In this section, we’ll examine the effects that discrimination and oppression have on their targets, and think about how to counter them. Why should revealing or thinking about your race or gender make so much difference on a test of knowledge or reasoning ability? The answer often lies in the assumptions of society and a long history of discrimination. The crucial difference in all cases was how the test-takers identified themselves. In none of these cases was there instruction in the subject matter of the tests in question, or in test-taking technique. They were able to help students significantly raise their test scores and admission rates (compared to the averages for their race/ethnicity and gender) by helping them understand that that who they were was determined by what they could and did do, not by their racial or gender characteristics. Researchers at New York University worked with minority and female middle school students who were about to apply to magnet high schools that required entrance exams. (The results on the test used in this study have been so one-sided that they are often cited as proof that men are genetically superior to women at math.) The women that identified themselves as elite students consistently performed better on the test than the others – often better than male students, who, over the years, have almost invariably scored higher than women.

and the third answered questions that identified them as students at an elite private college. One group was asked to answer a list of questions that clearly identified them as women one was given a list that identified them as residents of the Northeastern U.S.

In another study, women taking a test of math ability were randomly divided into three groups.

How do you help people overcome the effects of discrimination and internalized oppression?Ī recent study found that Black students who were asked to identify themselves by race when taking a standardized test consistently scored lower than other Black students who were not asked to specify their race.

Why do community builders need to understand discrimination and internalized oppression?.

What are discrimination and internalized oppression?.

Learn how to help people heal from discrimination and oppression.

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