Are you racially bias? - Jean Moule

‘“blink of the eye” racism’

• An instant, subconscious reaction, like an instinctive fight or flight mechanism. 

‘racism that is usually invisible even and especially to those who perpetrate it.’

David and Gaertner 2005 p2

Dovidio, J.F. and Gaertner S.L. (2005) Color Blind or Just Plain Blind. Nonprofit Quarterly (Winter2005). 

• Even people who consider themselves to not be racist may will have this underlying subconscious prejudice because of how deeply ingrained it is in society. In relation to the Benetton image, it may make people like this realise their unconscious bias and make them feel guilty about it. 

‘Biases are rooted in stereotypes and prejudices.’

• These stereotypes are being maintained by society even though there is an active force to change them as well. 

‘Children internalize our society’s biases and prejudices, as have all of us; they are just a little less able to hide it.’

• In relation to the Clark doll test, children have not developed a filter for their thoughts yet. They haven’t got an understanding of what is acceptable and what isn’t. 

‘we are programmed to quickly discern who is enemy and who is friend’ 

‘that first reaction is consciously overridden in a nanosecond by many people in order to overcome built-in biases and respnd as their better, undiscriminating selves.’ 

• In contrast to the children in the Clark doll test, undiscriminating adults are able to correct their own thinking and bring it in line with their values. 

'"We don’t deliberately choose our unconscious attitudes … we may not even be aware of them”’ - Gladwell 2005 p84

Gladwell, M. (2005) Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking. New York: Little, Brown. 

'“We would like to believe that when a person has a conscious commitment to change, the very act of discovering one’s hidden biases can propel one to act to correct for it. It may not be possible to avoid the automatic stereotype or prejudice, but it is certainly possible to consciously rectify it”’ (Teaching Tolerance 2001, p4)

Teaching Tolerance. Hidden Bias: A Primer.” 2001. www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/tutoials/04.html