Critical Race Theory as a Guide for White I-O Psychologists’ Reflection and Reflexivity

Details

• Personal Author:
  Lynner BN
• Description:
  Following the death of George Floyd, many White people (including me, the author of this commentary) joined book clubs that centered on examining Whiteness in a racialized society. After finishing the final chapter of books such as How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi (2019), The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2017), and White Fragility by Robyn DiAngelo (2018), my book club, like others, disbanded and further reflection would seemingly dwindle until the next brutal police shooting of an unarmed Black man. Industrial-organizational psychology scientists and practitioners alike formed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) committees with lofty goals to tackle systemic inequities that permeate our institutions and organizations, yet the reticence of addressing Whiteness in our research and practice has persisted. In conjunction with Hyland's (2023) recommendations for engaging in reflective practice, White I-O psychologists across research and practice areas (i.e., not just those in DEI spaces) must consider how White ears and eyes, that is, a White frame of reference, influence our work. Through participation in ongoing reflective and reflexive processes, racial blind spots will unveil themselves, propelling forward a future wherein I-O psychologists are better positioned to meet employees' varying needs across a diversity of lived experiences and social identities. With that said, it is challenging for White people to know where to begin in examining our Whiteness. White people are typically not taught to understand their Whiteness as a race and are often not made aware of how race influences their experiences. Calls to ban critical race theory (CRT) in our classrooms, organizations, and other contexts further inhibits discussions about Whiteness, including the history of racism and its embeddedness in our current society. However, by learning CRT as an academic and legal framework, we can embrace a more equitable future for the field of I-O psychology. CRT may serve to guide White I-O psychologists' ongoing reflection and reflexivity by considering its five tenets: (a) permanence of racism, (b) counterstorytelling, (c) critique of liberalism, (d) interest convergence, and (e) Whiteness as property (DeCuir & Dixson, 2004). Prior to diving into these tenets, I must acknowledge that, as a White person, I am using this commentary as a platform to speak directly to other White I-O psychologists, but I recognize that non-Black people of color can also use CRT to engage in reflection and reflexivity as they examine their roles in perpetuating systemic Whiteness. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Education Occupational Health Race Factors Safety
• Keywords:
  Diversity Industrial Psychology Occupational Psychology Racial Factors
• ISSN:
  1754-9426
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; OSHA Region 8
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  121-124
• Volume:
  16
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20067723
• Citation:
  Ind Organ Psychol 2023 Mar; 16(1):121-124
• Contact Point Address:
  Brittany N. Lynner, Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
• Email:
  Brittany.lynner@colostate.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• Performing Organization:
  University of Colorado, Denver
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20070701
• Source Full Name:
  Industrial and Organizational Psychology
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e9549aedac18073b33c2cf43015ae12d8ef0e0712500fc85135367c8c738aac4b07554652486dab7c111d2ce8e74ab341d8e8f3bead720e83632725269f5b5f6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/229985/cdc_229985_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 114.96 KB ]