Calling All Social Psychologists

This clip, from the newly televised This American Life, shows what happens when (mostly) black women and (mostly) white men living in racially-segregated Chicago are brought together and the social rules of decorum are suspended. It is highly, highly disturbing. I'd love it if some social psychologists could comment on what we see happening here!

Posted by Lisa Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 1:24 AM Labels: , , , , , , , ,  

4 comments:

  Anonymous

April 12, 2008 at 7:04 AM

This video is really disturbing. Its like they find a place when everybody is speak their most inner hates and traumas, all the segregation of chicago seems to explode in this single place, and the same time the mass effect of all the people transform from catartic to traumatic enviroment.

  Unknown

April 12, 2008 at 11:22 PM

Part of what is so disturbing here is the way the atmosphere creates an extreme example of the way that fetishism expresses as a mode of dominance in the context of racism. While not impossible, I'm sure, it is difficult to imagine a scene quite like this unfolding between white (drunk) men and white women at the counter. Particularly the phrase "chocolate milkshake" seems to me to completely sum up the conflation of racism and sexual objectification in this situation.

On a separate note, I'm interested in this notion of "repression" of racist/sexist hatred, and the atmosphere as "unleashing" it. While on a surface level it makes sense in talking about obscenity (although it is still important to remember that people here are drunk), it sounds to me like something approaching an implication that this racial hatred is not only inherent but latent in the day to day, ostensibly on account of their being upper-class. That is quite an assumption to be making.

It would be worth it to see the flip-side of these men and the way they interact with (particularly working-class) black women outside of this environment. That would yield better insight into the nature of the transformation that is taking place here - rather than just assuming that the class distinction presupposes a "repression" of racist/sexist attitudes in the day to day.

  Anonymous

April 13, 2008 at 10:10 AM

Well, I spent sometime thinking about this, and here are the summary of my thoughts--for good or ill.

This restaurant is setting up a norm of hostility that violates the overriding social norm of colorblindness in this setting. Furthermore, the fact that most people who are video taped are likely inebriated, this provides two excuses for this behavior: (1) they are self-handicapping--this really doesn't reflect who I am because I was drunk; and (2) not only was I inebriated, but the workers WANT me to treat them like this.

The workers are sending the signal that this is an unusual situation, where normal rules do not apply, when they begin abusing customers. This is clearly violating the norms for behavior that we generally understand service workers to have. Yet, to the extent the customer takes this offer for rude behavior to be returned, I think, would indicate their underlying level of prejudice--whether it is racism, sexism, classism or an intersection between the three.

I would imagine there would be a spectrum of types of customers. On one side (randomly called the left) you would have those that were dragged there by someone else and was really uncomfortable with the environment--and did little if any participation in the behavior. On the other (called the right), you would have those who go there on purpose because of their racist/ sexist/ classist beliefs, and do so to enact these beliefs (a chance to confirm an identity that is normally stigmatized--in a sanctioned environment).

What I would find most interesting is who tips and in what amount. Although bad behavior is sanctioned through the actions of the workers, the ability of tipping is yet another way of sanctioning the patrons behavior. Furthermore, tipping is another way to enact an identity--we just need to understand why they are tipping (I think you could also draw on TORA or the theory of planned behavior from Fishbein and Ajzen). The tips are, not surprisingly great (says the video). I would think those on the left would tip very highly to apologize for beginning in that environment and for seeing their friends behavior--saying, I'm not like this, let me show you by not abusing you and tipping you largely (two actions that would confirm a non-prejudice person identity). I would think that those about 3/4ths down to the right would also tip higher than most. By tipping they are giving license to their behavior which they are not fully embracing in themselves--another way of saying, "I'm just play acting, this really isn't me. See, I like you, I gave you lots of money."

Thus, there are two main behaviors that can be drawn on to verify level of prejudice in the person identity: (1) how they treat the workers; and (2) the amount of tips they give. I'm sure there are more (comments made to friends--"Wow, this is awesome" or "Can we leave?" or even the amount of time they stay in the shop, if they choose to eat outside away from the action, etc.). But, the intersection between action and tipping, I think, would be very telling.

Thanks for posting the video!

  Lisa

April 13, 2008 at 11:09 AM

Thank you for your thoughtful comments, mybackstage!

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