White Organizational Culture - PowerPoint Presentation

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White Organizational Culture

Dr. Allison De Marco

NUTR 245

January 20, 2017

Slide2

Overview

Organizational Culture

Manifestations

How these are oppressive

Antidotes

Case Study: CEF

progress towards becoming an anti-racist

organization

Activity: Organizational Anti-Racism Assessment

Discussion questions

What is your organization doing well?

Where does your organization need work?

Slide3

White Supremacy Culture

Culture = Shared

patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that are learned through a process of

socialization (Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition).

White supremacy = A

system that maintains legal, political, and economic privilege for

whites (PBS Learning Media)

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Manifestations of White Supremacy

Culture

[

Source: Tema Okun, dRworks

]

Slide5

Perfectionism

Little appreciation expressed for the work that others are doing, appreciation goes mostly to those who already get most credit

Antidotes

Develop a culture of appreciation

Learn from mistakes

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Sense of urgency

Makes it difficult to take the time to be inclusive

Discourages democratic and/or thoughtful decision-making

Antidotes

Realistic work plans

Increased discussion/planning time

Set goals for inclusivity and diversity

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Defensiveness

Org structure set up and energy used to prevent abuse and protect power

Criticism of those in power viewed as threatening and inappropriate

Energy spent to make sure feelings aren’t hurt

Antidotes

Understand that structure can’t facilitate/prevent abuse

Understand link between defensiveness and fear

Work on own defensiveness

Slide8

Quantity over Quality

All resources directed toward producing measure goals

Measurable things are more valued

Little or no value attached to process

Antidotes

Include process/quality goals in planning

Look for ways to include process goals

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Worship of the Written Word

The Organization doesn’t take into account/value other

ways that information is shared

Those with strong documentation and writing skills are

more highly valued

Antidotes

Determine what needs to be documented

Come up with alternative ways to document what is

h

appening

Recognize contributions/skills that everyone brings

Make sure anything written is understandable

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One right way

Once people are introduced to the right way they will adopt it

If they do not adapt/change, then something is wrong with them

Antidotes

Accept that there are many ways to the same goal

Never assume your org knows what’s best for a community

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Paternalism

Decision-making is clear to those in power and unclear to those without it

Those in power think they are capable of making all the decisions

Those without power understand they don’t have it and who does

Antidotes

Make sure everyone know who makes decisions

Include those affected by decisions in decision-making

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Either/Or Thinking

Things are either/or, good/bad, right/wrong, with us/against us

No sense that things can be either/or

Leads to trying to simplify complex things

Creates conflict and increases sense of urgency

Antidotes

Notice when people use either/or language

Notice when people are simplifying complex issues

Slow down and encourage a deeper analysis

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Power Hoarding

Little, if any, value around sharing power

Power seen as limited

Those with power feel threatened when change is suggested

Those in power assume they have the best interests of the org at heart

Antidotes

Develop power sharing and include in value’s statement

Discuss what good leadership looks like

Understand that change is inevitable

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Fear of Open Conflict

Those in power fear expressed conflict and avoid it

When someone raises an issue that causes discomfort, response it to blame the person for raising the issue

Emphasis on being polite

Antidotes

Role play ways to handle conflict

Don’t require those who raise hard issues to raise them in “acceptable” ways

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Individualism

Little experience/comfort with working in team

Believe responsible for handling problems alone

Accountability goes up and down

Desire for recognition and credit

Competiton

more highly

valued

than

cooperationAntidotesInclude teamwork as important org valueMake sure org working toward shared goalsCreate culture where problems are brought to the group

Equality

= Sameness

Equity = Fairness

Equality

= Sameness

Equity = Fairness

Equality

= Sameness

Equity = Fairness

Equality

= Sameness

Equity = Fairness

Equality

= Sameness

Equity = Fairness

Equality

= Sameness

Equity = Fairness

Equality

= Sameness

Equity = Fairness

Equality

= Sameness

Equity = Fairness

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“I’m the Only One”

Connected to individualism

Little or no ability to delegate work to others

Antidotes

Evaluate based on ability to delegate

Evaluate based on ability to work as part of a team

Equality

= Sameness

Equity = Fairness

Equality is about SAMENESS

. It promotes fairness and justice by giving everybody the same thing.

BUT, it can only work

if everyone starts from the same place

. In the picture above, everyone gets the same size box, yet they still don’t all have a view of the playing field. However, equality only works if everyone is the same height.

Equity is about FAIRNESS.

It’s about making sure people get access to the same opportunities.

Sometimes our differences and/or history can create barriers to participation. We must

first ensure EQUITY

– everyone with the same view of the playing field – before we can enjoy equality.

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Progress is Bigger, more

Seen in how we define success

Progress = org which expands or serves more people

Gives no value to the cost

Antidotes

Ask how the actions of the group now will affect the future

Make sure cost/benefit analysis includes all costs

Include process goals in planning

Outside evaluation

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Objectivity

Belief that there is such thing as being neutral

Belief that emotions are inherently destructive, irrational, and shouldn’t play a role in decision-making

Requiring people to think in linear (logical) fashion

Antidotes

Recognize there are different world views that impact how people understand things

Sit with discomfort

Assume all have valid points

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Right to Comfort

Belief that those in power have right to emotional/psychological comfort

Scapegoating those who cause discomfort

Equating individual acts of unfairness against white people with systemic racism that daily impacts people of color

Antidotes

Understand discomfort is at root of all growth/learning

Welcome discomfort

Deepen analysis of racism and oppression

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Perfectionism

Sense of Urgency

Defensiveness

Quantity over Quality

Worship of the Written Word

Only One Right Way

Paternalism

Either/Or Thinking

Power Hoarding

Fear of Open ConflictIndividualismI’m the Only OneProgress is Bigger, MoreObjectivityRight to Comfort

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Case Study: Community Empowerment fund

Founding to 2014

Institutional racism not in vocabulary

Talk about prejudice and privilege

Member base disproportionately Black

Advocates disproportionately White and non-Black POC

Spring 2014

4 staff to REI

Created

a WIPPO (Workshop on Institutional Power, Privilege and Oppression) Much discussion

Slide22

CEF’s Work toward becoming and anti-racist organization

Strategic Planning

2015

Intentional planning with commitment to anti-oppression

Training staff

Determine how best to engage members

Current Status

REI training for all staff and board

Integrated

WIPPO into advocate trainingAnti-racism advocacy

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CEF’s Work toward becoming and anti-racist organization

Plan Going Forward

Training/Education

Read/Reflect/Discuss

Organizational practices

Do no harm

Slide24

Organizational

Anti-racism

Assessment

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Group Discussion

:

-

What

is your organization doing well

?

- Where

does your organization need work?