Description
Research demonstrates that many people who profess to be committed to egalitarianismnevertheless harbour “implicit biases”: associations between social groups and stereotypical characteristics, which can be activated to drive unintentional discriminatory behaviour.
Implicit bias has attracted much philosophical interest, with a range of theorists probing both the metaphysics and the ethics of these cognitions. For instance, are implicit biases beliefs or some other kind of state? Does our propensity for implicit bias indicate a fundamentally faulty aspect of our cognition, or might it sometimes be useful? Are we morally responsible for implicitly biased actions? I’ll give an overview of how these debates have unfolded over recent years, and where current research is headed.
Alongside this important conceptual enquiry, we’ll also discuss a number of practical steps
we can take: How can I discover my own implicit biases? Can I reduce these biases in myself and others? What are the implications of implicit bias in the university setting, and what can we do about it? And how best can we communicate the findings and practical steps to reduce these biases to those who have not come across them before?
For those who wish to learn more prior to the talk, here is a selection of reading:
(This is optional – the talk will not propose any prior knowledge)
Dr Sophie Stammers, Research Fellow, project PERFECT projectperfect.eu
Wednesday 1 March 2017, 2-3.30
G.2, Cotham, House
Research demonstrates that many people who profess to be committed to egalitarianism
nevertheless harbour “implicit biases”: associations between social groups and stereotypical characteristics, which can be activated to drive unintentional discriminatory behaviour.
Implicit bias has attracted much philosophical interest, with a range of theorists probing both the metaphysics and the ethics of these cognitions. For instance, are implicit biases beliefs or some other kind of state? Does our propensity for implicit bias indicate a fundamentally faulty aspect of our cognition, or might it sometimes be useful? Are we morally responsible for implicitly biased actions? I’ll give an overview of how these debates have unfolded over recent years, and where current research is headed.
Alongside this important conceptual enquiry, we’ll also discuss a number of practical steps
we can take: How can I discover my own implicit biases? Can I reduce these biases in myself and others? What are the implications of implicit bias in the university setting, and what can we do about it? And how best can we communicate the findings and practical steps to reduce these biases to those who have not come across them before?
| Period | 1 Mar 2017 |
|---|---|
| Event title | University of Bristol Philosophy Society (one off invited talk) |
| Event type | Other |
| Location | United KingdomShow on map |