Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

The Goodes and Eddies of unconscious racism

By Michel Poelman - posted Monday, 3 June 2013


Enter Eddy McGuire, president of Collingwood, well-known broadcaster and host of Australia's Who wants to be a millionaire. Mr McGuire is generally regarded as anti-racist. In line with what we'd expect from him and someone in his role of president of the host-venue, he went up to Mr Goodes after the incident and apologised in name of the Collingwood club.

A few days later, Mr McGuire during a live radio interview, volunteers that "Goodesie should promote King Kong the musical", and when the radio-host asked him what he meant Mr McGuire went on to explain that this would be a great promotional idea and laughed at his own 'joke'.

The next day Mr McGuire apologised and he turned and twisted to find the right words.

Advertisement

He could have made it easier on himself and made a much stronger point if he acknowledged that he was indeed a racist. Consider the following hypothetical acknowledgement.

McGuire: "The reason I feel so bad about this, is that I have discovered that I am a racist. Only someone who is a racist would say something like that. I don't want to be a racist. I do everything I can to integrate white Australia with aboriginal Australia. White Australia has done harm to the indigenous population and as a minimum we are all obligated to show our fellow Australians the respect that everyone deserves. I am stunned to discover that despite all my good intentions, on a subconscious level I am a racist. This comes as a shock to me. I apologize to Mr Goodes and everyone who I have hurt with my remarks. I will submit myself to therapy to find out why I said what I said and how I can become the person I want to be."

Should Mr McGuire be vilified for being racist? Is he a hypocrite?

I would argue that he should not be vilified and that he is not a hypocrite.

From an evolutionary perspective we are wired to be tribal. This means that we are diffident of people that look/behave differently from our own tribe. Globalisation is, from an evolutionary perspective, much too recent for our brains and emotions to have adjusted to. It takes time for our brains and emotions to overcome the hard-wired prejudices against those who look different from us. At a conscious level we work on taming our hard-wired prejudices, but it will take time for the sub-conscious to adapt to this new reality.. After all, this fear of strangers has helped our tribes to survive throughout the eons.

Recognising that we are subconsciously racist makes us aware. Awareness is the first step towards consciously changing our brains and emotions. Assuming that we are not bigoted because we don't want to be perceived as such, because it is politically incorrect, and on the whole we appear not to be acting based on prejudices, doesn't mean that we are not prejudiced and that we do not covertly act in a prejudiced manner. The subconsciously prejudiced recruiter can unwillingly harm employer and candidate by dismissing the best candidate for a job, based on completely irrelevant criteria. On a large scale this harms society as a whole.

Advertisement

It requires constant vigilance of how we feel, think and act. Discovering that we are less perfect than we'd like to think of ourselves can be confronting as Mr McGuire has found out.

Racism is not an Australian issue. Although each nation/culture embeds racism in its own way, racism is a bias that is common to all humans and exists in all nations and cultures. If we want to progress as a species and start to improve the world for next generations than we would do well to look inside ourselves and become aware of the nasty heuristics that direct our thinking and behaviour.

How many of us question the 'truths' that we are fed by our parents, religions and schools? How can we improve if the fundamental 'truths' by which we perceive the word are the truths of others and not our own?

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. 3
  5. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

114 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Michel Poelman is the Principal of Thinking4Results, a boutique consultancy that provides workshops and consulting to help clients develop high-order thinking. You can email him at mitch@thinking4results.com.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Michel Poelman

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Article Tools
Comment 114 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy