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EMBARGO: NOT FOR RELEASE UNTIL 5:00 PM (CDT), AUGUST 14, 1997
CAN AMERICA BE COLORBLIND? RESEARCH FINDINGS SUGGEST NOT;
EVEN WELL-INTENTIONED PEOPLE ARE INFLUENCED BY RACIAL BIAS
Beyond Desegregation, Intergroup Cooperation Necessary
to Overcome Personal Biases
CHICAGO -- Most Americans agree that eliminating racism and providing equal opportunity in education and the workplace is an important national goal. There is disagreement however on how best to achieve that goal. A paper released today by the American Psychological Association at its 105th Annual Convention in Chicago, "Can -- or Should -- America Be Color-Blind?", states that a color-blind approach to equal opportunity for all Americans will fail. This conclusion is based on research findings that skin color, ethnicity and gender figure prominently in American's attitudes and behaviors toward each other.
Based on more than two decades of research, James H. Jones, Ph.D., professor of Psychology at the University of Delaware, has concluded that:
o Human beings react to racial differences between themselves
and others at elementary levels of thinking, perceiving and
feeling. "In subtle ways, behavior toward a person of
another race frequently reveals deep-seated racial
biases. Such automatic responses operate without conscious
intervention or awareness," Dr. Jones states.
o Being expected to do poorly, especially by an authority
figure, can result in poor performance.
o People from different groups tend to experience similar
situations differently. Also learned from the psychological
research is that having people work together in groups --
intergroup cooperation as a step beyond simple desegregation
-- helps overcome the racial and cultural biases described
above. But, specific conditions are necessary for the
cooperative setting to have an optimal effect. Among the
conditions that improve intergroup acceptance are:
o Equal status in the setting. Women and minority groups must
have the same status as other group members.
o Sanction from those in authority. Persons in authority and
other opinion leaders must communicate that intergroup
cooperation is a key goal, and beneficial to the
organization's overall goals.
o Interpersonal intimacy. Cooperative effort must allow people
to get to know each other and understand each other's
differing perspectives.
In summary, the research suggests that "race does matter," Dr. Jones says. "Therefore recognizing the differences in people and their experiences is the only equitable way to achieve social justice."
Paper: Can -- Or Should -- America Be Color-Blind? Psychological Research Reveals Fallacies in Color-Blind Response to Racism. The American Psychological Association, August, 1997.
(Full text available from APA Press Room.)
The American Psychological Association (APA), in Washington, DC, is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 151,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 50 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 58 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting human welfare.
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