How Critical Race Theory Can Help Dismantle Racist Professionalism Constructs in the Workplace

How Critical Race Theory Can Help Us Understand and Dismantle Professionalism Constructs in the Workplace

Professionalism Weaponized

Professionalism is a term that is often used to describe the expected standards of conduct and performance in a workplace.

However, professionalism is not a neutral or objective concept - the dominant culture and values of the society and the organization shape it.

Professionalism constructs are the norms and expectations defining professional behaviour and appearance in a given context. These constructs are often inconsistently applied.

Some in power impose:

• contrived protocols when it suits them,
• unrealistic politeness (rather niceness) standards, and
• professionalism constructs selectively

to silence and harden the ceiling for BIPOC and Indigenous professionals who are growing in power - and becoming a threat.

For many members of equity-deserving groups, they are welcomed by those in power to have a seat at the table - so long as they remain at the children's table.?

These constructs may take the form of subjective and selective applications of communication expectations, interpersonal skills, appearance and efficacy - all used or weaponized to exclude and restore traditional racial and gender dominance in the workplace.

For example, BIPOC and Indigenous professionals may be criticized for being too assertive, emotional, or aggressive, while their white counterparts are praised for being confident, passionate, or decisive. They may also face microaggressions, bullying and harassment based on their race, ethnicity, culture, accent, dress, hair, or religion. These forms of discrimination are often subtle, covert, and normalized in the workplace culture.

Critical Race Theory

Critical race theory (CRT) is a framework that helps us understand how racism is embedded in society's structures, systems, policies, and practices. CRT challenges the dominant narratives and ideologies that justify and perpetuate racial oppression and inequality.

CRT also centers the voices and experiences of BIPOC and Indigenous people as sources of knowledge and resistance to racial oppression.

By applying CRT to professionalism constructs in the workplace, we can reveal how they are rooted in white supremacy, colonialism, patriarchy, and capitalism.

We can also expose how professionalism constructs operate to marginalize and oppress BIPOC and Indigenous professionals and maintain the status quo.

One of the ways that CRT can help us dismantle professionalism constructs in the workplace is by promoting counter-narratives. Counter-narratives are stories that challenge the dominant narratives that uphold racism and other forms of oppression. Counter-narratives can empower BIPOC and Indigenous professionals to speak their truth, share their perspectives, and resist erasure and silencing.

Counter-narratives can also educate and raise awareness among white allies and accomplices who want to support anti-racism efforts in the workplace.

Transformative Justice

Another way that CRT can help us dismantle professionalism constructs in the workplace is by advocating for transformative justice. Transformative justice is a process that seeks to address the root causes of harm and violence in a way that honours the dignity and humanity of all parties involved.

Transformative justice recognizes that traditional complaint processes to address harassment and bullying complaints are often ineffective and harmful for BIPOC and Indigenous professionals.?

Too often, executive leaders, with the assistance of HR departments and even HR Generalist firms masquerading as "independent" investigators, put their finger on the scale to protect the offending corporate leaders and structures.?

This should not come as a surprise.

After all, it was not an HR department or internal complaint process that took down Roger Ailes.

It was a highly sophisticated outside legal counsel-supported process that broke down layers of the institutional protection of sexual harassment and gender-based violence.

Rape and sexual harassment are not about sex but about imposing dominance and power over another person. Systemic racist constructs leveraged by sophisticated, dominating leaders are the same as rape and sexual harassment, in that they are about exerting dominance and power over others.

Professional members of BIPOC, Indigenous and other equity-deserving groups have no safe recourse - certainly not one free from retaliation, reprisal, including the risk of career loss.

Contributing to this, is often leaders stand in front of members of equity-deserving groups - for a self-gratifying Twitter pic, rather than standing beside them when it counts.

Leaders like this invite members of equity-deserving groups to share all the symbolism and displays of forgiveness and gratitude they want on the one hand. But on the other hand, they punish those who dare to expect an authentic voice and place at the decision-making table.

Transformative justice offers an alternative approach by focusing on healing, accountability, reparations, and prevention. Transformative justice involves creating spaces for dialogue, listening, learning, acknowledging harm, taking responsibility, making amends, repairing relationships, changing behaviours, challenging systems of oppression, and building community. Transformative justice requires a collective commitment from all stakeholders in the workplace to create a culture of respect, inclusion, equity, and justice - while protecting members of equity-deserving groups from reprisal for voicing their concerns.

In conclusion, professionalism constructs in the workplace are not neutral or objective. They are tools of oppression that silence and harden the ceiling for empowered BIPOC and Indigenous professionals. Critical race theory can help us understand how these constructs are rooted in racism and other forms of oppression. It can also help us dismantle them by promoting counter-narratives and transformative justice. By doing so, we can create more inclusive workplaces where BIPOC and Indigenous professionals can thrive.