California Bills Aim To Eliminate Implicit Bias


Implicit Bias

In California (39.1% Latino), numerous bills seeking to confront implicit bias among medical professionals, police officers and judges, are making their way through the state legislature, according to KPCC's AirTalk. “No one likes to be told what to do and no one thinks they’re a racist, so the question I hear a lot is, ‘Why do we need this?’,”state representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove told The Los Angeles Times. “The goal is not to have punitive legislation. It is to help people acknowledge they have [implicit biases] and help reduce them.” Legislation in the Works Senate Bill 464 Senate Bill 464, or more commonly the California Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act, was introduced by State Senator Holly Mitchell last month. It would implement an ...

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San Antonio Health Director Gets First City-Funded ACEs Coordinator


Dr-Bridger-sharing-brainstorming-ideas-at-Bexar-County-Trauma-Informed-Care-Consortium-meeting-on-June-29-2018-number2

Dr. Colleen Bridger knows the devastating effects of childhood trauma, from risky behavior to bad grades, to even chronic disease. Bridger saw many childhoods ruined by abuse, poverty, and other trauma in her 20 years running three health departments and a childhood research/advocacy group in North and South Carolina. Health departments rarely coordinate with schools, healthcare providers, police, the justice system, and family support groups to address and reduce the impact of childhood trauma. Bridger wanted to change that. Since taking over as head of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health Department in 2017, she has worked to create a network of coordinated trauma-informed care for children and families facing adversity, even creating city’s first-ever job dedicated solely ...

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Microaggressions: A Symptom of Implicit Bias



We already know that implicit bias, or unconscious bias, is an uncontrollable predetermined notion that affects understanding, actions, and judgments about others. But did you know that microaggressions are an outcome of implicit bias? Microaggressions Microaggressions are indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against a marginalized group, according to the American Psychologist. A minority is more likely to encounter microaggressions, even when there is no obvious, explicit judgment or harassment. In a 2004 study, Researchers Sandra Graham and Brian S. Lowery identified three categories of racial microaggressions that include: Microassault: “Verbal or nonverbal attack meant to hurt the intended victim through name-calling, avoidant behavior, or purposeful ...

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The Culture of Moral Disengagement and Its Consequences


moral disengagement

As you may already know, moral disengagement is a way people rationalize bad decisions. It is used to describe the process by which an individual convinces themselves that ethical standards do not apply to them in a particular situation or context. Moral disengagement consists of making justifications, diffusing responsibility, dehumanizes the victim, and minimizes consequences. Yet, some outcomes have an impact on everyone. Sense of Entitlement A perception of entitlement can be a result of moral disengagement. For example, consider the recent college admissions scandal. More than 50 high-profile individuals face charges for conspiring to guarantee the admission of their children to universities that include Yale University, the University of Texas, Georgetown University, ...

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What is Moral Disengagement?


moral

Want to know how people rationalize bad decisions? It's called moral disengagement. Moral disengagement is the process by which an individual convinces him/herself that ethical standards do not apply to him/herself within a particular situation or context, according to world renowned social psychologist Albert Bandura. Moral disengagement can be broken down into four categories: 1. Moral Justification Moral justification, reconstructs immoral conduct as serving the greater good. Example: Research shows that many policy officers, when forced to choose between lying under oath (perjury) and testifying against their colleagues, prefer the first option and justify the act as loyalty to their peers. Another example: “This is actually the morally right thing to do; we’re ...

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In Diverse Schools, Latinos Have Better Heart Health


diverse school students running diversity

Latino and other students of color who attend schools that emphasize the value of diversity show better heart health than peers whose schools without such values, according to a new study. The study examined a diverse sample of adolescents from over 100 schools, mainly in urban areas. "For students of color, these schools that emphasize diversity are different environments in concrete ways," Cynthia Levine, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Washington, who conducted the study while a postdoctoral researcher at Northwestern University, told Futurity. “They may feel more supported and valued there, in a way that matters for their health.” About The Study The study examined how schools that emphasize the value of racial and ethnic diversity, can ...

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Can Training Help Reduce Hidden Bias Against Latinos, Minorities?


implicit bias

We already know that implicit bias harms quality of life for Latinos and other minorities. Implicit bias is the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions unconsciously. This bias can affect relationships from the doctor's office to the workplace. The good news? Many companies and organizations are making an effort to create change with implicit bias training! But what exactly does this training entail? Does it work? What is Implicit Bias Training? Implicit bias training, also called unconscious bias training, is gaining popularity in business world. This training teaches employees to be aware of their ingrained biases as well as strategies for blunting the effects of those biases, reports The Washington Post. “I think this is the ...

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Latinos Face Discrimination When Up for Promotion, Even in the Military


Discrimination military

Latinos historically face discrimination in the hiring and promotion processes. A few years ago, a Harvard study found that one-third of Latinos say they were discriminated against when applying for jobs (33%) or when being paid equally or considered for promotions (32%). Now a recent report says discrimination extends to military promotions. Latinos Rarely Promoted to High Military Ranks Latinos have a “proud and indeed enviable” record of military service. Today, the Latino share of the active-duty force has continued to rise. In 2015, 12% of all active-duty personnel were Latino, up from 9% in 2004, according to Pew Research. But between 1995 and 2016, only one Latino had become a three-star general, even as the number of active-duty Latino officers more than doubled, ...

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You May Be Biased and Not Know It (and Here’s How to Check)


implicit bias tests for skin tones of faces

Implicit bias, also known as unconscious bias, occurs when stereotypes influence automatic brain processing. We can be susceptible to inherent bias and not even know it. Fortunately, you can find out if you have such leanings. Implicit Bias Testing Harvard’s Project Implicit developed The Implicit Association Test (IAT). The test, created 20 years ago, measures social attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling or unable to realize. The various implicit bias assessments focus on gender, race, skin color, weight, and more. There is no Hispanic/Latino-focused test, though. Bias tests can expose one's implicit attitudes, of which they are unaware. For example, you may believe women and men should be equally associated with careers in scientific fields. Yet, your ...

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