“What about me?” Perceptions of exclusion and Whites' reactions to multiculturalism.

Abstract

A 5-study investigation of reactions of dominant group members (i.e., White Americans) to diversity (relative to racial minority reactions) provides evidence of implicit and explicit associations between multiculturalism and exclusion and of a relationship between perceived exclusion and reactions to diversity. In Study 1, Whites but not racial minorities were faster in an implicit association task at pairing multiculturalism with exclusion than with inclusion. This association diminished in Study 2 through a subtle framing of diversity efforts as targeted toward all groups, including European Americans. In Study 3, in a "Me/Not Me" task, Whites were less likely than minorities to pair multiculturalism concepts with the self and were slower in responding to multiculturalism concepts. Furthermore, associating multiculturalism with the self (Study 3) or feeling included in organizational diversity (Study 4) predicted Whites' endorsement of diversity and also accounted for the oft-cited group status difference in support for diversity initiatives. Study 5 showed that individual differences in need to belong moderated Whites' interest in working for organizations that espouse a multicultural versus a color-blind approach to diversity, with individuals higher in need to belong less attracted to organizations with a multicultural approach. Overall, results show that the purportedly "inclusive" ideology of multiculturalism is not perceived as such by Whites. This may, in part, account for their lower support for diversity efforts in education and work settings.

Comparative analysis of Canadian multiculturalism policy and the multiculturalism policies of other countries

“…Kesler and Bloemraad's (2010) 19-country study showed that multicultural policies increase a sense of belonging, defined in terms of civic participation. However, despite these positive outcomes, multicultural policies have often been misunderstood as exclusionary and perceived as threatening by members of the dominant ethno-cultural group (Plaut, Garnett, Buffardi, & Sanchez-Burks, 2011). Current debates in the United States focus on the merits of multicultural versus color-blind ideologies and policies.…”

“…This strategy is associated with a stronger racial bias, bringing with it negative consequences in educational and organizational settings (Apfelbaum, Norton, & Sommers, 2012). In contrast, multicultural models of diversity are associated with greater inclusiveness, reduced racial bias, and more engagement from non-dominant groups (Plaut et al, 2011;Plaut, Thomas, & Goren, 2009). Overall, multicultural approaches have been shown to promote "positive psychological, educational and organizational outcomes for minorities and organizations" (Plaut et al, 2011, p. 2).…”

Psychological predictors of cultural diversity support at work.

“…An exception is a series of US-based studies by Plaut, Garnett, Buffardi, and Sanchez-Burks (2011). They found that while cultural diversity policies that emphasize the value of diversity may be perceived positively by ethnic minority employees, such policies may actually receive low acceptance from ethnic majority employees.…”

Ethnic dissimilarity predicts belonging motive frustration and reduced organizational attachment

“…Other research has explored the role of multiculturalism to reduce negative experiences of diversity (see Rattan & Ambady, 2013, for a review). Interestingly, some work indicates that the '"inclusive" ideology of multiculturalism is not perceived as such by Anglos, suggesting that the purportedly inclusive message may not be able to address Anglos' potential belonging frustration (Plaut, Garnett, Buffardi, & Sanchez-Burks, 2011).…”