all cultures.

SOCIAL WORKERS ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO CLIENTS

(b) Social workers should have a knowledge base of their clients cultures and be able to demonstrate competence in the provision of services that are sensitive to clients cultures and to differences among people and cultural groups.

SOCIAL WORKERS ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO CLIENTS

(c) Social workers should obtain education about and seek to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, and mental or physical disability.

National Association of Social Workers. (2013). Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp

But Im not racistI have a black friend!

Bias blind spot

The perception of an individual that they are free from biases that plague others

(Fiske, 2010).

WHAT IS COLORISM?

If youre black, stay back;if youre brown, stick around;if youre yellow, youre mellow;if youre white, youre all right.

What is colorism?

Discrimination based on skin color. Colorism disadvantages dark-skinned people, while privileging those with lighter skin.

What is colorism?

Dark-Skinned

Light-Skinned

What is cultural competence?

A process whereby human service professionals develop awareness, knowledge, and skills to work with clients from various cultural backgrounds.

So, Cultural competence involves:

Awareness and knowledge of different cultures

Identifying and challenging your personal biases

Developing skills addressing biases and communication

Applying those skills to a different culture

Cultural competence

Cultural knowledge does not necessarily lead to competence.

Cultural contact does not necessarily lead to competence.

Cultural contact may lead to reduction of stereotypes.

Bennett, J. (2011). Developing Intercultural Competence. Retrieved from website www.intercultural.org/documents/competence_handouts.pdf

Cultural biased assumptions

We all share a single definition on normal and moral behaviors.

People will understand our use of abstract words and phrases in the same way that we intend.

Clients are helped more by formal systems than by their natural support systems.

Human service professionals need to change individuals to fit the system and not the system to fit the individual.

Developing cultural competence

1. Suspending our assumptions and value

judgments

2. Practicing cultural humility

3. Developing multiple perspectives

4. Asking questions as culturally appropriate

5. Assessing the credibility of our intercultural

sources

Bennett, J. (2011). Developing Intercultural Competence. Retrieved from website www.intercultural.org/documents/competence_handouts.pdf