4. Des – labor market discrimination

Blatant and subtle discrimination in the labor market or in organizations

Blatant discrimination

• This is when discrimination is obvious and clear

• Someone is treated unfairly

• Fx being denied a job or promotion because of their race, gender or other characteristic

• The unfairness is easy to see and leads to clear consequences

Subtle discrimination

This is less obvious and happens in everyday situations

Harder to spot because it is not direct

Someone might not be openly denied a job but could be ignored for oppurtunities or treated unfairly in small ways

Hard to prove but still causes harm

Ethnic minority professionals’ experiences with subtle discrimination in the workplace

Research question in this article

‘What are the underlying processes of subtle discrimination in the workplace?’

5 key elements that distinguish subtle discrimination

• Openness

  • Its not openly visible or direct

  • Hidden and hard to notice

• Intentionality

  • May not always be done on purpose

  • Could happen unconsciously or without person realizing their impact

• Ease of interpretation

  • Hard to tell of certain actions or comments are discriminatory

  • Can seem unclear or vague

• Pervasiveness

  • Subtle discrimnation happens often in everyday work interactions

• Acceptance in society

  • These behaviours are often seen as normal or acceptable

Disclaimer about the word subtle

• The term subtle discrimination means the actions are hidden or inderect , not obvious

• But even though it seems small or hard to notice the effects on a person can be big

• Can cause serious harm, like stress, exclusion, problems in their career

How do individuals experience subtle discrimination?

The study interviewed 26 second-generation professionals with Turkish or Maghrebi backgrounds to learn how they experience subtle discrimination at work.

 It looked at:

• Belonging: Do they feel included at work?

• Workplace Relationships: How do co-workers, clients, and supervisors treat them?

• Ethnic Background: How does their ethnicity affect their work experiences?

• Sense of Self: How does subtle discrimination impact their confidence and identity?

The researchers didn’t ask directly about discrimination. Instead, they let people share their stories, which revealed examples of subtle discrimination naturally.

Power perspective on subtle discrimination

• It focuses on the bigger picture

• It sees discrimination as coming from society and sytems, not just individual actions

• Looks at how history, politics and social norms create and support discrimination

Traditional understanding of power

• The traditional view of power is when it’s clear and intentional

• With visible conflict where one group or person is openly favored over another

• This is just one way power can work

• Mthere are also more subtle forms of power

Power also operates in more covert or subtle ways

• Power can work in hidden way not through obvious confluct

• Rules favor some groups

  • The system in place benefit certain groups over others, even if its not obvious

• Keeping things the same

  • Power makes the current system seemnormal

  • Hard to challenge or change it

  • Can make other way ssem less acceptable

• Creating a normal standard

  • Power sets what is considered normal

  • Puts people who don’t fit this standard in lower position

Blatant and subtle discrimination and power

• Linked to two different types of power

• Blatant discrimination

  • Obvious and open discrimination, clear example of blatant power

  • Happens when one group directly uses their power to unfairly treat another group

  • Fits with traditional idea of power where there is visible conflict

• Subtle discrimination

  • This is hidden or less obvious discrimination

  • Part of subtle power – works in ways that aren’t as clear

  • Can happen unintentionally and unconsciously

  • Happens all the time unlike blatant discrimination

System of inequality

• Means that unfair treatment happens regularly in everyday life

  • Especially for minority groups

• Small everyday actions that keep power imbalances in place

Micro-inequities

• Subtle discrimination can be seen as micro-inequities

• Small acts of unfairness that happen often and go unnoticed

• Little injustices that are not punished by laws

• Can make it harder for minority groups to feel equal

Context matter - Flanders, Belgium

People are grouped as autochtoon (native Belgians) or allochtoon (people from other countries).

Integration focuses on whether migrants speak the same language and share similar culture or religion, pointing out differences or similarities.

However, discussions about migrants in Belgium often don’t consider their social or economic class

When to identify an incident as subtle discrimination

• Was identified when respondents felt:

  • Upset

  • Uneasy

  • Frustrated

  • Treated unfairly

• These feelings were seen as linked to their ethnic background

• 121 incidents of subtle discrimination from 26 interviews

Important finding of the article

Experiences of subtle discrimination are often unclear and confusin

Making it harder for people to fully understand or explain what happened

Four mechanisms of subtle discrimination

Describe ways that subtle bias and unfair treatment happpen in the workplace

1.Normalization

• The majority group asks about differences but then treats them as if they are wrong or unusual

• Ambiguity: the question might seem friendly but make minority person feel singled out for being different

2.Legitimization of only the individual

• The individuals is praised for being exceptional but this can reinforce stereotypes about their whole ethnic group being differnet

• Ambiguity: compliments are given but set the person apart from others in their ethnic group

3.Legitimization as the other

• Ethnic minorities are accepted in the workplace but only because of their ethnicity and not their skills

• Ambiguity: tthey are welcomed but only seen for their ethnicity nor as cpmplete individual

4.Naturalization

• Co-workers act like they are tolerant but allow racist behavios to happen

• Ambiguity: seem tolerant at first but their actions show that it’s not real, they let bad behaviour continue

Ambiguity?

Ambiguity means something is unclear or has more than one possible interpretation, making it hard to understand the exact meaning or intention. In the context of discrimination, ambiguity happens when actions, words, or behaviors can be seen in both positive and negative ways, leaving room for confusion or mixed feelings.

For example:

• A compliment might seem friendly but could also reinforce stereotypes (e.g., “You’re so articulate for someone from your background.”).

• A question about someone’s ethnicity could be genuine curiosity but might also feel like a way of highlighting them as "different."

This uncertainty can make it hard for the person experiencing it to decide whether to feel included, excluded, or offended. Ambiguity often creates discomfort because the behavior isn't clearly supportive or discriminatory—it falls somewhere in between.

Ambiguity in subtle discrimination

Empowering behaviour

Some actions in the workplace seem positive, such as:

• Giving compliments,

• Asking about someone’s ethnic background,

• Inviting minority employees to join diversity initiatives.

These can appear supportive or inclusive at first.

Disempowering Effect:

But these same actions can also have negative effects:

• Hard to speak up: Because the behavior seems kind, it’s difficult to challenge or criticize.

• Excuses bias: It can hide or justify other discriminatory actions, making them feel acceptable.

Power in subtle discrimination

• Normalization through confession

  • Expecting minorities to explain themselves

  • Asked to share and explain their differences

• Individual legitimization vs. collecte de-legitimization

  • Praising individuals while stereotyping their group

  • Individual may be complimented as exceptional for their success

  • Implies that others from their group are less capable

• Legitimization of ethnic minorities’ presence, not of their uniqueness

  • Recognizing presence, ignoring uniqueness

  • Minority may be welcomed for their ethnicity but not valued for their talent

• Naturalization through tolerance (which masks intolerance)

  • Hiding intolerance behind tolerance

  • Workplaces may seem tolerant but this can mask discrimination

  • False tolerance helps normalize unfair treatment

Societal context in subtle discrimination

• Link between society and workplace

  • Subtle discrimination at work reflects broader societal attitudes about people with migration backgrounds

  • These beliefs shape how people interact in the workplaces

• Focus on Migration Background

  • Society ignores other parts of persons identity

  • Sees them as migrants

• Emphasis on language and culture

  • Conversation about intergration focus on language and culture

  • Can ask cultural wuestions in the workplace

• New awareness of racism

  • Discussion about racism is new so subtle discrimination can be overlooked

Subtle discrimination..

Keeps power imbalances in place by creating hidden obsticles for minority employess

Its hard to challenge becausee it is tied to larger societal norms and structures