I took a class on Social Psychology in my third year at Wesleyan, and here I found quite a number of insights that complemented my knowledge from Introduction to Global Engagement. One of the topics we discussed in class was implicit bias.
Implicit bias, specifically in the context of racism, challenges the prevalent misconception that racism is limited to one’s outward actions or inactions (explicit bias). It lays the foundation to explore the consequences and further implications of unconscious, unexamined, or ambiguous prejudiced beliefs and feelings toward another group. It is measured by non-verbal behavior. Implicit bias studies, despite their fair share of critiques, continue to serve as the bedrock for many subsequent studies on racism and possible interventions. Studies and theories surrounding implicit bias tend to focus heavily on an individual’s internal prejudice while failing to take into account structural and systemic contributions to racism and prejudice.
While I acknowledge that implicit bias-related research is a step in the right direction, I fear that narrowing one’s focus to this particular avenue alone has the potential of further harming marginalized groups. I believe interventions that are heavily based on this theory are at risk of merely sniping at the leaves on the tree of racism without adequately attacking its roots.
Quite unfortunately, frequently propagated interventions for racism echo this assertion. Among these is the intergroup contact theory. The intergroup contact theory posits that intergroup bias can be reduced through persistent intergroup contact- given that there is the common perception that groups are of equal status, groups pursue superordinate goals, and contact is sanctioned by authorities, laws, or customs.
While this intervention may be effective in changing attitudes among members of the advantaged group, I believe it prioritizes them over members of marginalized groups. I am highly skeptical of this intervention. One source of my skepticism is the glorification of positive interactions. I am of the view that positive interactions between members of an advantaged group and those of a marginalized group most definitely do not erase systemic structures of racism actively working against the latter in their everyday lives. This approach falls short of acknowledging the undeniable fact that one group has historically been advantaged over others, resulting in a wide achievement gap, among many other inequalities, that cannot be closed merely through positive interactions. Several steps beyond “superficial” interactions are needed to address pressing inequalities and level the playing field toward the goal of building a truly equitable society.
Furthermore, in a research article titled “The Irony of Harmony,” a group of psychologists found that positive contact between historically advantaged and disadvantaged groups affected marginalized groups’ perceptions of real-world inequality and undermined their support for social change toward equality (Saguy, 2009). This proves that the intergroup contact theory also promotes a false sense of equality, which is not accurately reflective of the real world we live in. This can be harmful for disadvantaged persons as it makes them less prepared for the harsh realities of our society.
These insights are very important in the global engagement space when considering interventions to address prejudice and bias, and also to inform our interactions with marginalized groups, ensuring we center them and their experiences. Implicit bias-focused interventions are still necessary in our collective battle against prejudice and inequality; however, to make these interventions more thorough and complete, they should be adjusted to center disadvantaged persons by proportionately accounting for structural and systemic prejudice. Interventions should be equally focused on leveling the playing field by closing the achievement gap created and continuously exacerbated by systemic inequalities. Efforts such as affirmative action, structural DEI initiatives, and other measures that seek to close gaps should go hand in hand with these interventions.
Reference
Saguy, T., Tausch, N., Dovidio, J. F., & Pratto, F. (2009). The irony of harmony: Intergroup contact can produce false expectations for equality. Psychological Science, 20(1), 114-121.
