Accent Bias ~ article in Forbes

Jan 12, 2019

Accent Bias ~ article in Forbes

If you’re tuning out because someone speaks with an accent, it’s a good opportunity to explore if you have an implicit bias influencing your actions.

Accent Bias: How Can We Minimize Discrimination In The Workplace?

Dr. Pragya Agarwal Contributor to Forbes
Research has shown that we tend to unconsciously group people into a specific social class and prejudice against them based on their accents. By thinking that someone with a particular accent is not very smart or clever, we are showing our unconscious bias.…. There is a large volume of research reports on preventing biases against people based on their skin color, ethnicity, or gender. However, accent-related biases appear to be more acceptable and less opposed than racial, religious, or gender discrimination, even though globally accent bias is a widely acknowledged form of discrimination.

SunShower’s program, Defeating Unconscious Bias shows this clearly. In a team meeting, one member speaks with a Spanish accent and is dismissed. The DUB program offers specific action steps that the team leader can take to counter her bias.

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