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Having an implicit bias as a teacher can affect a student's confidence, work ethic, academics, and socialization.

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Another example is if you have a white and non-white student turn in a test that's exactly the same. Assuming the non-white student cheated would be using implicit bias. This can create tension between students and invalidate a student.

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AN example of how implicit bias can affect a class is if a teacher refuses to pick an English-learning student to read aloud it can make the student feel singled out or lose confidence in themselves.

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The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity

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Often when teachers hold an implicit bias it can make students expect less of themselves and can reduce their goals.

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How do I know if my biases affect my teaching?

Have you ever mumbled, under your breath, "Oh, goodness, here comes Chris" as a response to an "active" student who frequently disrupts the flow of class?

Have you attached certain identifiers to this particular student based on your perception of the "ideal" student? Have you considered where your understanding of the ideal student was conceived? Is it founded in privilege, a dominant narrative and/or white supremacist thinking?

Have you reflected on having built expectations for certain students, whether they are White or of color, male or female, able-bodied or with disabilities?

How are you thinking about your students?

All of these questions consider the biases that ultimately affect your teaching. As teachers, we often believe that we can be "objective" with our students. In fact, many of our teacher education programs emphasize the importance of objectivity in assessment. Although we may try to be neutral, we all have values, beliefs, and predispositions that impact how we relate to others. These assumptions are not necessarily a "bad" thing since they often help us understand unknown situations or try to make sense of what is happening around us. But when our assumptions are manifested as implicit biases that can lead to imposed identities, we often reinforce negative stereotypes and negative school climates without even knowing it (Hanselman, Bruch, Gamoran, & Borman, 2014). In fact, teachers' hidden biases can often lead to a goal reduction or diminished expectations for students of color and from under resourced communities (McKown & Weinstein, 2007). Similarly, teacher bias can lead to differing gendered expectations for girls and boys in STEM (Robinson-Cimpian, Lubienski, Ganley, & Copur-Gencturk, 2014). Understanding hidden associations, assumptions, or biases allows us to better understand our "self" so we can work with "others" towards a mediated identity where positive academic and social identities can be affirmed and nurtured through an asset model for identity construction (Delpit, 1995; Nieto & Bode, 2011).

By analyzing institutional bias based on social difference in classrooms, Chen, Nimmo, & Fraser (2009) offer a framework for teachers to reflect and re-examine their practice. This framework is rooted in teacher self-study. The self-study is broken down into four sections: self-awareness, physical environment, pedagogical environment, and relationship with families and community. By critically analyzing each section, teachers can become more aware of how their preconceived notions and implicit bias can interact with institutional structures to perpetuate bias and inequity. Through self-study, teachers can re-examine practices, programs, and policies, so as to embrace culturally responsive pedagogy and provide more equitably opportunities for their children to learn.

Similarly, Carime Bersh (2011) explores White prospective teachers' understandings of their own cultural identities. This study posits that White teachers must understand their own cultural identity, privilege, and the ways they are inscribed and often perpetuate institutional bias if they are to "deconstruct, reconstruct, and recreate" their own multicultural practice.Below are tools you can use to examine your own biases and how they may affect your teaching.
Do you experience implicit bias?
Challenge yourself to reflect on your own cultural identity and implicit bias. The Implicit Association Test (IAT) is a research-based way of examining one's hidden biases or comfort level about interactions with people of races different from their own. The basic finding of research on this test is that almost everyone is vulnerable to the influences that result in bias or unease in dealing with people of different races and ethnicities.

Explore your hidden bias by taking the IAT. Click on the link above, read the test information, then select "I wish to proceed." You will see tests for a range of differences, including race, disability, religion, sexuality, and so forth. We recommend that you challenge yourself on implicit associations by taking the IAT on "Race" and at least a couple of additional identity categories. After completing the IAT, think about the following questions:

How did the IAT inform your understanding of hidden bias?

To what extent were you surprised or not by your results?

How does understanding your own implicit bias better equip you for respectful engagement with diverse populations?

How can our assumptions about race be wrong?
What happens when these incorrect assumptions influence how we see our students? This belief serves to perpetuate stereotypes and unintentional racism. Race: The Power of an Illusion is PBS series produced by California Newsreel. This series tackles the construct of race and what race means. In deconstructing race as a social construct and discursive modifier, California Newsreel offers a number of interactive activities to raise awareness and reflexivity in the same vein as the Implicit Association Test. Among these is the Sorting People activity where you are asked to sort people into racial categories based on your response to individual pictures.

Akin to the PBS series, Understanding Race, a project of the American Anthropological Association (AAA), deconstructs the power of race as socially constructed. Similar to the sorting activity above, the AAA offers an activity where you have to determine Who is White? (You can get there by taking the link for Lived Experience.)

Go ahead! See if you can tell who is White just based on a picture. Could you determine someone's race by simply looking at the person?

After completing "Sorting People" and "Who is White?" think about the following questions:

To what extent were my assumptions about individuals' racial categories "accurate"?

How can my assumptions influence how I see and interact with people in negative ways?

How can I be more aware of my implicit bias??

What about our teaching?
If these implicit associations influence how we see people in general, then how do they influence our interactions with students? How do they influence our expectations for students? Consider the following questions posed by Teaching Tolerance (2015):

What influences teachers' perceptions of student potential?

How do educators' perception of this potential influence their expectations and student performance?

What factors do you consider - consciously or not - when you first encounter a student?

References
Carime Bersh, L. (2009). Deconstructing Whiteness: Uncovering prospective teachers' understandings of their culture-A Latina professor's perspective. Multicultural Perspectives 11(2), 107-112.

Chen, D. W., Nimmo, J., & Fraser, H. (2009). Becoming a culturally responsive early childhood educator: A tool to support reflection by teachers embarking on the anti-bias journey. Multicultural Perspectives 11(2), 101-106.

Delpit, L. (2006). Other people's children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. New York: The New Press.

Hanselman, P., Bruch, S. K., Gamoran, A., & Borman, G. D. (2014). Threat in Context: School Moderation of the Impact of Social Identity Threat on Racial/Ethnic Achievement Gaps. Sociology Of Education 87(2), 106-124.

Nieto, S & Bode, P. (2013). Affirming diversity: The sociopoltical context of multicultural education. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Robinson-Cimpian, J. P., Lubienski, S. T., Ganley, C. M., & Copur-Gencturk, Y. (2014). Teachers' perceptions of students' mathematics proficiency may exacerbate early gender gaps in achievement. Developmental Psychology 50(4), 1262-1281.

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How do I know if my biases affect my teaching? - NAME Learn

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Have you ever mumbled, under your breath, "Oh, goodness, here comes Chris" as a response to an "active" student who frequently disrupts the flow of class? Have you attached certain identifiers to this particular student based on your perception of the "ideal" student? Have you considered where your understanding of the ideal student was conceived?

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When teachers don't work to fix their implicit bias it can show in the classroom. One way is teachers may pick favorites or separate students based on what they think a student's learning ability is.

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Another aspect of frameworks for cultural competence is your knowledge. Doing research and listening to other people's stories is key to growing and becoming culturally competent.

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This article speaks a lot about diversity. I think when being culturally competent its important to not only understand another struggle but to also realize they aren't different from you. Diversity is about being inclusive and to be inclusive you need to understand that we're all just people.

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Darrell P. Wheeler, PhD, ACSW, MPH NASW
President

Angelo McClain, PhD, LICSW NASW
Chief Executive Officer

National Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity (NCORED) 2014-2016

Carol E. Bonner, EdD, MSW, MBA (Chair)
Karen Bullock, PhD, LCSW
Yvette Colón, PhD, ACSW, LMSW
Rowena Fong, EdD
Vivian Jackson, PhD, LICSW
Adelaida Montemayor, LCSW, CSSWS
Chathapuram S. Ramanthan, PhD
Nelrene Yellow Bird, LCSW, LAC

National Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity 2002-2006 (Indicators)

Sally Alonozo Bell, PhD, LCSW
Barbara A. Candales, PhD, LCSW, MPH
Iraida V. Carrion, MSW
Betty Garcia, PhD, MSW, LCSW
Mary Hall, PhD, ACSW, LICSW
Vivian H. Jackson, ACSW, LICSW
Claudia Long, PhD, MSW
Adelaida Montemayor, LMSW-ACP
Irene Moreda, DSW
Clara Simmons, ACSW, DCSW
Saundra H. Starks, EdD, ACSW, LCSW
Rita Takahashi, PhD, MSW
Lann Thompson, MA, MSSW, EdD
Halaevalu F. Vakalahi, PhD
Susan Yi-Millette, ABD, MSW, EdD, ACSW, LCSW

National Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity 1999-2001 (Standards)

Ada E. Deer, ACSW
Lina Fong, PhD, ACSW, LCSW
Inderjit K. Jaipaul, DSW, ACSW
Emma Montero, MSW
Irene Moreda, DSW
Carmen Ortiz Hendricks, DCSW, ACSW
Robert D. Showers, BSW
Clara Simmons, ACSW, DCSW
Saundra H. Starks, EdD, ACSW, LCSW
Halaevalu F. Vakalahi, PhD
Nelrene Yellow Bird, MSW

NASW Staff

Heidi McIntosh, MSW
Rita A. Webb, MSW

©2015 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved.

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Standards and Indicators for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice

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These standards reinforce the concept of "culture" as being inclusive beyond race and ethnicity; inclusive of, but not limited to, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, andreligious identity or spirituality.

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In this article, there's an infographic that explains how to get students to be culturally competent. Encouraging students to accept diversity and treat others equally is a crucial job as a teacher.

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The U.S. Department of Education's (ED) International Strategy lays out its commitment to prepare all U.S. students to succeed globally through international education and engagement. Today, more than ever, our students need to be equipped with the critical thinking, communications, socio-emotional and language skills to work collaboratively with their counterparts in the United States and all over the world. Understanding and appreciating other parts of the world, different religions, cultures, and points of view are essential elements of global and cultural competence.
The Framework
ED's Framework for Developing Global and Cultural Competencies to Advance Equity, Excellence and Economic Competitiveness is the product of a working group with representatives from across ED and discussions with the education community. This work builds on existing research and provides a framework for the development of global and cultural competencies beginning in early childhood through postsecondary education and bases it on a foundation of discipline-specific knowledge. It is designed as a guide to consider how these competencies are developed over time and at various stages of education.

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The U.S. Department of Education's (ED) International Strategy lays out its commitment to prepare all U.S. students to succeed globally through international education and engagement. Today, more than ever, our students need to be equipped with the critical thinking, communications, socio-emotional and language skills to work collaboratively with their counterparts in the United States and all over the world.

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A main aspect of becoming culturally competent is making yourself uncomfortable. Listening and accepting the difficult experiences that people of different cultures experience and knowing your privileges.

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The framework consists of valuing diversity, conducting self-assessments, managing differences, acquiring cultural knowledge, and adapting to diversity. These components are necessary because they make you work on yourself rather than having you expect the world to morph to your ideas.

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Conceptual Frameworks / Models, Guiding Values and Principles

The NCCC embraces a conceptual framework and model for achieving cultural and linguistic competence based on the work of Cross et al. (1989). The NCCC uses this framework and model to underpin all activities.

Cultural Competence: Definition & Conceptual Framework
Cultural competence requires that organizations:

have a defined set of values and principles, and demonstrate behaviors, attitudes, policies and structures that enable them to work effectively cross-culturally.

have the capacity to (1) value diversity, (2) conduct self-assessment, (3) manage the dynamics of difference, (4) acquire and institutionalize cultural knowledge and (5) adapt to diversity and the cultural contexts of the communities they serve.

incorporate the above in all aspects of policy making, administration, practice, service delivery and systematically involve key constituency groups who have lived experiences and the communities in which they live.

Cultural competence is a developmental process that evolves over an extended period. Both individuals and organizations are at various levels of awareness, knowledge and skills along the cultural competence continuum. (adapted from Cross et al., 1989)

Culturally Competent Guiding Values & Principles

Organizational

Systems and organizations must sanction, and in some cases mandate the incorporation of cultural knowledge into policy making, infrastructure and practice.*

Cultural competence embraces the principles of equal access and non-discriminatory practices in service delivery.*

Practice & Service Design

Cultural competence is achieved by identifying and understanding the needs and help-seeking behaviors of individuals and families.*

Culturally competent organizations design and implement services that are tailored or matched to the unique needs of individuals, children, families, organizations and communities served.*

Practice is driven in service delivery systems by client preferred choices, not by culturally blind or culturally free interventions.*

Culturally competent organizations have a service delivery model that recognizes mental health as an integral and inseparable aspect of primary health care.

Community Engagement

Cultural competence extends the concept of self-determination to the community.*

Cultural competence involves working in conjunction with natural, informal support and helping networks within culturally diverse communities (e.g. neighborhood, civic and advocacy associations; local/neighborhood merchants and alliance groups; ethnic, social, and religious organizations; and spiritual leaders and healers).*

Communities determine their own needs.**

Community members are full partners in decision making.**

Communities should economically benefit from collaboration.**

Community engagement should result in the reciprocal transfer of knowledge and skills among all collaborators and partners.**

Individuals & Families

Family is defined differently by different cultures.***

Family as defined by each culture is usually the primary system of support and preferred intervention.***

Individuals/families are the ultimate decision makers for supports and services for themselves and/or their children.***

Linguistic Competence: Definition

The capacity of an organization and its personnel to communicate effectively, and convey information in a manner that is easily understood by diverse groups including persons of limited English proficiency, those who have low literacy skills or are not literate, individuals with disabilities, and those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Linguistic competence requires organizational and provider capacity to respond effectively to the health and mental health literacy needs of populations served. The organization must have policy, structures, practices, procedures, and dedicated resources to support this capacity.

Goode & Jones (modified 2009). National Center for Cultural Competence, Georgetown University Center for Child & Human Development.

Guiding Values and Principles for Language Access

Services and supports are delivered in the preferred language and/or mode of delivery of the population served.

Written materials are translated, adapted, and/or provided in alternative formats based on the needs and preferences of the populations served.

Interpretation and translation services comply with all relevant Federal, state, and local mandates governing language access.

Consumers are engaged in evaluation of language access and other communication services to ensure for quality and satisfaction.

Footnotes

* Adapted from Cross, T. et al, 1989
** "Other Guiding Values and Principles for Community Engagement" and "Family & Consumers" are excerpts from the work of Taylor, T., & Brown, M., 1997, Georgetown University Child Development Center, (GUCDC) University Affiliated Program, and
*** "Promoting Cultural Diversity and Cultural Competency- Self Assessment Checklist for Personnel Providing Services and Supports to Children with Disabilities & Special Health Care Needs Goode, T., 2002, NCCC, GUCDC.
Find Resources and Tools under checklists that reflect these values and principles in policy and practice.

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The NCCC embraces a conceptual framework and model for achieving cultural and linguistic competence based on the work of Cross et al. (1989). The NCCC uses this framework and model to underpin all activities. Cultural competence requires that organizations: have a defined set of values and principles, and demonstrate behaviors, attitudes, policies and structures that enable them to work effectively cross-culturally.

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Battling implicit bias is important because treating people equally is the job of a teacher. This infographic can give you the tools to do just that.

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How Individuals Can Challenge Implicit Bias (Infographic)

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Every person has the opportunity to recognize and tackle the subtle ways that implicit bias shapes everyday interactions as well as decision-making.

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This article explains that to become culturally competent you need to make yourself learn about other cultures and befriend people with diverse backgrounds. I find this information helpful because I knew going into teaching it's important to understand diverse cultures to my best ability to be inclusive.

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As a former Asian-American studies minor with an interest in diversity and a minority-group member himself, Ali M. Mattu thought that he was ready to tackle just about any cultural issue when he began doctoral studies in clinical psychology at the Catholic University of America five years ago. As it turned out, the future diversity chair for APAGS was flummoxed by one of his first clients.

"He was going on and on about confession, using a lot of Catholic lingo that I'm not familiar with," says Mattu, now chair-elect of APAGS. "Then he looked at me and asked point blank, 'Have you been to confession here?'" Instead of owning up to not being Catholic, Mattu sidestepped the question and missed an opportunity to explore a topic that meant so much to his client.

Since then, Mattu has taken an intensive course on cultural issues in clinical psychology, which included lectures, self-reflection and community service. But while APA accreditation requires programs to cover cultural competence, and many states require such training for licensure, not all psychology programs offer the thorough grounding Mattu received.

"Traditional models of training don't focus very much on learning how to adapt one's skills to different populations," says Janet E. Helms, PhD, director of the Institute for the Study and Promotion of Race and Culture at Boston College. "People still have a tendency to make cultural competence the topic they cover at the end of the semester, so they really don't cover it very well."

That won't do, says Helms, who wants cultural competence integrated into every aspect of graduate training. "We're becoming an increasingly culturally complex country," she says, adding that training in cultural competence should include race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, gender, disability status, and other demographic characteristics.

Fortunately, say Helms and other experts, there are plenty of ways to get that training and experience on your own:

Learn about yourself. Get started by exploring your own historical roots, beliefs and values, says Robert C. Weigl, PhD, a psychologist at the Franklin Center in Alexandria, Va., who described a protocol for such self-reflection in a 2009 paper in the International Journal of Intercultural Relations (Vol. 33, No. 4). The eight-step process includes such exercises as describing your ancestors and their experiences, thinking about how your family functions as a group, and characterizing your most representative style of thought as emotional or rational, "me-centered" or "we-centered," and the like.

Self-assessment makes participants realize the pervasive role culture plays in their lives, says Weigl. It also makes people aware of their own biases while sparking open-minded curiosity about other cultures. Plus, it's fun, he says, adding that students are "sometimes swept away by healthy narcissism" as they explore their own backgrounds.

Learn about different cultures. If you know you're going to be researching or providing therapy to people with unfamiliar backgrounds, seek cultural insight through journal articles and academic books, says Mattu. But don't stop there. "There's a richness to memoirs, for example, that scientific journal articles just cannot capture," he says. He also recommends novels such as "The God of Small Things" - an examination of India's caste system - and such documentaries as "Divided We Fall," about post-9-11 hate crimes against South Asians.

However, one of the best ways to immerse yourself in another culture's worldview is to learn a second language, says private practitioner Pamela A. Hays, PhD, of Soldotna, Alaska, and author of "Addressing Cultural Complexities in Practice: Assessment, Diagnosis, and Therapy" (APA, 2008). "One of the most mind-expanding experiences is to learn a word or concept that doesn't exist in your own language," she says. "Plus, learning a language means you're more able to reach out and connect with people who speak that language."

Interact with diverse groups. Arranging a research project, practicum experience or internship where you work with people from a culture that's unfamiliar to you is a great way to enhance your cultural competence. Depending on the kinds of cultural experiences you're seeking, you may want to volunteer at community centers, religious institutions or soup kitchens, says Mattu. Take a friend or two with you, he recommends, and spend some time afterward discussing how the experience may have changed your views.

It's also important to supplement work and volunteer experience with nonclinical social interactions, recommends Hays. Instead of solely interacting with members of diverse groups who are seeking help, get a fuller picture by interacting with them as peers at parties, religious services and cultural events. "Put yourself in social situations where you're the only one of your cultural group," she recommends.

Attend diversity-focused conferences. Get formal training on diversity-related research and practice issues, learn about the latest research, and meet potential collaborators at APA's Annual Convention, as well as conferences that are focused specifically on diversity issues. Check APA's online events calendar for news about upcoming meetings. One such conference, the biennial National Multicultural Conference and Summit, will take place Jan. 27-28 in Seattle. "We'll be exploring how science can be more sensitive to diversity, as well as how science can have an impact on diverse communities that have been marginalized in the past," says Francisco J. Sánchez, PhD, the summit's lead coordinator and a psychology research fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine.

Interested students who are short on cash can often volunteer at conferences in exchange for reduced fees, or apply for a travel grant. Check out APA's searchable database of scholarships, grants and awards.

Lobby your department. If your program isn't giving you the training you need, push the faculty to do better, says Helms. Whether you plan to send the departmental chair a formal letter with concrete suggestions and complaints or handle the matter more informally, be sure to gather allies - students from within and outside your department - to help you make your case. That way, says Helms, "the program gets the message that this is something important to students."

And remember: These steps are just the beginning, says Hays.

"Cultural competence is a lifelong project," she says, adding that competence with one group doesn't mean you're competent with another. "You have to keep finding ways to expand your learning."

Rebecca A. Clay is a writer in Washington, D.C.

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As a former Asian-American studies minor with an interest in diversity and a minority-group member himself, Ali M. Mattu thought that he was ready to tackle just about any cultural issue when he began doctoral studies in clinical psychology at the Catholic University of America five years ago.

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I find that an implicit bias I hold is that boys are tougher than girls and girls are smarter than boys. After doing some digging I found that it started because my mom taught me this. This article helped to give me tips to identify that bias.

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We all have biases - unsupported assumptions we make about people or groups. Implicit bias, also commonly known as unconscious bias, refers to the various social stereotypes and judgments that people unknowingly assign to others based on a variety of factors, such as their age, socioeconomic status, weight, gender, race, or sexual orientation. And while these biases aren't always negative, they're shaped by a survival instinct that causes people to associate with people they perceive to be similar to them, because they're deemed to be "safe."

Examples of unconscious biases are present throughout our personal and professional lives. In Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell notes that in the general population, roughly 3.9% of adult men are 6 foot, 2 inches or taller. Yet among a random sampling of CEOs, he found that nearly a third, or roughly 33.3%, fell into this group.

According to Gladwell, this could be linked to an unconscious belief that height correlates with success. This hypothesis is further underscored by a 2020 Chinese study that found that each centimeter in height above average correlated with a 10% to 13% increase in annual earnings.

Everyone holds implicit beliefs about various social groups, and these biases can have a negative impact in our social, study, and work environments. Implicit biases are harmful because they influence the way we perceive and interact with others - and can lead us to depersonalize people from different groups based on perceived characteristics. Learning to identify and overcome them is an important step toward overcoming prejudice and social and racial stereotypes.

What Is Implicit Bias?

Whereas explicit biases are those that people express openly (e.g., arguing that mothers of young children shouldn't hold management positions), implicit biases often lie outside of our conscious awareness.

For example, if a manager assigns a tech-heavy task to a young employee instead of an older one based on the unspoken assumption that younger staff members are better with technology, implicit bias is at play. Unconscious bias can also occur in the classroom; for example, students may marginalize non-native English speakers when choosing work groups, with the unconscious assumption that they may not perform as well as native English-speaking peers.

The insidious nature of bias lies in its unconscious nature, as our implicit biases often contradict the values that we aspire to. And when people aren't even aware that they're doing something, it can be difficult to correct.

Types of Implicit Bias

The first step toward addressing implicit biases involves learning to recognize them. Among the various implicit biases prevalent throughout society are some such as race and ethnicity bias, age bias, gender bias, LGBTQIA+ community bias, and ability bias.

Race and Ethnicity Bias

Race and ethnicity bias occurs when people assume certain characteristics about someone based on their race or ethnicity, such as assuming that all Asian students are good at math or that all Hispanic individuals are English-language learners, and then take actions that reinforce those biases - unconsciously overlooking a Hispanic employee for a task that requires strong English communication skills, for example.

Age bias occurs when people make assumptions about others based on their age, such as when a hiring manager looking for a social media-savvy applicant rejects a resume because the graduation date tips off that the applicant is middle-aged, unconsciously assuming that the candidate wouldn't be adept at social media management.

Gender Bias

Gender bias occurs when people assume one gender is better suited for a particular job - such as welding or babysitting - regardless of an applicant's experience level.

LGBTQIA+ Community Bias

Assuming that lesbians can't relate to men, and so reflexively declining to pair them with male teammates; assigning gay men to workplace tasks involving design without thinking of the reasons behind their choice; and unconsciously overlooking bisexuals for leadership positions based on an incorrect assumption that they "can't make up their minds" are examples of LGBTQIA+ community bias. LGBTQIA+ community bias is also prevalent in the healthcare system. For example, when a nurse practitioner asks a female-presenting woman if she has a boyfriend when discussing her sexual history, implicit bias is at play.

Ability Bias

Ability bias is prevalent throughout society. Examples include hiring managers who are less likely to select a candidate with a disability because they unconsciously assume they'll be more likely to take sick leave, and individuals who assume that all people who struggle with mental illness are prone to violent or dangerous behavior and so, without knowing they're doing so, restrict them from certain roles.

Other Types of Bias

Implicit bias can take many other forms, such as:

Overcoming Implicit Bias

People can use several different strategies to overcome and address implicit biases, although this is an area that no one can ever fully master. Examples include striving to identify and understand your implicit biases, proactively becoming more inclusive, and spending time with people who are different from you.

Identify and Evaluate Your Own Biases

The first step toward overcoming your implicit biases is to identify them. Reflect on your biases and be proactive in identifying the negative stereotypes you have about others. One way is to take one of Project Implicit's Implicit Association Tests, which measure topics such as race, gender, weight, and religion.

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) discusses eight tactics that can be used to reduce implicit biases, using the acronym IMPLICIT:

Be Aware and Proactive in Being More Inclusive

Once you've identified your personal biases, you can take proactive steps to be more inclusive. For one, check your media bias: Do you find that the blogs you follow, the shows you stream, or the social media accounts you "like" are all produced by people quite similar to you? That kind of affinity is natural, but it also reinforces unconscious biases. Seek out media sources aimed at different groups. You'll hear challenging opinions and learn how others experience the world.

In the classroom and the workplace, practice intentional inclusion. When asked to form a study or work group, pass over your friends to choose partners from different backgrounds.

Spend Time with People Who Are Different from You

Increasing your contact with different groups can help undermine your subconscious stereotypes.

Societal forces tend to keep us separate from people of different backgrounds and socioeconomic classes. Break out of your usual routine: Join a club sports team or library book group; volunteer with a nonprofit in a different neighborhood; take part in different cultural celebrations (e.g., National Puerto Rican Day, Juneteenth, or Nowruz, the Iranian New Year).
This approach is backed by science: Psychological theory suggests that individuals can reduce their prejudices by interacting with people from other races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.

Be Proactive and Take Steps Forward

While implicit bias affects the workplace, school, and social situations, you can work to avoid it through awareness and conscious decision-making. Taking inventory of the biases you have and laying out strategies to overcome them can help lead to a more equitable society for all.
Recommended Reading 7 Tips for Achieving Self-Empowerment Time Management for Online Students Job Search Tips: Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills Sources American Association of Family Physicians, "Eight Tactics to Identify and Reduce Your Implicit Biases"
BuiltIn, "16 Unconscious Bias Examples and How to Avoid Them in the Workplace "
Catalyst, "11 Harmful Types of Unconscious Bias and How to Interrupt Them" CIPHR, "What Is Unconscious Bias in the Workplace, and How Can We Tackle It?" CNN, "Black Men Arrested at Philadelphia Starbucks Reach Agreements" EnvatoTuts+, "What Is Unconscious Bias? + Top Strategies to Help Avoid It" Everfi, "How Inclusion in the Workplace Helps Fight Implicit Bias" Forbes, "Unconscious Bias: How It Affects Us More Than We Know" Multnomah County, Equity and Empowerment Lens ONGIG, "10 Examples of Awesome Inclusion Statements" PLOS ONE, "What Is Creating the Height Premium? New Evidence from a Mendelian Randomization Analysis in China" Profiles in Diversity Journal, "Overcoming Unconscious Bias Within Organizations" Project Implicit, Take a TestExternal link: Simply Psychology, "Implicit or Unconscious Bias" ThoughtCo. "What Is the Contact Hypothesis in Psychology?" VeryWellMind, "How Does Implicit Bias Influence Behavior?" Vox, "Companies Like Starbucks Love Anti-Bias Training. But It Doesn't Work and May Backfire"

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How to Identify and Overcome Your Implicit Bias

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Addressing implicit bias is key to achieving a more equitable society. Read more about implicit bias and its effects in the classroom and the workplace.

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This article give multiple definitions as to what cultural competence is and many different definitions. One is, "Cultural competence is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency or among professionals and enable that system, agency or those professions to work effectively in cross-cultural situations."

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NCCC: Curricula Enhancement Module Series

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This short video explains what Implicit bias is and how it's formed. It explains that implicit bias is a certain unconscious opinion we hold about a person or group of people.

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A culture is someone's beliefs, language, experience, values, etc. It is handed down through generations and can morph a child. This can affect students positively and negatively. In a class, they can share their culture and be proud but those who don't understand can ridicule them.

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"Children who have experienced family change tend to have poorer cognitive and behavioral outcomes than those from intact families." These scenarios can create abandonment and trust issues. These can be shown in a lack of social interaction or work ethic in school.

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Over the last 40 years, rates of divorce and nonmarital childbearing in the United States have risen dramatically. Most children in the United States will experience one or more changes in family structure during their childhood, for example, from a two-biological-parent family into a single-parent or stepparent family. Children who have experienced family change tend to have poorer cognitive and behavioral outcomes than those from intact families. Public policy attempts to reduce family change or ameliorate its expected effects take three broad approaches: (1) promoting marriage; (2) promoting father involvement; and (3) reducing economic strain among single-parent families. These policies assume that the relationship between family change and child development is as strong-or stronger-in poor or near-poor families as in families with higher incomes. With their substantially higher rates of family instability, low-income families are the targets of many of these policies. The study discussed in this article tests this assumption by estimating how changes in family structure are related to changes in children's behavior, for low-, moderate-, and high-income households.

Categories
Economic Support, Family & Partnering, Family Structure, Financial Security

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Family structure and children’s behavior

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This video explains how a child's low or high socioeconomic status can affect their health, education, emotions, behaviors, and future success.

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How Socioeconomic Status Impacts Early Childhood Development

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"The findings suggest that parental religiosity is a mixed blessing that produces significant gains in social psychological development among third-graders while potentially undermining academic performance, particularly in math and science."

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UTSA sociologists study the impact religion has on child development

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This video shows how gender stereotypes effect and form childeren's gender identity and perspective.