New Day, Same Story
Agarwal’s book provides a comprehensive and insightful exploration of the concept of unconscious bias and its impact on individuals and society. Drawing on insights from neuroscience, psychology, and sociology, Agarwal offers a nuanced analysis of how unconscious bias manifests in various domains, including race, gender, age, and social class.
The book is divided into two main parts. The first part provides an overview of unconscious bias, including its origins, effects, and manifestations in various domains. Agarwal’s overview of unconscious bias draws on research from multiple fields, including psychology, neuroscience, and sociology, providing a rich and nuanced understanding of this complex concept.
One of the strengths of Agarwal’s analysis is her focus on the role of socialization and cultural conditioning in shaping unconscious bias. Agarwal argues that individuals are not born with unconscious biases but develop them through exposure to social and cultural norms and stereotypes. She provides a great example in the book of a gentleman by the name of Staples “Staples noticed that white passers-by were often uneasy when he went on his night-time strolls. They cluthched their purses, avoided making eye contact, and carefully altered their paths to eliminate potential contact with a black man wandering alone at night. Staples then began whitling Vivaldi, to convey a signal that he was educated and nonviolent. Within moments, there was a drastic change in the expressions and body language of others. They did not feel threatened any longer. They did not perceive Staples as just a black man.[1]”
I have had the same experience as Staples many times. In my circle and in the circle of many black and brown people, it is called code-switching. We talk, walk, or even sound differently to convey that we are not a threat. Is this something we should have do? I’m not sure, but it is something that I have been conditioned to do. This is common in predominantly white neighborhoods or areas.
Author Jennifer Eberhardt in her book Biased speaks about how blacks are perceived especially within a neighborhood. “More than half of whites say they would not move to an area that is more than 30 percent black, because they believe that the housing stock would not be well maintained and crime would be high. In fact, according to the studies by sociologists Lincoln Quillian and Devah Pager, the more black there are in a community, the higher people imagine the crime rate to be – regardless of whether statistics bear that out. That correlates with fear and with bias[2].”
Agarwal offers a valuable perspective on how these biases can be addressed and overcome by exploring how socialization and cultural conditioning shape unconscious bias.
Another strength of the book’s first part is Agarwal’s framework for identifying and addressing unconscious bias. Agarwal argues that individuals can become more aware of their biases by examining their assumptions, perceptions, and stereotypes. She also provides strategies for challenging unconscious bias, such as mindfulness, empathy, and self-reflection. By offering practical strategies for addressing unconscious bias, Agarwal provides readers with a valuable resource for promoting greater self-awareness and personal growth.
Agarwal’s use of case studies and real-world examples illustrates how unconscious bias can lead to unfair outcomes, discrimination, and social inequality. The book’s second part focuses on specific areas of society where unconscious bias has a significant impact, such as the workplace, education, healthcare, and the justice system. Agarwal offers practical strategies for overcoming bias and promoting greater awareness and change by exploring how unconscious bias affects these areas.
One of the strengths of Agarwal’s analysis of specific domains is her focus on the structural and institutional factors contributing to unconscious bias. For example, in the section on the workplace, Agarwal highlights how organizational culture and policies can perpetuate bias and offers strategies for creating more inclusive and equitable work environments. Similarly, in the section on education, Agarwal explores how unconscious bias can affect student outcomes and provides recommendations for creating more equitable educational environments.
Another strength of the book is its interdisciplinary approach, drawing on insights from multiple fields to comprehensively understand unconscious bias. Agarwal’s integration of neuroscience, psychology, and sociology offers a rich and nuanced perspective on unconscious bias and its effects and provides a valuable framework for addressing this issue.
However, one potential limitation of the book is that, at times, it can be dense and technical, particularly for readers unfamiliar with the underlying concepts and research. Some readers may find the technical detail overwhelming, which could limit the book’s accessibility to a broader audience.
Overall, Sway is an essential and insightful book contributing to unconscious bias literature. Agarwal’s interdisciplinary approach and focus on specific areas of society make this work highly relevant and practical for readers seeking to address this issue more broadly in their own lives and society. As a doctoral student familiar with the source material and other relevant literature, I highly recommend Sway as a valuable and informative read.
[1] Agarwal, P. (2021). In Sway: Unravelling unconscious bias (p. 115) Bloomsbury Sigma.
[2] Eberhardt, J. (2019). In Biased (p. 159). , Random House UK.
9 responses to “New Day, Same Story”
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Hi Daron, Thanks for your blog. I appreciated the great summary you gave, as well as the way in which you highlighted the strengths of her book. I, too, thought it was valuable that Agarwal not only presented implicit bias through a variety of lenses, neuroscience, psychology, and sociology, but she gave practical ways for us to address our own implicit bias and influence our communities. I’m recommending the book to my daughter, who is 25 years old. You mentioned a weakness of the book being that it’s dense and technical. Agarwal has such a strong and well-researched message. Can you think of ways that her findings could be more accessible to a broader audience? I’m brainstorming on ways to use her book in my family and at work.
Thanks, Daron! Hope you had a good weekend.
Hi Jenny,
Great question. One thing I noticed about the book is the System 1 and System 2 thinking we learned while reading Daniel Kahneman’s work Thinking Fast and Slow. Agarwal argues that unconscious bias is primarily driven by System 1 thinking, which is susceptible to stereotypes and biases. I think if you could somehow couple both of these books together, it would help with some of the technical aspects of the book.
I had a great weekend! I hope you did as well.
Daron, I enjoyed your synopsis of the book. One of the things that I’ve uncovered in research for my NPO is that there are initial findings that racial biases as well as racial trauma can be passed genetically. If that is the case, and given what Agarwal recommends, what motivations are there for people to deal with their implicit biases?
Audrey ,
I am excited to discuss your research in more depth, hopefully in England this year.
To answer your question I think it goes back to experience. We want to change or are inspired to change based on our experiences. Agarwal discusses the concept of neuroplasticity, which refers to the brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to experiences. Agarwal argues that neuroplasticity can be leveraged to address and overcome unconscious bias.
Daron,
I really appreciated how you highlighted all of the strengths and the potential weakness of the book. I agree with Jenny and you about the message of the book. It’s definitely essential, insightful, and well-researched.
Tonette!
Thank you for your kind words about my feedback on the book. I’m glad that my evaluation of its strengths and potential weaknesses resonated with you.
I’m also pleased to hear that you agree with Jenny and me about the message of the book. Its essential insights and thorough research make it an important read for anyone interested in the subject matter. Our readings have been pretty hard for me but this book was a breath of fresh air.
Daron – Thank you for this stellar summary and for sharing how you have had to adapt personally to mellow other people’s bias. It made me think of times that I have had to do that, as well–as a woman–to fit into higher level leadership situations dominated by males. I appreciate that insight you guided me toward!
Deron
I like this:
Agarwal’s interdisciplinary approach and focus on specific areas of society make this work highly relevant and practical for readers seeking to address this issue more broadly in their own lives and society.
Great over view of the book.
Id be curious to hear what thoughts you have on this:
“Agarwal highlights how organizational culture and policies can perpetuate bias and offers strategies for creating more inclusive and equitable work environments” Have you found this (policies perpetuating bias) within your own church? How has your church been able to be more inclusive/provide equitable work/congregation environment?
Deron,
This is a great post.
I am rereading it as I gather information for my syntopical essay.