Whiteliness and institutional racism: hiding behind (un)conscious bias

'Unconscious bias happens by our brains making incredibly quick judgements and assessments without us realising.   Biases are influenced by background, cultural environment and experiences and we may not be aware of these views and opinions, or of their full impact and implications. This articl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEthics and education Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 141 - 155
Main Authors Tate, Shirley Anne, Page, Damien
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Routledge 02.01.2018
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Bias
Cultural Awareness
Cultural Context
Cultural Influences
Decision making
decolonising
Decolonization
Diversity training
Educational philosophy
epistemologies of ignorance
Epistemology
Equal Education
Equality
Foreign Countries
Higher Education
Multiculturalism & pluralism
Personal experiences
post-racial
Racial Bias
Racism
School Culture
Social Bias
Social Influences
Social Justice
Social Responsibility
Systemic racism
Training
Unconscious bias
Unconsciousness
white fragility
White people
White supremacy
Whites
United Kingdom
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Summary:'Unconscious bias happens by our brains making incredibly quick judgements and assessments without us realising.   Biases are influenced by background, cultural environment and experiences and we may not be aware of these views and opinions, or of their full impact and implications. This article opposes this point of view by arguing that bias is not unconscious but is (un)conscious and linked to Charles Mills' 'Racial Contract' and its 'epistemologies of ignorance'. These epistemologies emerge from what the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) calls 'our background, cultural environment and personal experience'. Asserting that racism stems from 'unconscious bias' diminishes white supremacy and maintains white innocence as a 'will to forget' institutional racism. In equality and diversity training 'unconscious bias' has become a performative act to move beyond racism through  training to participate in a constructed 'post-racial' reality. The article argues that through decolonizing 'unconscious bias', 'white fragility' and 'self-forgiveness' we can begin to see hidden institutional whiteliness at the base of (un)conscious bias.
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ISSN:1744-9642
1744-9650
DOI:10.1080/17449642.2018.1428718