Presented by Evelyn Carter with Commune
Tags: bias, equality, stereotypes
“You can’t stop being bias just because you know it’s a possibility. You have to develop strategies and a plan of action.”
Creating Structural Safeguards to Reduce the Effects of Bias
- Create friction
- Keeps us safe and slows us down
- Allows more time during decision-making
- Reduces the likelihood of bias interfering
- Have accountability partners
- Someone you check in with about the choices you’re making
- Not someone who thinks exactly as you do
- Helps you make a better decision in the long run
- Set up multiple checkpoints
- Ensures there are serval opportunity to be engaged in as bias-free a process as possible
- Create clear rules and use them for everyone
- We often shift our standards to account for other information (often from stereotypes) when using subjective criteria
- Be consistent with the criteria you use to evaluate others
- Expand your ingroup
- Interact and connect with people from different background
- Diversify your networks to gain greater perspective of others
- Others things you can do:
- Take personal responsibility for creating the structural change you wish to see
- Find support with like-minded people
- Join social justice oriented groups
- Connect with other people who share your goals both online and offline
- Use your access and power to uplift other communities
Resources to learn more:
Searching for Excellence: Evidence-Based Strategies for Equitable and Inclusive Faculty Hiring
Written in Black & White: Exploring Confirmation Bias in Racialized Perceptions of Writing Skills
Learn more from Evelyn:
Identifying Implicit Attitude (Part 2)
Techniques for Reducing Bias (Part 4)
More from Commune
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