Examples of Soft Bigotry: Subtle Signs of Bias and Their Impact

In contemporary social discourse, soft bigotry has emerged as a distinct form of subtle bias that can significantly impact individuals and communities. This phenomenon manifests in subtle signs of discrimination and microaggressions, often going unnoticed by the perpetrators but causing lasting harm. Understanding these subtle forms of bias is crucial for fostering a more inclusive and equitable society.

What is Soft Bigotry?

Soft bigotry refers to subliminal prejudice and subtle discrimination that can affect individuals without overt hostility or malice. Unlike overt bigotry, which is often easily identified and more clearly discriminatory, soft bigotry operates in more muted forms. These can include assumptions, microaggressions, and implicit biases that affect how individuals are perceived and treated.

Examples of Soft Bigotry

The following are examples of subtle bigotry in various aspects of daily life:

A white woman is in an elevator and a black man gets on. She clutches her purse a bit tighter. A black man gives a speech. A white man from the audience compliments him by saying how “eloquent” or “well spoken” he is, as if this is an uncommon trait. A wealthy black woman walks into an expensive boutique. The store clerk keeps a close eye on her, assuming she is planning to steal something. A wealthy black man drives an expensive car and gets pulled over by a police officer, who assumes the car must have been stolen.

These examples highlight how subtle discrimination can influence actions and assumptions in everyday situations, often without conscious awareness of the bias on the part of the perpetrator.

The Subtle Bigotry of Low Expectations

Awareness of soft bigotry extends to the profound impact of the soft bigotry of low expectations within school systems. This form of discrimination can significantly hinder academic performance and development. Teachers, administrators, and society at large may hold lower expectations for students from disadvantaged backgrounds or minorities, leading to a reduction in the child's ability to perform academically.

The hierarchy of needs triangle, a model describing basic human needs and their sequential importance, can be negatively affected by this low expectation bias. Focus on fulfilling basic needs like safety and belonging can overshadow efforts to meet higher-level needs such as education and self-actualization.

Discrimination in Housing and Other Arenas

Soft bigotry also manifests in housing discrimination, where credit reports, loans, and other metrics are used to subtly exclude certain individuals from accessing homes. This can create a cycle of financial and social disadvantage, perpetuating patterns of discrimination and inequality.

For example, a long-term resident of the country who speaks the target language exceptionally well may face subtle expectations. Comments like You speak target language so well despite being a long-term resident of the country can suggest an undercurrent of surprise at the person’s ability, implying that their achievement is noteworthy due to their minority status.

Similarly, housing discrimination via credit reports, loans, and other financial metrics can have a serious impact on individuals. These subtle biases can undermine a person's ability to secure housing, thereby impacting their overall quality of life and socioeconomic status.

Historical and Contextual Examples

The example of President Trump's comment to some people in Washington regarding returning to their countries of origin offers a recent, albeit controversial, example of soft bigotry. This comment sparked a debate about the nature of inclusion and exclusion, highlighting how minor remarks can communicate messages of exclusion and discrimination.

Not surprisingly, the Democrats and others viewed the statement as an example of disadvantaged people or minorities being expected to meet different standards of behavior or achievement. This phenomena is often known as not expecting disadvantaged people or minorities to meet the same standard of behavior or achievement set for most people.

These historical and contextual examples illustrate how soft bigotry can have profound impacts on individuals and communities, even when not intended or recognized.

Conclusion: Understanding and addressing soft bigotry is vital for creating a more inclusive society. By acknowledging and tackling these subtle forms of discrimination, we can work towards building a more equitable and just environment for all.

Keywords: soft bigotry, subtle bias, discrimination, racism, microaggressions