Deck 14: The Paradox of Democratic Racism

Question 1

One of the main reasons why organizations, and the individuals who work for them, fail to move toward an anti-racist model of organizational change is the overarching ideology of ______.

A) White supremacy
B) Multiculturalism
C) Democratic racism
D) Aversive racism
E) Weak racism

Answer 1

Democratic racism

Question 2

Two young Chinese women were on the bus talking about a racist incident that a friend had experienced. The passenger sitting next to them turned and said: "What are you two talking about. I have lived in Canada all of my life. Canada is not a racist society." Essentially, the passenger is relying on the discourse of ______.

A) Blaming the Victim
B) Denial
C) Liberal Values
D) Political Correctness
E) White Victimization

Answer 2

Denial

Question 3

Developing a coherent anti-racist strategy for an organization entails ________.

A) Short- and long-term funding
B) Total system effort that must be comprehensive, systematic, and long-term
C) Loosely defined goals
D) Enforcing mandatory hiring quotas
E) Getting rid of any sources of resistance

Answer 3

Total system effort that must be comprehensive, systematic, and long-term

Question 4

The position of White power and _____ allows many to evade the issue of race and racism and the powerlessness of the "others".

A) Superiority
B) Ethnocentrism
C) Cultural relativism
D) Privilege
E) Imagination

Question 5

Statistics have recently shown that some visible minority students are much more likely not to complete high school when compared to other groups. Some Canadians have suggested that the differences in academic achievement are a result of a lack of motivation to succeed. Which of the following discourses associated with democratic racism BEST DESCRIBES this type of argument?

A) Discourse of Equal Opportunity
B) Discourse of Moral Panic
C) Discourse of Blaming the Victim
D) Discourse of Colour-Blindness
E) Discourse of Liberal Values

Question 6

Identify the discourse of democratic racism that suggests Canada needs to define itself on the basis of a single, unifying and uniform Canadian culture.

A) Discourse of Multiculturalism
B) Discourse of National Identity
C) Discourse of White Culture
D) Discourse of Binary Polarization and Otherness
E) Discourse of Liberal Values

Question 7

Claims that programs like employment equity and anti-racism policies incorporate authoritarian principles and methods that are antithetical to liberal democratic society are reflective of the _________.

A) Discourse of Immigrants, Balkanization, and Racism
B) Discourse of National Identity
C) Discourse of Equal Opportunity
D) Discourse of Reverse Racism
E) Discourse of Denial

Question 8

At the individual level, what have anti-racist practitioners suggested that White professionals (e.g. social worker, academic, police officer) are usually reluctant or unwilling to engage in?

A) Monetary donations
B) Critical self-reflection
C) Cultural sensitivity training
D) Mandatory pay equity
E) Collective advocacy

Question 9

According to final chapter on Strategies to Eliminate Racism, which is the best way to make individual change?

A) Be politically correct
B) Take Racism 101 course
C) Self reflective practices
D) Contribute financially to multiculturalism programs aimed at kids
E) Follow discourse of acceptance and engagement principles

Question 10

The _______ is difficult to overcome when combating racial inequalities in the justice system.

A) Tradition of judicial independence
B) Discourse of reverse racism
C) Legislative Compliance Act
D) Collection of race-based crime statistics
E) Egalitarian principles of law and order

Question 11

What is the first stage identified in this chapter that can facilitate more effective responses to allegations of racism?

A) Having clear and concise definitions of racism in every organization
B) Instituting a race relations tribunal to adjudicate any hearings that result from allegations
C) Identifying and acknowledging the deeply felt emotions of both parties
D) Ensuring that allegations fall within the parameters of government or organizational mandate
E) Identifying what sanction the victim hopes is applied to the offender

Question 12

According to Parekh (1987), what is not required in order to ensure sustained community advocacy and lobbying activities?

A) Organizational resources
B) Government sponsorship
C) Expertise
D) Legitimacy
E) Leadership

Question 13

Within the organization and its activities, the responsibility for race equity initiatives should reside with

A) Minority employees
B) White employees
C) One person or office
D) All the organization's members, including senior management
E) Only senior and middle management

Question 14

Progress toward racial equity can be measured by the degree to which an organization:

A) Acts on a commitment to eradicate all forms of racial discrimination and disadvantage within itself
B) Chastising other organizations for not following the mandates they have instituted
C) Petitioning the government for increased funding for anti-racism initiatives
D) Discouraging any further development of reflective practices that lead to greater individual and organizational accountability
E) Fires employees who engage in racist behaviour or fail to adhere to anti-racism policies and practices

Question 15

What is the first step that any institution or organization committed to racial equality must take?

A) Hiring people of colour in key administrative positions
B) Make a clear statement that racism in any form will not be tolerated
C) Allocating significant resources to anti-racism initiatives
D) Minimizing the role that whites can play in the organization's transformation
E) Use technology to find better ways of reaching out to and recruiting from diverse communities

Question 16

Which tradition is frequently used by the media to protect and defend themselves from public pressures?

A) Tradition of exclusivity and objectivity
B) Tradition of white privilege
C) Tradition of liberal and democratic values
D) Tradition of freedom of speech
E) Tradition of national identity

Question 17

Achieving race equity and a racism-free organization would entail:

A) An acknowledgement of the intersectionality of race, gender, ethnicity, and class and an understanding of how systems of oppression interrelate
B) Implementing policies, but continuing to deny that certain groups have been, and continue to be, hurt by racism
C) Collecting evidence of racism and coming up with recommendations that are never implemented
D) Creating advocacy groups to consult with government agencies
E) Confusing anti-racism with structural change within the organization

Question 18

Which of the following statements is a critique about the effectiveness of race-relations programs?

A) There are already enough good policies in place to combat racism
B) Senior and middle management are often not required to participate in sessions
C) Some people might feel that such programs only encourages reverse racism
D) There is already too much money spent on such programs and still no change
E) These programs only work within organizations where minorities are well represented

Question 19

In general, the talk around race has only moved as far as its own negation. "I am not a racist" has become a common and accepted disclaimer on the tip of everyone's tongue. This allows for the avoidance of ______.

A) Critical self-reflection
B) Monetary commitment
C) Lowered self-esteem
D) Embarrassment
E) Social sanctions

Question 20

Which of the following statements is reflective of the discourse of liberal values?

A) "White European immigrants also experience racial discrimination."
B) "Minorities commit more crime."
C) "I believe in equality for all people. Therefore, I don't judge people by skin colour."
D) "There is a universal form of expression that includes and transcends all cultural and racial boundaries."
E) "We are in a state of crisis and disorder and are under siege."
True and False Questions:

Question 21

"They represent a serious threat to our 'civilized' society" is an example of the discourse of white victimization.

Question 22

It is imperative that teachers develop tools with which to critique the educational process, the society, and the self.

Question 23

The issue of police behaviour raises questions that go to the heart of democratic accountability and government by consent.

Question 24

In addition to focusing on strategic targeting, any strategy for improving policy and practices must incorporate mechanisms for monitoring and measuring their impact.

Question 25

Dealing with racism in a transformative way requires us to deal with the dissonance in the values that underlie our current understanding of democracy.

Question 26

Taking action against those responsible for racism represents an appropriate organizational response to allegations of racism.

Question 27

The lack of organizational commitment is one of the biggest barriers to institutional change.

Question 28

Canadian police departments should be held more accountable to the public because they utilized tax dollars.

Question 29

Minorities and Aboriginals should be the ones responsible for eradicating all forms of racial discrimination in Canada.

Question 30

There is nothing that can be done to eradicate racism in Canadian society.