Racial Bias and Segregation

Daniel Kelly and Erica Redder - Implicit Racial Bias

Daniel Kelly:
- Philosopher at Purdue University. PhD from Rutgers in 2007.
- Research: Philosophy of mind, cognitive science, moral theory.
Erica Redder:
- PhD from NYU, postdoctoral fellow at Occidental College.
- Specializations: Feminist philosophy, biomedical ethics, philosophy of psychology.

Definition: Negative associations people make with other races, often without awareness or endorsement.
People may hold implicit biases despite sincerely professing tolerant or anti-racist views.
Reported views on race are not a reliable indicator of implicit bias.
Tested using the Implicit Association Test (IAT).

Measures implicit biases by asking subjects to group racial groups with "good" and "bad" terms under timed conditions.
Faster, more accurate performance when grouping "good" items with "white" names may indicate an automatic preference for white people.

Bias in Hiring Practices: Resumes with traditionally black-sounding names receive 50% fewer callbacks.
- Highly qualified white applicants receive 30% more callbacks than less qualified counterparts.
- Little difference in callbacks between highly and less qualified black resumes.
- Occurs even in explicitly equal opportunity employers.
Weapon Bias/Shooter Bias: People shown a black face are more likely to misidentify a harmless object as a gun.
- Law enforcement officers making split-second decisions may mistakenly perceive a person of color as a threat and shoot them.

Question: Are implicit biases morally problematic? (Even without ill intent)
Implicit biases have serious negative consequences leading to harmful and unfair behaviors.
If implicit bias leads to the shooting of an innocent person of color, it is "bad" due to those harms.
Key ethical question: To what extent should someone be held morally blameworthy for actions stemming from implicit biases?
- Difficulty lies in intention; reluctance to blame someone unaware of their biases.
Kelly and Redder suggest that if implicit biases oppose benevolence or justice, there may be grounds for holding someone responsible.

Acknowledge that they exist and change actions accordingly.
- Analogy: Like accounting for optical illusions.
Practical steps to counteract bias:
- Anonymize resumes or grading to remove knowledge of race or gender.
- Grade anonymously to avoid bias related to student participation or attendance.
Moral accountability may lie in how one responds to the existence of implicit associations and changes behavior accordingly.

Philosophy professor at the University of Michigan, PhD from Harvard.
Research: Ethics, moral psychology, political philosophy.
Anderson argues for putting integration back on the public agenda.
- Counterarguments: Some claim current segregation is voluntary.
- Others express disillusionment with integration and defend self-segregation.

Formal Desegregation: Absence of laws permitting segregation (largely achieved in the US).
Spatial Integration: Members of different races living in the same areas.
Formal Social Integration: Full cooperation in institutionally defined social roles (e.g., workplace, military, classrooms), with all races occupying all roles in sufficient numbers.
Informal Social Integration: Cooperation, welcome, trust, and affiliation beyond organizational roles (e.g., friendships, dating, marriage, adoption).
Stages are ranked in order of difficulty.

Harms dignity of those segregated.
Leads to racial aversion, ideas of racial superiority, stigmatization, or fear.
Integration increases respect and readiness to welcome others as equal partners.
Increased integration can help reduce implicit racial bias through familiarity and diverse representation.

Spatial mismatch of residences and jobs leads to high unemployment and commuting costs.
White flight leads to housing depreciation and unwillingness of businesses to open in those neighborhoods.
Social segregation limits networking and economic opportunities, hindering hiring and promotion.

Citizens need to share experiences and concerns and work out common problems.
Gerrymandering segregates individuals, impacting the ability to govern democratically.