Distinguished Lecture: Social structure, narrative and explanation

Abstract

Recent work on social injustice has focused on implicit bias as an important factor in explaining persistent injustice in spite of achievements on civil rights. In this paper, I argue that because of its individualism, implicit bias explanation, taken alone, is inadequate to explain ongoing injustice; and, more importantly, it fails to call attention to what is morally at stake. An adequate account of how implicit bias functions must situate it within a broader theory of social structures and structural injustice; changing structures is often a precondition for changing patterns of thought and action and is certainly required for durable change.

Implicit Bias, Stereotype Threat, and Political Correctness in Philosophy

“…This is compatible with her claim that implicit bias is a consequence of deeper social factors [66] (p. 12). Haslanger writes, "there is empirical evidence to support the claim that we are all biased" [66] (p. 12), yet no experimental literature is provided, and her example about hiring [66] (p. 3) suggests that she continues to be unaware of Bertrand and Mullainathan's [63] mixed findings. It appears that her general outlook is becoming orthodox.…”

“…While Haslanger does not claim implicit bias explains everything, or that it is the only factor, or even the primary factor, she has in some sense increased her confidence, more recently writing that she is "convinced" implicit bias "plays a role" in the explanation of persistent inequality [66] (p. 1). This is compatible with her claim that implicit bias is a consequence of deeper social factors [66] (p. 12).…”

Precarity is a Feminist Issue: Gender and Contingent Labor in the Academy

“…Under these conditions we need not even debate whether differential merit explains the underrepresentation of women, nonwhite, working‐class, LGBT, and disabled academics in TT positions. The structural configuration of the two‐tier system in conjunction with wider social inequalities (for example, that some bear unequal child‐rearing responsibilities or need to take on second jobs), would be sufficient to undermine their chances of success (compare Haslanger ). But what this means is that real patterns in the world—the actual dearth of women, academics of color, and so on in TT positions—reinforce stereotypes about their purported lack of scholarly ability (compare Haslanger ).…”

A Plea for Anti-Anti-Individualism: How Oversimple Psychology Misleads Social Policy

“…The view comes in more and less explicit forms, and is more likely to rear its head in certain contexts than others. Specifically, structural prioritizers including Anderson (2010;2012a), Haslanger (2015), and Huebner (2016) tend to be much better at moving past mirror and appreciating the complex interplay of structural and psychological factors when they are explaining the perpetuation of injustice than when they are envisaging the pivot toward justice. They seem to be much better at characterizing vicious cycles than virtuous cycles.…”