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Subtle Discrimination
There are a broad range of subtle behaviors and events that perpetuate inequities for members of underrepresented groups in
post-secondary education. These behaviors are non-actionable, practically speaking, in the sense that they are not likely
to be formally contested in a court of law.
Condescension: the apparent refusal to take women and minorities seriously, as students and colleagues, which is communicated through posture,
gesture, and tone of voice.
Role stereotyping: the expectation of behavior that conforms to the racial and sexual role stereotypes.
Sexist and racist comments: expressions of derogatory beliefs about women or minorities such as statements of “inferiority,” “not intelligent,” and
“ not serious.”
Hostility: avoidance, expressions of annoyance, resentment, anger, jokes, and innuendoes.
Exclusion: unintentional and intentional oversights denying minorities or women access to events.
Denial of status authority: the covert refusal to acknowledge a minority’s or woman’s position or their scope of authority (e.g., bypassing the individual
and going to their supervisor).
Invisibility: the failure to recognize the presence or contributions of minorities and women.
Double standard: differential evaluation of behavior as a function of racial or sex attribution (e.g., regarding a man’s non-academic experience
as “enriching” and that of a woman as indicating a “lack of focus.”
Tokenism: the discretionary inclusion of one or few minorities or women.
Divide and conquer: the use of tactics that maximize the social distance of the minority or woman from each other (e.g., informing the individual
that s/he is superior to others of the protected class in ability or achievement).
Backlash: the rejection of men and women who support efforts to improve the status of women and minorities.
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