The conversation How seeking and speaking the truth about racism can radically transform individuals and organizations : a science-based approach

Robert W. Livingston

Book - 2021

"An essential tool for individuals, organizations, and communities of all sizes to jump-start dialogue on racism and bias and to transform well-intentioned statements on diversity into concrete actions-from a leading Harvard social psychologist. How can I become part of the solution? In the wake of the social unrest of 2020 and growing calls for racial justice, many business leaders and ordinary citizens are asking that very question. This book provides a compass for all those seeking to begin the work of anti-racism. In The Conversation, Robert Livingston addresses three simple but profound questions: What is racism? Why should everyone be more concerned about it? What can we do to eradicate it? For some, the existence of systemic rac...ism against Black people is hard to accept because it violates the notion that the world is fair and just. But the rigid racial hierarchy created by slavery did not collapse after it was abolished, nor did it end with the civil rights era. Whether it's the composition of a company's leadership team or the composition of one's neighborhood, these racial divides and disparities continue to show up in every facet of society. For Livingston, the difference between a solvable problem and a solved problem is knowledge, investment, and determination. And the goal of making organizations more diverse, equitable, and inclusive is within our capability. Livingston's lifework is showing people how to turn difficult conversations about race into productive instances of real change. For decades he has translated science into practice for numerous organizations, including Airbnb, Deloitte, Microsoft, Under Armour, L'Oreal, and JPMorgan Chase. In The Conversation, Livingston distills this knowledge and experience into an eye-opening immersion in the science of racism and bias. Drawing on examples from pop culture and his own life experience, Livingston, with clarity and wit, explores the root causes of racism, the factors that explain why some people care about it and others do not, and the most promising paths toward profound and sustainable progress, all while inviting readers to challenge their assumptions. Social change requires social exchange. Founded on principles of psychology, sociology, management, and behavioral economics, The Conversation is a road map for uprooting entrenched biases and sharing candid, fact-based perspectives on race that will lead to increased awareness, empathy, and action"--

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Subjects
Genres
Instructional and educational works
Published
New York : Currency [2021]
Language
English
Main Author
Robert W. Livingston (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
xx, 340 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages [269]-324) and index.
ISBN
9780593238561
  • CONDITION: Do we all believe that racism exists?
  • What is "racism" anyway?
  • How does social disadvantage differ for blacks and whites?
  • What are the structural origins of racism?
  • How does "threat" perpetuate racial inequality?
  • What are the psychological and evolutionary origins of all intergroup biases?
  • Is inequality due to racism or race?
  • How to talk about the problem
  • CONCERN: How much do white people care about racism?
  • The moral cost of condoning racism
  • The practical importance of redressing racism
  • Addressing concern and commitment
  • CORRECTION: What everyone can do to promote racial equity
  • How leaders and organizations can create greater racial equity
  • Taking steps toward real progress.
Review by Booklist Review

Livingston, a social psychologist and professor of public policy, explores the nature of racism and addresses how everyone can take collective action to eliminate it. By highlighting the importance of conversation, Livingston guides readers to understand racial bias and ways to intervene and to mitigate racism. Drawing on psychology, history, political science, biology, economics, and sociology, Livingston shares research findings, observations, anecdotes, and stories from his own background in framing this systemic issue. The narratives throughout each chapter are clearly written, and at times it feels as if Livingston is having a conversation with the reader. This book is uniquely structured through Livingston's PRESS model for addressing racism: Problem awareness, Root cause analysis, Empathy, Strategy, Sacrifice. His teaching requires intentional focus and practice; this is not a casual read, but can be consulted as a reference as needed. Readers interested in workplace and organizational cultures and social psychology will find Livingston's work inspiring, and helpful in understanding the impact of racism on people, organizations, and communities at large.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Social psychologist Livingston debuts with an optimistic guide for "turn difficult conversations about race into productive outcomes." Drawing on his work as a diversity consultant for corporations including Airbnb, Livingston structures the book as a "road map" for fostering the kinds of discussions that can lead to a more equitable society. Steps for uniting people of different backgrounds in the cause of anti-racism include coming up with a working definition of racism, identifying the structural origins of racial inequality, discussing the psychological causes of in-group bias, sketching the moral and economic costs of racial prejudice, and outlining the steps organization leaders and employees can make toward "real progress." Livingston includes a wealth of sociological research into how stereotypes form and the ways in which Blacks and other minority groups have been held back in American society, and points to the success of recent public and private sector initiatives including a JPMorgan Chase program to improve the financial wellness and educational and career prospects of people of color. Readers looking to implement the lessons of Ibram X. Kendi's How to Be An Antiracist and Robin DiAngelo's White Fragility in a professional setting will find this to be a useful guide. (Feb.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review

A thoughtful plan to combat racism. Making his book debut, social psychologist Livingston distills his professional expertise as diversity consultant to Fortune 500 companies, police departments, hospitals, universities, federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations--and his own experience as an African American--to offer a pragmatic, generous, and optimistic guide for confronting racism. "My hope," he writes, "is that The Conversation will bring people together to talk honestly about race, with the goal of creating profound and sustainable social change." Lucidly interpreting theory, data, and research from a wide range of scientific disciplines, the author examines how individuals form their ideas about race, identity, and morality; what forces shape their behavior; and how changes might be effected. Tribalism--the need to differentiate between "us" and "them"--is wired into humans, Livingston asserts, contributing to the development of stereotypes and the perception of structural threats (which disrupt the status quo) and psychological threats (which undermine an individual's sense of self-worth). He explains and illustrates terms such as White privilege, anchoring bias, and implicit bias, and he distinguishes between prejudice (what someone feels about a particular group) and discrimination (how someone behaves toward a particular group). Some people, he acknowledges, deny that racism exists, behaving like fish that "may not notice that they are immersed in water, let alone the dynamics of the stream they live in, because they have become habituated to swimming in a current that has always been there." Perceptions of fairness, he concedes, "can be based entirely on habit or history." Livingston proposes what he calls the PRESS system to inspire positive change: Problem awareness, Root cause analysis, Empathy, Strategy, and Sacrifice. This rubric informs the discussion questions that end each of the sections, making the book useful for business, social, or educational groups as well as for individual readers. Racism, Livingston believes, is a "solvable problem." A cogent, hopeful contribution to an urgent issue. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In the book, I will draw on research and data to answer many of the questions about the nature of racism, where it comes from, why everyone should care about it--and the steps that we can take to eradicate it. In addition to knowing whether something is true, the second challenge is knowing why it is true. This reflects the subtle difference between knowledge and understanding. I love to cook, but I'm by no means a chef. I know what to do--for example, add yeast and a pinch of baking soda to bread dough--but I have no idea why I'm doing it. What is actually happening at a chemical level? Why do I have to put the dough on a cold surface? Why does it have to sit and rise for a specific amount of time? I am not quite sure. This lack of deep understanding would put me at a huge disadvantage if I were ever a contestant on the Food Network show Chopped, where you are handed a mystery basket of unusual and unexpected ingredients (e.g., blood sausage, pineapple, croissants, quail eggs) and given thirty minutes to combine the ingredients into a distinctive and delectable dish (e.g., a blood sausage bread pudding with roasted pineapple glaze). I wouldn't possess sufficient understanding of the basic chemistry and physics (e.g., emulsification, convection) of culinary science to combine and engineer the ingredients in such a masterful way. Similarly, many managers are "cooks" when it comes to understanding racism--they know the kitchen basics but not necessarily the whys and hows. Other managers do not know their way around a kitchen at all but are willing to learn. By the end of this book, you will be well on your way to becoming a master chef. As on Chopped, in many social and organizational situations you will find yourself without a cookbook or manual of step-by-step instructions. But that's okay. After reading The Conversation you will be able to draw on a foundation of knowledge and understanding to help guide you. If you have a deeper understanding of what racial bias is, where it comes from, and when it is more or less likely to emerge, then you are in a better position to prevent it, or create interventions and solutions when it does occur. CREATING A "RADICAL" TRANSFORMATION When you were reading the book's subtitle, the phrase "radically transform" may have jumped out at you. The word radical often gets a bad rap. As I intend it, however, the word doesn't refer to zeal or extremism but rather to radical 's true etymology-- radix --the Latin word for "root" (and the root vegetable "radish"). My hope is that The Conversation will produce not a superficial but a "root," foundational commitment to e radic ate, or uproot, racism. I have witnessed radical change at the individual level and some at the organizational level, even if society at large has yet to show a "radical" change on racism. Nevertheless, I continue to think that profound societal-level change is possible, and I believe it will happen by leveraging the power of individuals and large organizations. Grassroots efforts, as well as pressure from organizations like FedEx and Nike, in getting the Washington Football Team to drop its racist mascot and moniker are one example of how individuals and organizations can promote antiracism. I will elaborate on other more complex and profound approaches and examples of antiracist strategies in the final chapters of the book. To be clear, I am not claiming that conversation in general (or The Conversation more specifically) alone is a panacea, or that incentives are not important. Self-interest, economic gain, and short-term gratification can all be effective motivators. Sometimes carrots (or the threat of sticks) are necessary to bring people to the table in the first place. What I have discovered through my work and life experience, however, is that rewards and punishments can induce immediate and temporary movement but rarely generate profound and sustainable change. By contrast, conversation, if done in the right way, can be a powerful tool for bringing people together and developing support for enduring solutions. Ultimately, people are the regulators and agents of social transformation, which means if enough people want change, then it will happen. But social change requires social ex change. In other words, we have to start talking to one another--especially those outside our social circle. Nothing will improve until we begin to have honest and informed conversations about race and decide, as a community, to do something about it. The problem is that many people feel uncomfortable or ill-equipped to talk about race--or they fear that talking about it will only make things worse. Or they dive in too quickly, without a clear structure or objective, and beat a hasty retreat once the dialogue becomes difficult. The Conversation aims to change all that by increasing confidence, competence, and commitment to engage in racial dialogue. In this book, I have culled theory, data, and research from a range of scientific disciplines, including social psychology, behavioral economics, sociology, organizational behavior, political science, history, and evolutionary and molecular biology to address the fundamental question of how we can better name, understand, discuss, and resolve the problem of racism in society and the workplace. Social science is critical to this effort because it enables us to peer into our minds and into our reality in a way that our subjective perceptions alone do not allow. When we dive into the research findings, it is not to minimize the importance of personal feelings or opinions but rather to test and complement them by providing a more objective perspective on the world. To keep you engaged, I bring personal anecdotes and experiences to the table, integrating the science with vivid stories and metaphors that I hope readers find memorable. To structure and guide The Conversation, the book follows my PRESS model ( P roblem Awareness, R oot Cause Analysis, E mpathy, S trategy, S acrifice), which can be applied not just to racism but to any personal or societal challenge. The PRESS model is described in detail in my 2020 Harvard Business Review article "How to Promote Racial Equity in the Workplace" and in "Forum 1: How to Talk About the Problem," the section that concludes Part 1. It provides a big-picture overview of the necessary steps to achieve stable and enduring racial progress. One secret to doing effective antiracism work is the ability to have open and informed Conversations about the nature of the problem, how to increase concern about the problem, and finally what can be and will be done to resolve it. The Conversation was written to be accessible to everyone--whether you are a corporate executive in New York, a farmer in Nebraska, a factory worker in Milwaukee, a preacher in rural Utah, an entrepreneur in Atlanta, a police officer in San Diego, a schoolteacher in San Antonio, or a DJ in DC. It is for anyone who is bothered by the current level of racial tension, wants to learn more about its causes, and is invested in becoming part of the solution. I ask for only one thing as you read the book--patience. Patience with yourself. Patience with others. And above all, patience with the process. After reading the first chapter or two, you may start thinking, "Just tell me what to do to fix it." Please resist the impulse to skip ahead. Einstein once said that if he had only one hour to save the world, he would spend fifty-five minutes thinking deeply about the problem and only five minutes on the solution. A focus on solutions without thoroughly understanding the problem is akin to prescribing medicine without first diagnosing the patient's condition. The palliative approach--soothing the symptoms without treating the underlying disease--is likely to be unproductive, or even counterproductive, in the long run. The same principle applies to social problems. The book consists of a total of twelve chapters--designed to be read sequentially --with each chapter building on the previous one, like a miniseries. Each chapter might take, on average, about two hours to read. So the investment of reading time--to do The Conversation right--amounts to twenty-four hours, or one full day. In addition, each part concludes with a "Forum" section, which will help recap the most important topics covered in the part and offer Conversation starters aimed at generating instructive and productive Conversation with others in your family, organization, or community. Are you willing to invest one day of your life to substantially improve our society? I am confident that it will be worth it. Excerpted from The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth about Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations by Robert Livingston All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.