Miami Dade College Diversity in Organizations Case Study

Case Study 4

Questions to Consider 1-7 (Chapter 7, Pages #220-221)

Questions to Consider:

1. 1. What other White privileges can you think of that have specific relevance to diversity in organizations?
   2. If you are a member of a non-dominant racial or ethnic group, how many of the privileges listed resonate with you? Which ones?
   3. If you are White, how many of the privileges listed had you recognized prior to reading this selection? Which ones are most sobering or surprising to you?
   4. Belief in meritocracy and that people can “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” is common in the United States. Had you considered “the myth of meritocracy” prior to reading this selection? What do you think of the possibility that by discriminating against minorities, society and organizations provide advantages for Whites? In what ways does failure to acknowledge the consequences of discrimination contribute to Whites’ feelings of their own individual qualifications and “merit” and to beliefs that others just need to work harder?
   5. The term qualified minorities is sometimes used in selection searches. How much is the term qualified Whites used? (Qualified women? Qualified men?)
   6. What things might be on a list of “male” privileges—unearned advantages that men experience—relative to diversity in organizations?
   7. Recall from Chapter 4 that most wealth is inherited. What things might be on a list of privileges provided by wealth?