Identity Politics

I was just about to post the exact same thing. Whether it is cultural, biological or a mixture of both, we learned to make certain snap judgements, e.g. being sexist or racist. But these snap judgements need not be the end of the thought process. We also learned to think though our thoughts and may come to change our snap judgements. See e.g. this (now is time to use Qt3 affiliate with Amazon to make some money for Tom).

The snap judgement I know I have is that I tend to treat women who are attractive better. Half a second into a conversation and the double standard kicks in. Call it implicit bias, cultural, biological conditioning, whatever. It is something that is there, and it isn’t necessarily something I can change. On the other hand my commitment towards equality means that I am also always reminding myself that I should treat everyone the same. So the end is that I try to treat everyone as well as I treat attractive women (raising the standard for everyone rather than lowering the standard for someone).

I don’t watch SNL, but every once in awhile one of their skits and snippets comes up.

IAT test that statement is based on is bullshit.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288582440_Toward_a_Meaningful_Metric_of_Implicit_Prejudice_vol_100_pg_1468_2015

Talking of bullshit, Quillette discusses the postmodernist roots of this entire shambolic mess in his review of Ahmari’s new book on the subject.

That’s not actually what that paper shows, though. It shows that even people who act neutrally when interacting with or consciously judging Black job candidates or writing samples implicitly associate Black faces with negative words. The paper’s assertion that the behavioral outcomes are the true measure makes no sense, except as a way to predict the interaction of inherent bias and conscious behavioral control. To show that IAT was bullshit, you would have to show that tests of it can’t be replicated.

It’s showing that the results of the test have little if any predictive power when it comes to predicting any sort of actual racist or discriminatory behavior. Another example:

If the results of a purported test for racism have little or no correlation with actual racist behavior what does that test measure? I would say nothing much.

It doesn’t say they have no predictive value, it says they aren’t better than explicit tests.

The argument I would have to make (and would like to see studied) is that I believe some of the evaluation therein are contextual. I work in a very, very diverse place (a public university), and with the diversity, I really don’t see that kind of judgment usually. However, were I to encounter a student at night in say East Oakland or Chinatown, I might have that reaction if I didn’t recognize them initially. My reaction to the same person (anyone really) can vary based on context. e.g. I love my mom, but if I were to run into her at a fraternity party when I was in college, my reaction would be very different than brunch, for example.

Ergo, I do think that the context of the relationship/evaluation can have a dramatic effect on whether a reaction is based on fight/flight/teh other, or on more human/civilized values.

Facebook is on shaky grounds I think

It’s kind of creepy thinking that in some scenarios a TV ad would exclude me based on what is essentially race if they could do it.

LOL yeah, okay, sure.

I would love to be at the meeting where they decide which content applies to which ethnic affinity.

I’ve posted a few things about Black Lives Matter on my FB. I tend to repost a few things about the Obamas too.
I am guessing I am now labeled black which is just another word for unwanted in this case. FB won’t see it that way and will probably pretend to be shocked anyone would see it that way.

If I post about Game of Thrones does that drop me into the white or black camp?

“Hi Facebook, we’re a company who would like to sell hair products on your site.”

“Woah Sorry no, we’re not even going there.Sorry. pleasedontgetmefired”

Allow me to improve the level of this conversation:

“Herpaty durr, derpa herp nerp derpa hurr.”

It’s Diwali on Sunday, how are you going to identify this demographic without an hysterical prog accusing you of being literally Hitler? Hindus are consumers too you know.

I am curious how Diwali will go down on October 30. Swastikas are not something that will come across welcoming, no matter how it was meant.

NPR was actually running a story about a family, and exactly that issue. They were doing the traditional sand art, including the Hindu swastika. They insisted that this was important, and they wanted more people to do it to reclaim the symbol.

But the counter is that the symbol is to inextricably tied to one of the worst atrocities, and that in western memory that may never happen. Or, at lest, it may not happen as long as the symbol is a) part of living and near living memory and b) have people still vocally and publically using that symbol for the precepts of Nazism.

I am sympathetic to both sides. I understand that they want to reclaim the symbol, but I feel it is going to be a failed effort for another generation or two. At least until actual fucking Nazis stop using it.

I imagine the same way every other company does so: if the originating IP is in India, then you are probably targeting a Hindu consumer. If it’s not in India, then you probably aren’t.

Yes, that means that Hindu consumers living in America are less likely to see a swastika than Hindu consumers living in India. I suspect that they are accustomed to this by now.

I just did a Google image search on Diwali, btw. I saw a lot of colorful celebratory images, with exactly zero swastikas. Was I deprived?

Or you know advertise an apartment complex you really only want to rent to whites, which you can’t legally do, but FB is the only place allowing you to try and only reach a white audience. Everywhere else, TV, newspaper, billboards… you advertise and any number of people can see it. It’s simply not okay to exclude minorities this way.

I’m pretty sure for housing at least, that it will be illegal based on federal housing law. This could be serious federal trouble for FB.