XA3003 Assignment Prioritizing Social Determinants of Health

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XA3003 Assignment

Prioritizing Social Determinants of Health

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Bias Scenario

Student Name

Walden University

XA3003: Prioritizing Social Determinants of Health 

Professor Name

Date

• From the break room discussion, identify at least three statements that display bias or prejudice. Explain why they are biased and specify the group or trait they target.

There were some discriminating comments made during the break room discussion. One of the examples is when one man says that another man does not look gay. In fact, with those cute pink heels on, she is as good as telling me that I am a woman. This remark is also a manifestly bigoted one because it seeks to deprive a lesbian woman of her womanhood due to her sexual preference (GÜLEÇ et al., 2022). It also perpetuates a stereotype as it portrays gay individuals as having specific appearances or behaviors as if it is expected of them, for example, lesbians cannot be feminine, and gay men cannot present a particular appearance.

Another example of bias is the following comment from a female speaker: ‘admin is now on a kick to try and hire more minorities so that workplace will be more diverse.’ This statement is a clear example of an underlying racism in the sense that diversity is portrayed as an inconvenience or a nuisance especially to the white workers (Doytcheva, 2020). Additionally, it suggests that the action of giving priority to minority candidates is detrimental to the selection of the best talents and makes a prejudiced assumption about the incompetence of the minority persons.

The third discrimination comment was made by a male, and he said, “Many of the new employees they have hired, I often find it difficult to understand what they are saying” he further explained that most of them are non-native English speakers. This comment is prejudice, especially to people of color and people with different languages. It implies that when people speak several languages or have different accents, they are not efficient in the workplace, but instead of embracing different languages, it should be embraced (Kim et al., 2018).

• Point out an instance of subtle bias in the conversation. Explain how the statement reinforces stereotypes or assumptions about specific groups, and discuss why subtle biases can be as harmful as overt ones.

The female speaker’s remark, “But I’ve really liked it when you hired a Black OR manager,” is a subtle form of bias. Note that her comment is made lightly, and although it may be hard to believe that she was not being prejudice, her comment reiterates a stereotype that black people are unprofessional. Although the statement may seem like a compliment, it reinforces the stereotype that speaking well and being professional in one’s conduct are surprising for Black people (Ferguson & Dougherty, 2021). Innately, it reveals the narrator’s supposition that the manager is articulacy and unflustered, which should not be shocking in the first place since Black employees are also expected to be professional and composed like any other workers. 

• The nurses in the scenario demonstrated bias through several of their statements. How might the bias of the nurses impact social determinants of health and quality care?

Some of the prejudices said by the nurses during their conversation have a negative impact on the social determinants of health and the care given to patients. Heterosexism, racism, ethnicism, and linguicism, when brought in health care organizations, may predispose patients to receive unequal treatment (Lesińska-Sawicka, 2022). For example, a nurse who possesses negative attitudes towards the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans patients will not be able to offer care that is culturally appropriate and acceptable to such patients. As with other forms of prejudices, prejudices with regards to patients who do not speak English may result in impaired or inadequate or even prejudiced care. This not only widens the gap of health disparities but also negatively affects the relationship between the patients and the clinicians, which further bars the marginalized groups from getting proper health care.

• Imagine you were present in the break room during this conversation. How would you address or respond to one of the biased statements? Outline at least three strategies you could use to address bias and prejudice constructively, fostering a more inclusive and respectful environment in the workplace.

In case I was present in the break room when such a conversation was taking place, I would have responded to the biased comment made by the man who uttered, “I don’t go around telling everybody my sexual preferences.” I would softly explain that the LGBTQ+ people are not looking for attention, but mere recognition of their existence as every person should be recognized. If there was bias being exhibited in the workplace in more organized manner, the following constructive measures should be taken. First, I would encourage colleagues to engage in diversity and inclusion training and reduce formalism between subordinates and managers. Such sessions can enable the participants to be aware of the feelings of the targeted groups and how they can fight prejudice within themselves (Dover et al., 2020). Second, I would make sure that my conversations do not cause discomfort by paying attention to specific pronouns, orientation, and culture and show how our conduct defines the organizational culture. Finally, more extensive changes should be made in the company, for example, the introduction of stronger policies against discrimination and the provision of specific rooms where the workers can report cases of discrimination, informing a tolerant organizational culture.

References

Dover, T. L., Kaiser, C. R., & Major, B. (2020). Social Issues and Policy Review, 14(1), 152–181.  

Doytcheva, M. (2020). “White diversity”: Paradoxes of deracializing antidiscrimination. Social Sciences, 9(4), 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci9040050 

Ferguson, M. W., & Dougherty, D. S. (2021). Management Communication Quarterly, 36(1), 089331892110197. https://doi.org/10.1177/08933189211019751 

GÜLEÇ, S., ORAK, O. S., GÜLIRMAK, K., TUNÇ, E., GÜMÜŞ, K., EMİRZA, E., & CENGİZHAN, Y. T. (2022). LGBT people’s experiences of stigmatization: A phenomenologic study. Abant Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 22(1), 311–325. https://doi.org/10.11616/asbi.1026044 

Language diversity, nonnative accents, and their consequences at the workplace: Recommendations for individuals, teams, and organizations. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 55(1), 73–95. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886318800997 

Lesińska-Sawicka, M. (2022). Nurses’ attitudes towards selected social groups: Cross-sectional survey among Polish nurses. Healthcare, 10(5), 795. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10050795