Benevolent sexism operates below conscious awareness even in egalitarians
Evidence
The focus on “bad” is in line with many people’s commonsense notions of bias as a moral failing that requires some degree of animus and bad intention (DiAngelo, 2018). Decades of empirical social scientific research, however, demonstrate that bias requires no intention or awareness at all. Bias is often implicit, meaning that we have thoughts and feelings about others of which we are unaware but which nonetheless can profoundly affect our judgments and behavior—even when we do not want to be influenced and even when we are consciously committed to egalitarianism (Devine, 1989). Empirical evidence of racial disparities in policing echoes the voices of people of color who, for generations, haven spoken of being treated differently by law enforcement. At the same time, police officers overwhelmingly deny that explicit racial profiling occurs in their agencies. The science of implicit bias tells us both can be simultaneously true, which paves the way for us to focus more on impact, instead of exclusively on intention. — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 393 (
#corroborates, via linked claim)
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Awareness of inequality does not automatically produce support for equality policies.; Consciously egalitarian values fail to prevent racially disparate behavior; Implicit bias operates without intention and can contradict conscious egalitarian values — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law: A Definitive Look at…, 393 (+4 more)
Broader Connections
- Implicit bias operates without intention and can contradict conscious egalitarian values
#corroborates(0.92) — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 393 - Egalitarian intentions do not prevent biased behavior without interventions
#complicates(0.72)