Exploring Unintentional Racism

Exploring Unintentional Racism:

The Case of Tim Hanks

by

Robert W. Grossman

Psychology Department, Kalamazoo College

Thomas E. Ford

Department of Sociology, Western Michigan University

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Introduction

This case study is designed to help you explore your attitudes about race and learn about the complexity of the concept of racism. The case consists of several parts, or sections. After reading each part, we will discuss and also be writing about the issues raised in each part before moving on to the next segment of the case. A handout follows Part III on the social psychology of attribution theory, the concept of unintentional racism, and the idea of institutionalized racism.

While we are waiting to begin, please jot down a few notes about what comes to mind when you think of racism.

After you have done this, introduce yourself to the people next to you and discuss your thoughts and feelings concerning racism.

Some things you might want to think about include:

* How serious a problem do you think racism is in this society today?

* Is it worse or better than it was years ago?

* Have you experienced any incidents of racism?

* How do you distinguish between prejudice and discrimination?

* If you see these as problems, what are you doing to deal with them?

Part I--Tim Hanks

I was an instructor at a suburban community college in a unique program for students who had very poor academic records in high school. As the social science instructor for 120 students, I worked to coordinate my teaching with three other instructors; one each in natural science, the humanities, and composition. Being a "sixties liberal," I wanted to make a contribution to integration and take a strong stand against racism. Tim Hanks, the only African-American student in my course, wasn't helping any. He attended class sporadically, turned assignments in late, missed others altogether, and performed poorly on tests. When he did come to class, he was usually late and always left before I had a chance to talk to him.

Like the other faculty in the program, I felt it was my responsibility to pull each student, regardless of race, through. I wouldn't lower standards but was prepared to do everything in my power to help all students meet the requirements. Nothing that worked with other students seemed to work with Tim. He made appointments to meet with me and his other instructors, only not to show up. Offers of extra time and assistance on assignments didn't help either. Attempts to call Tim at the phone number listed for him with the college were unsuccessful; the number had been disconnected. Letters to his listed address were returned as undeliverable.

Questions

Discuss the following with the people sitting next to you and look for as many different perspectives as you can find.

1. What would be some of your thoughts about the possible reasons for Tim Hanks' behavior?

2. If you were his teacher, what might you have done with him or any student who behaved this way?

Part II--Turnaround

Eventually I came to the conclusion that Tim simply lacked the motivation to complete assignments and attend class regularly. He didn't have the academic skills to do the work nor the drive to correct his deficiencies.

As the semester drew to a close, it was clear that Tim would fail the course. It was painful to flunk any student but this was doubly so; something was obviously deficient in me. I didn't have what it took to succeed with African-American students. Shaking my head, I wrote an F on the grade sheet.

When I received my class list for the next semester I saw that Tim Hanks was in my class again. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable I wondered why Tim didn't try some other instructor. Tim obviously couldn't get motivated to do the work in my class the previous semester. Was he just a glutton for punishment?

Seven or eight weeks later Tim came in to get his midterm test from me. It was an A-. He had earned no lower than a B+ on any of his assignments. As he sat down to talk (a big smile on his face after seeing the grade on his midterm), I asked him, "What makes the difference between someone I had to fail last winter and someone I'll have to give an A to this fall?"

"I have a car," he said.

"How can a car make such a difference?" I asked, puzzled.

"Well, I live downtown near the Art Center. In a car it's a thirty minute trip. On a bus it's an hour and half both ways on a good day." Embarrassed, he looked down at the floor as he said, "On a bad day I would be OK till I got out here to Main Road. Then it would be hit or miss whether the bus drivers would pick me up. A couple of them would even swerve to splash slush all over me. If they did, I'd feel so bad I just got on a bus going back home." When asked why he didn't come in and tell me about these difficulties he said, "I was so embarrassed about doing so poorly in your class I just couldn't get myself to come in."

Questions

Discuss the following with the people sitting next to you and look for as many different perspectives as you can find.

1. How would you have reacted to these explanations? How does this affect your thoughts about the reasons for his behavior?

2. What