{"id":2926,"date":"2021-02-10T11:14:43","date_gmt":"2021-02-10T16:14:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/?p=2926"},"modified":"2023-12-12T16:27:25","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T21:27:25","slug":"guest-blog-flipping-the-switch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/guest-blog-flipping-the-switch\/","title":{"rendered":"Guest Blog: Flipping the Switch"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><button id=\"listenButton1\" class=\"responsivevoice-button\" type=\"button\" value=\"Play\" title=\"ResponsiveVoice Tap to Start\/Stop Speech\"><span>&#128266; Listen to this article<\/span><\/button>\n        <script>\n            listenButton1.onclick = function(){\n                if(responsiveVoice.isPlaying()){\n                    responsiveVoice.cancel();\n                }else{\n                    responsiveVoice.speak(\"The impact of code-switching on underrepresented demographics in the workplace It\u2019s Monday morning, and it\u2019s time for work. Black women are flat-ironing natural curls and forgoing their favorite shade of lipstick. Non-native English speakers from all walks of life are practicing greetings and pronunciations. People who don\u2019t conform to one gender are wondering if a blouse could mean termination or worse. Skirt or trousers? Hijab or not? My birth name or something easier to grasp? For many people, this Monday morning routine is just the beginning step required to navigate the world, in or outside of the office. The Harvard Business Review defines code-switching as \u201cadjusting one\u2019s style of speech, appearance, behavior, and expression in ways that will optimize the comfort of others in exchange for fair treatment, quality service, and employment opportunities.\u201d That means much more than remembering to shower after your run; it means conscientiously covering your background to be more presentable in standardized settings. Putting on your professional self Each of these actions relies on social norms and is inherently indicative of the cultural context in which it sits. For many in the United States, code-switching is a daily practice. It requires a prescribed set of behaviors and script-adherence, enforced primarily because \u201cif your presentation doesn\u2019t make sense, you won\u2019t make cents either.\u201d The capitalist framework that our country believes in ensures that any deviation from the traditional behaviors of a professional context can, and often does, affect the bottom line. Promotions, salary negotiations, and inclusion are often contingent upon playing by the rules. But what if you don\u2019t know the rules? Or, what if the very existence of those traditional behaviors is an affront to your authentic identity? When does the cost of professional assimilation outweigh a weekly paycheck? For people from underrepresented groups, traditional work environments can require a kind of cultural contortion that is invisible to those who are a part of majority culture, or who are so acclimated to professional norms that the cost appears negligible. In short, it requires code-switching. In practice, code-switching might entail stifling an accent so as not to betray one\u2019s ethnic heritage or allow their pronunciation to be scrutinized as an indicator of intelligence. It might also mean donning a suit, tie, or heels instead of garments that warrant religious, ethnic, or gender identification. For others, it can feel like the stripping, scrubbing, and erasure of any differentiating factors: the burying of any character qualities that make us feel unique.\u00a0 Standing out, after all, could mean the loss of opportunity. To note this, though, is to acknowledge the existence of in-groups and out-groups that make code-switching possible and often necessary. There is a certain standard -- largely upheld by Western, white, heteronormative structures --that deems all others identities as non-normative and, therefore, substandard.\u00a0 So, why do people code-switch? What is the trade-off for downplaying individual identity in the workplace? The gains of code-switching are strikingly clear. When professionals code-switch, they\u2019re more likely to be hired, taken seriously in the workplace, and deemed worthy of leadership positions. To assimilate in the workplace could mean the gain of significant income and opportunity throughout a career. In a blog dedicated entirely to the topic, NPR\u2019s \u201cCode Switch\u201d delves into what is gained by consciously (or subconsciously) participating in the practice. Sometimes, it means adopting a Southern y\u2019all to earn a hefty tip, adopting one\u2019s native dialect on a business trip to earn a client\u2019s trust, or modifying behavior to preserve diplomacy (yes, even for former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle). In the book Working Identity, legal scholars Mitu Gulati and Devon Carbado argue that \u201cminority professionals tread cautiously to avoid upsetting the majority group\u2019s sensibilities [\u2026] they can be visibly Black, but don\u2019t want to be perceived as stereotypically Black.\u201d Chemically straightened hair and a calm, approachable demeanor? Yes. Dreadlocks, assertive communication, and hoop earrings?\u00a0 Absolutely not.\u00a0 However, people are not chameleons. All of this shapeshifting comes at a cost. The physical, emotional, and physiological effects of stifling natural expression in the workplace have been studied, and the effects are devastating. The sheer loss of productivity and innovative thought that could be powerful catalysts for social progress are lost due to conscious and unconscious bias. What does code-switching say about us and about work? In more ways than one, the pandemic swing toward working from home has lain bare the value of professional code-switching. People from underrepresented and underserved groups who have the privilege of working from home have taken to social media to unleash a collective exhale: without the social pressures of an office environment, they can collectively recover from the demands of performative professionalism. Could the solution to code-switching be found in the throes of a global pandemic? Could a silver lining have revealed itself outside of the traditional office context?\u00a0 Perhaps the shift to remote work will serve to make us more aware of what\u2019s actually essential for professional success, peeling away what should have never mattered in the first place. Nevermind the coils in their hair, the lilt of their voice, or their resistance to a weekend round of golf to earn a seat on the Board. Can the person on the other side of the inbox do this work well? That\u2019s the question we should have been asking in the first place. Ashley Strahm\u00a0is a content strategist, activist, and writer in Durham, NC. A Guyanese-American tri-state transplant, she is committed to justice, enthralled by stories, and inspired by the prospect of an equitable future for all.\", \"US English Male\");\n                }\n            };\n        <\/script>\n     <\/br><\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><i>The impact of code-switching on underrepresented demographics in the workplace<\/i><\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s Monday morning, and it\u2019s time for work. Black women are flat-ironing natural curls and forgoing their favorite shade of lipstick. Non-native English speakers from all walks of life are practicing greetings and pronunciations. People who don\u2019t conform to one gender are wondering if a blouse could mean termination or worse. Skirt or trousers? Hijab or not? My birth name or something easier to grasp?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For many people, this Monday morning routine is just the beginning step required to navigate the world, in or outside of the office. The<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2019\/11\/the-costs-of-codeswitching\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Harvard Business Review<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> defines code-switching as \u201cadjusting one\u2019s style of speech, appearance, behavior, and expression in ways that will optimize the comfort of others in exchange for fair treatment, quality service, and employment opportunities.\u201d That means much more than remembering to shower after your run; it means conscientiously covering your background to be more presentable in standardized settings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/library\/%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8874 size-large lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B-1024x341.png\" alt=\"TDM Library. Your one-stop-shop for update DEI Resources. Explore with a free trial. Click here to learn more.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"341\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B-1024x341.png 1024w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B-600x200.png 600w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B-768x256.png 768w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-B.png 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/341;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h4><b>Putting on your professional self<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each of these actions relies on social norms and is inherently indicative of the cultural context in which it sits. For many in the United States, code-switching is a daily practice. It requires a prescribed set of behaviors and script-adherence, enforced primarily because \u201cif your presentation doesn\u2019t make sense, you won\u2019t make cents either.\u201d The capitalist framework that our country believes in ensures that any deviation from the traditional behaviors of a professional context can, and often does, affect the bottom line. Promotions, salary negotiations, and inclusion are often contingent upon playing by the rules.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But what if you don\u2019t know the rules? Or, what if the very existence of those traditional behaviors is an affront to your authentic identity? When does the cost of professional assimilation outweigh a weekly paycheck? For people from underrepresented groups, traditional work environments can require a kind of cultural contortion that is invisible to those who are a part of majority culture, or who are so acclimated to professional norms that the cost appears negligible. In short, it requires code-switching.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In practice, code-switching might entail stifling an accent so as not to betray one\u2019s ethnic heritage or allow their pronunciation to be scrutinized as an indicator of intelligence. It might also mean donning a suit, tie, or heels instead of garments that warrant religious, ethnic, or gender identification. For others, it can feel like the stripping, scrubbing, and erasure of any differentiating factors: the burying of any character qualities that make us feel unique.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Standing out, after all, could mean the loss of opportunity. To note this, though, is to acknowledge the existence of in-groups and out-groups that make code-switching possible and often necessary. There is a certain standard &#8212; largely upheld by Western, white, heteronormative structures &#8211;that deems all others identities as non-normative and, therefore, substandard.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>So, why do people code-switch? What is the trade-off for downplaying individual identity in the workplace?<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The gains of code-switching are strikingly clear. When professionals code-switch, they\u2019re<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1177\/0001839216639577?journalCode=asqa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">more likely to be hired<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2019\/08\/why-women-and-people-of-color-in-law-still-hear-you-dont-look-like-a-lawyer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">taken seriously in the workplace<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and deemed<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.aom.org\/doi\/10.5465\/amj.2009.0745\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">worthy of leadership positions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. To assimilate in the workplace could mean the gain of<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/scholarship.law.duke.edu\/faculty_scholarship\/1295\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">significant income and opportunity<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> throughout a career. In a blog dedicated entirely to the topic, NPR\u2019s \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/blogs\/codeswitch\/2013\/04\/08\/176064688\/how-code-switching-explains-the-world\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Code Switch<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d delves into what is gained by consciously (or subconsciously) participating in the practice. Sometimes, it means adopting a Southern y\u2019all to earn a hefty tip, adopting one\u2019s native dialect on a business trip to earn a client\u2019s trust, or modifying behavior to preserve diplomacy (yes, even for former<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/identities\/2018\/11\/13\/18091734\/michelle-obama-becoming-race-code-switching-memoir\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the book <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Working Identity<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, legal scholars Mitu Gulati and Devon Carbado argue that \u201cminority professionals tread cautiously to avoid upsetting the majority group\u2019s sensibilities [\u2026] they can be visibly Black, but don\u2019t want to be perceived as stereotypically Black.\u201d Chemically straightened hair and a calm, approachable demeanor? Yes. Dreadlocks, assertive communication, and hoop earrings?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Absolutely not.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, people are not chameleons. All of this shapeshifting comes at a cost. The physical, emotional, and physiological effects of stifling natural expression in the workplace have been studied, and<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/record\/2016-34487-020\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the effects are devastating<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The sheer loss of productivity and innovative thought that could be powerful catalysts for social progress are lost due to conscious and unconscious bias.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>What does code-switching say about us and about work?<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In more ways than one, the pandemic swing toward working from home has lain bare the value of professional code-switching. People from underrepresented and underserved groups who have the privilege of working from home have taken to social media to unleash a collective exhale: without the social pressures of an office environment, they can collectively recover from the demands of performative professionalism.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Could the solution to code-switching be found in the throes of a global pandemic? Could a silver lining have revealed itself outside of the traditional office context?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps the shift to remote work will serve to make us more aware of what\u2019s actually essential for professional success, peeling away what should have never mattered in the first place. Nevermind the coils in their hair, the lilt of their voice, or their resistance to a weekend round of golf to earn a seat on the Board. Can the person on the other side of the inbox <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">do this work well?<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> That\u2019s the question we should have been asking in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/library\/%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-8047 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B-1024x85.png\" alt=\"Display ad for TDM Library. Text says &quot;Find more content like this in TDM Library. Start my free trial&quot;\" width=\"1024\" height=\"85\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B-1024x85.png 1024w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B-600x50.png 600w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B-300x25.png 300w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B-768x64.png 768w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-B.png 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/85;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ashley-strahm-54933262\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ashley Strahm<\/a>\u00a0is a content strategist, activist, and writer in Durham, NC. A Guyanese-American tri-state transplant, she is committed to justice, enthralled by stories, and inspired by the prospect of an equitable future for all.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The impact of code-switching on underrepresented demographics in the workplace &nbsp; It\u2019s Monday morning, and it\u2019s time for work. Black women are flat-ironing natural curls and forgoing their favorite shade15<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2927,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[65,60,5],"tags":[109,76],"tdm_type":[92],"class_list":["post-2926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-fundamentals","category-employee-experience-organizational-culture","category-blogs","tag-gender","tag-race","tdm_type-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Guest Blog: Flipping the Switch - The Diversity Movement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For many, going to work means code switching, or conscientiously covering your background to be more presentable. 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