COURSE 6: Bias in Everyday Society, Policies and Practice

Increased interest in the topic of implicit bias provides an opportunity to open and deepen important conversations in our organizations and communities about equity, belonging, and ultimately justice. These biases are not only at the individual level, but are the underpinnings of societal and structural policies and practices that have been “primed” through our experiences – images and messages we receive every day about who is “normal” or “desirable” and “belongs” and who is “different” or “undesirable” and “not one of us.” These messages are neither neutral nor random. For example, in the United States, whiteness, male, heterosexual, and able bodies are many of the dominant and privileged identities that laws, policies and practices continue to uphold. This intersectional lens impacts the biases we hold, which impacts our beliefs and the decisions we make. This intersectional lens leads to disproportionate benefits in society of who is protected, who receives service and the level of care provided.