Research  How well-meaning allies can increase stress for marginalized people

#1
C C Offline
They also need to consider that a lot of people would probably feel uneasy if a crusader asked them to back up or clarify details about the latter's do-gooderism. Not just randomly selected members of marginalized population groups. I mean, what the ---? Isn't that some kind of stereotyping or patronizing in itself, that one thinks they would inherently want that kind of spotlight, for the sake of enhancing another individual's virtue posturing?
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How well-meaning allies can increase stress for marginalized people
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1112179

INTRO: Someone in the office makes a racially insensitive comment, and a white co-worker asks a Black colleague to help correct the offender.

In three studies, a Cornell University researcher found that this kind of maneuver can backfire. In such scenarios, the marginalized person then views the person who asked for their help less favorably – and is less likely to want to associate with them in the future.

“A marginalized person’s willingness to get involved in confronting prejudice is much more complicated than simply just trying to reduce prejudice in the workplace,” said Merrick Osborne, professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University. “Oftentimes it is asking them to do work, and it can put a burden on them. We find that, for marginalized people, being asked by an ally to speak up against a prejudice confrontation is more emotionally burdensome than not being asked. In turn, that shapes how the ally is viewed.”

Osborne is a co-author of “A (Costly) Penny for Your Thoughts? Allies Cause Harm by Seeking Marginalized Group Members’ Help When Confronting Prejudice.”.

In the early days of the Black Lives Matter and other movements, Osborne noticed that members of marginalized groups were being called on to comment about sensitive issues – such as the police killing of Breonna Taylor in March 2020 – just because of their membership in the group, and not because of any particular expertise.

“I thought that was really interesting,” Osborne said. “We social scientists haven’t fully unpacked how marginalized people experience addressing prejudice within the workplace, and there’s an assumption that marginalized folks have more knowledge about prejudice and how to reduce it... (MORE - details, no ads)
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#2
Syne Offline
Yeah, it seems infantilizing to assume they need your help and patronizing to get offended on their behalf. Would be more empowering to wait for them to initiate anything and then support them. Not take them by the hand and try to show them how.
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