Every man has reminiscences which he would not tell

to everyone but only his friends. He has other matters

in his mind which he would not reveal even to his

friends, but only to himself, and that in secret. But

there are other things which as man is afraid to tell

even to himself, and every decent man has a number

of such things stored away in his mind.

--Fyodor Dostovyevsky

Implicit Bias, Social Work Ethics, and Better Schools

KELLY DAHL, LMSW - <11.8.18> - <MASSW State conference>

Kelly Dahl, LMSW

AB Elementary Education, University of Michigan

Master of Social Work, University of Michigan

44 Year Old White Woman

Wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend

Social Worker, ally, advocate

A flawed person with biases

Why did I start asking these questions?

What can you expect from this talk?

1. A better understanding of implicit bias.2. Statistics related to education in Michigan.3. A review of our Social Work Ethics.4. What we can do.

ACTIVITY

Who do you admire and love?

We can create a positive implicit bias.

What is implicit bias?

01

Implicit Bias

Also known as implicit social cognition, implicit bias refers to the attitudes or

stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an

unconscious manner. These biases, which encompass both favorable and

unfavorable assessments, are activated involuntarily and without an individual’s

awareness or intentional control. Residing deep in the subconscious, these

biases are different from known biases that individuals may choose to conceal

for the purposes of social and/or political correctness. Rather, implicit biases

are not accessible through introspection. -- From the Kirwan Institute

Implicit Bias is

01 02 03

Not conscious

Not impactedby education level

Not only directed towards differences

Project Implicit

Project Implicit is a non-profit organization and international collaboration

between researchers who are interested in implicit social cognition - thoughts

and feelings outside of conscious awareness and control. The goal of the

organization is to educate the public about hidden biases and to provide a

“virtual laboratory” for collecting data on the Internet.

-- www.projectimplicit.net --

ACTIVITY

What phrases do you hear in your schools that show implicit or explicit bias?

What do you say in response?

What do you wish you could say?

What does this mean for Michigan Schools?

02

One of Every Three Michigan Students Are Children of Color (2017-2018)

Michigan Teachers Are Not as Diverse as Their Students (2017-2018)

90% of Teachers are White

80% of Administrators are White

Percentage of MI Students Who Are Economically Disadvantaged (2017-2018)

8 out of 10 African American students live in families with low incomes or other major risk factors

3 out of 4 Latinx students

2018 M-Step Results - 3rd Grade ELA Proficient

44% of All Students

38% of Native American Students

64% of Asian Students

19% of African American Students

33% of Hispanic Students

44% Two or More Races

52% of White Students

activity

How do these statistics make you feel?

How do you make sense of these statistics?

Do you think that there is anything the students are doing that contributes to these statistics? Families are doing? Teachers are doing? Administrators are doing?

Discussion

Does this study change your perspective?Are you familiar with your school’s data?

Social Work Code of Ethics

03

service

Value Service

Ethical Principle Social workers' primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Value Social Justice

Ethical Principle Social workers challenge social injustice.

DIGNITY AND WORTH OF THE PERSON

Value Dignity and worth of the person

Ethical Principle Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person.

IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

Value Importance of human relationships

Ethical Principle Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships.

Integrity

Value Integrity

Ethical Principle Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner.

Competence

Value Competence

Ethical Principle Social workers practice within their areas of competence and develop and enhance their professional expertise.

Activity

What would you say/do? With student? Teacher? Parent? administration?Come up with a planSupport your plan with our Social Work Ethics

ServiceSocial JusticeDignity and worth of the personImportance of human relationshipsIntegrityCompetence

Social Work Code of Ethics

Discussion

How feasible are these plans?

What can we do to change implicit bias

04

What does the research tell us?

Positive images make a difference

Successful Businessman Charles Manson

Positive role models make a bigger difference

President Obama Neil Degrasse Tyson

Direct experience with people of color in positions of power and influence.

Cornel West Thylias Moss

Putting the research into practice.

1. Increase Awareness

Implicit biases become a problem when we’re not aware of

their impact on other people. And if we’re part of a majority

group with more social, economic, or political power than a

minority one, then accumulated unconscious bias can be

extremely destructive, limiting the life opportunities and

hurting the well-being of the minority group.

1. Increase Awareness

When we realize we are biased, we can pause and question if a decision is being affected by our bias.

2. Increase Empathy

The easiest way to increase empathy is to strengthen your relationships

01 02 03

Askquestions

Show interest and acceptance

Listen without judgement

3. Develop Friendships

...with people who are different than you.

Differences including:

race, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs, socioeconomic status, education level, gender, ethnicity

...and talk about the differences!

4. Practice Mindfulness and Compassion

Mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.

--Jon Kabat-Zinn

4. Practice Mindfulness and Compassion

10% Happier Podcast and App

Grand Rapids Center for Mindfulness

Insight Timer

Headspace

Calm

5. Self Care

Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue are real

Simple self care is the most important

Sleep

Nutrition

Exercise

Spirituality

Family & Friendships

ClosingThoughts

We need to be leaders in our schools. We need to do work that upholds our social work ethics. We need to help all students achieve success, because they are our future leaders.

We also need to focus on strengths. This can increase our positive regard for all students, and for all people.

Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we are all in this together.

--Brené Brown

Thank you.KELLY DAHL, LMSW - <11.8.18> - <massw state conference>

SourcesBanaji, Mahzarin R., & Greenwald, Anthony G. (2016). Blind Spot; Hidden Biases of Good People. New York: Bantam Books.

Brown, Austin Channing. (2018). I’m Still Here; Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness. New York: Penguin Random House LLC.

Einhorn, Erin. (2018, October 9). Michigan students of color more likely to struggle, less likely to have teachers who look like them. Retrieved from http://www.chalkbeat.org.

Oluo, Ijeoma. (2018). So You Want to Talk About Race. New York: Seal Press.

Silverthorn, Michelle Sharpe. (2018, June 11). ‘Implicit Bias’: The problem and how to interrupt it. Plus, the beads test. Retrieved from http://www.chicagotribune.com.

Sorenson, Pat. (2018, October 2). Race, place and policy matter in education. Retrieved from http://www.mlpp.org.

Sources continuedSteele, Claude M. (2010). Whistling Vivaldi; How stereotypes affect us and what we can do. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

Turner, Cory. (2016, September 28). Bias Isn’t Just a Police Problem, It’s a Preschool Problem. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org.

http://datacenter.kidscount.org/MI

http://www.mischooldata.org

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/brief/212727/bryan-stevenson

http://www.projectimplicit.org

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucEAcIMkS0c