Dec 11, 2008
Dec 3, 2008
Loose Ends
Aunt Sallie passes along a follow-up article to my post about race and snap decisions.
So maybe Implicit Association Tests don't really test true bias at all. That said, there is still plenty of evidence of persistent racial bias in this country. For a long time, researchers have done "salt and pepper" experiments where blacks and whites with similar or equivalent characteristics (other than race) are considered for jobs, loans, etc. If we really are a meritocracy, should Emily and Greg be more employable than Lakisha and Jamal, solely because the
former have "white-sounding" names?
Quote of the day:
James Naughton, canon for communications and advancement in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, on the establishment of a new, Conservative Episcopal Province in the U.S.:
“I think this organization does not have much of a future... there are already a lot of churches in the United States for people who don’t want to worship with gays and lesbians. That’s not a market niche that is underserved.”
Vampire Weekend's Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa is the catchiest song since Outkast's Hey Ya! There's a live version available from NPR here.
So maybe Implicit Association Tests don't really test true bias at all. That said, there is still plenty of evidence of persistent racial bias in this country. For a long time, researchers have done "salt and pepper" experiments where blacks and whites with similar or equivalent characteristics (other than race) are considered for jobs, loans, etc. If we really are a meritocracy, should Emily and Greg be more employable than Lakisha and Jamal, solely because the
former have "white-sounding" names?
Quote of the day:
James Naughton, canon for communications and advancement in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, on the establishment of a new, Conservative Episcopal Province in the U.S.:
“I think this organization does not have much of a future... there are already a lot of churches in the United States for people who don’t want to worship with gays and lesbians. That’s not a market niche that is underserved.”
Vampire Weekend's Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa is the catchiest song since Outkast's Hey Ya! There's a live version available from NPR here.
Dec 1, 2008
45 - 42
I am not a current (or former) Georgia Tech football player.I do not give a dime to the Georgia Tech Athletic Association.
Many of my favorite people went to the University of Georgia -- which is an excellent center of higher learning.
Yet...There has been a smile plastered on my face since Saturday.
David beat Goliath (on the Philistines' home field).
The Trade School Nerds beat the Cool Kids from Athens.
An annual whipping might turn into a rivalry again.
This is the first year since we moved away from Georgia that Tech has beaten UGA in American football. I have always said that the Sunday after Tech-Georgia is the best day of the year to live in Texas (or Colorado). But yesterday that wasn't true -- yesterday would have been a very, very good day to be a Tech fan in the Promised Land.
Nov 13, 2008
Volatility is not Loss (or Gain)
I’m a little bummed that the bottom fell out of the real estate market right after we “bought” our first house (we don’t own a house, we have a mortgage). More to the point, it’s no fun watching the value of any asset decline.
But the title phrase of this post, “Volatility is not Loss,” should give us some comfort. It’s something that any financial planner will try to express, and I heard it uttered by a broker on the radio yesterday afternoon. It’s a good sentiment to remember in times like these. A paper profit or a paper loss is just that, you don’t make or lose money until you actually sell an asset.
Every asset is different, but for those linked to the larger economy, like a house in a major metropolitan area or a mutual fund with broad holdings, things may not be as bad as they seem. The current financial crisis might lead to a permanent revaluation of many assets, but it’s also possible that this is just another business cycle. What goes down will go up again.
On the other hand, that is little solace for those around us who are losing jobs, struggling to pay bills, and wondering what the future holds. As the seasons of Thanksgiving and Advent approach, I hope that I/we will be grateful for what we have and redouble our efforts to help anyone we can.
Shalom.
But the title phrase of this post, “Volatility is not Loss,” should give us some comfort. It’s something that any financial planner will try to express, and I heard it uttered by a broker on the radio yesterday afternoon. It’s a good sentiment to remember in times like these. A paper profit or a paper loss is just that, you don’t make or lose money until you actually sell an asset.
Every asset is different, but for those linked to the larger economy, like a house in a major metropolitan area or a mutual fund with broad holdings, things may not be as bad as they seem. The current financial crisis might lead to a permanent revaluation of many assets, but it’s also possible that this is just another business cycle. What goes down will go up again.
On the other hand, that is little solace for those around us who are losing jobs, struggling to pay bills, and wondering what the future holds. As the seasons of Thanksgiving and Advent approach, I hope that I/we will be grateful for what we have and redouble our efforts to help anyone we can.
Shalom.
Nov 11, 2008
A Policy/Ethics Question
Florida recently passed a law requiring older drivers (+80) to have their eyes examined. (Please refrain from guffawing). The result as described here, was a statistically significant decrease in fatalities among these drivers. At least three factors were involved. Some drivers flunked the test and stopped driving; others got new prescriptions to pass the test, which made them better drivers; others just let their licenses expire because they knew they would fail.
In my mind this is a public policy success. Fatalities declined and a bunch of folks can see better. This begs the question: should this policy be directed at drivers of all ages, instead of just older drivers? My uninformed guess is that there would be some benefit, but not as much as for older drivers.
So how many lives would make it worth it? If it would save 5 lives, would YOU require everyone to have their eyes examined? 100 lives? 1000 lives?
In my mind this is a public policy success. Fatalities declined and a bunch of folks can see better. This begs the question: should this policy be directed at drivers of all ages, instead of just older drivers? My uninformed guess is that there would be some benefit, but not as much as for older drivers.
So how many lives would make it worth it? If it would save 5 lives, would YOU require everyone to have their eyes examined? 100 lives? 1000 lives?
Nov 5, 2008
Nickolas
Late last Spring, Elaine and I went to a cookout with some folks from church. It was a small group, and we were staked out near a playground where several children who were not affiliated with our group were playing. While I was preparing dessert, the following actual conversation occurred.
Young Boy – I need a S’more
Travis – I can’t give you a S’more, there are a bunch of kids around here, and I don’t have enough for everybody
Young Boy – But I NEED a S’more
Travis – Kid, I don’t KNOW you
Young Boy – I’m Nickolas
Travis – Well, Nickolas, I’m not going to give you a S’more. It looks like you just ate; you’re wearing your dinner on your shirt (his shirt was covered with ambiguous food stains).
Nickolas – That’s not my dinner, it’s my mess
Travis – Well, you can’t have S’more unless you ask your mom
Older Boy playing on playground – Mom lets him have anything he wants
Travis – I don’t care. Nickolas, if you want a S’more, you have to go ask your mom.
(Nickolas runs off, then returns)
Nickolas – She said I could have one
Travis – Okay (reluctantly gives Nickolas a S’more which he happily devours).
I totally understand if this text doesn’t leap off the page, but it is one of the most memorable conversations I’ve ever had. Elaine and I happily recount it regularly.
The kid was just so optimistic and so-good natured. The way he said, “I’m Nickolas,” as if I had been hearing about him for quite some time, or should have already known, as if a name encapsulated everything you need to know about someone.
I can’t help but worry that this kid has a lot of pain coming his way. Trusting strangers, wearing your heart on your sleeve, and appealing to people’s better angels is a recipe for disaster.
On the other hand, it’s pretty motivating. I want to live in Nickolas’s world – everybody’s a friend; tell people what you want; ignore snide remarks; expect the best.
Young Boy – I need a S’more
Travis – I can’t give you a S’more, there are a bunch of kids around here, and I don’t have enough for everybody
Young Boy – But I NEED a S’more
Travis – Kid, I don’t KNOW you
Young Boy – I’m Nickolas
Travis – Well, Nickolas, I’m not going to give you a S’more. It looks like you just ate; you’re wearing your dinner on your shirt (his shirt was covered with ambiguous food stains).
Nickolas – That’s not my dinner, it’s my mess
Travis – Well, you can’t have S’more unless you ask your mom
Older Boy playing on playground – Mom lets him have anything he wants
Travis – I don’t care. Nickolas, if you want a S’more, you have to go ask your mom.
(Nickolas runs off, then returns)
Nickolas – She said I could have one
Travis – Okay (reluctantly gives Nickolas a S’more which he happily devours).
I totally understand if this text doesn’t leap off the page, but it is one of the most memorable conversations I’ve ever had. Elaine and I happily recount it regularly.
The kid was just so optimistic and so-good natured. The way he said, “I’m Nickolas,” as if I had been hearing about him for quite some time, or should have already known, as if a name encapsulated everything you need to know about someone.
I can’t help but worry that this kid has a lot of pain coming his way. Trusting strangers, wearing your heart on your sleeve, and appealing to people’s better angels is a recipe for disaster.
On the other hand, it’s pretty motivating. I want to live in Nickolas’s world – everybody’s a friend; tell people what you want; ignore snide remarks; expect the best.
Oct 30, 2008
I'm implicitly racist, but I love Barack Obama
So I was reading an op-ed in the NYT this morning
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/opinion/30kristof.html
which offered a link to the following:
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/
It's an "Implicit Association Test" attempting to test our unconscious associations with race (and the leading party candidates).
Here are my test results:
"Your data suggests a moderate automatic preference for White people over Black people
Your data suggests a strong automatic preference for Barack Obama over John McCain"
(my emphasis)
Remember, the idea here is to open up the hood and look at visceral reactions, rather than something you have time to think about. It doesn't surprise me at all that I'm implicitly (moderately) pro-white -- I've had mostly positive experiences with white people, and my view of African-Americans has largely been formed by culture/media rather than personal relationships. Intellectually, I believe we are all God's children, and that there are no significant biological differences (other than appearance) between black and white folk, but my sub-conscious instinct is to prefer my own tribe.
I attribute my preference of Obama to self-conditioning. I really like Obama, so I associate him with positives. I see McCain as more of a tragic figure, so it's natural for me to associate him with negatives.
If my results are not idiosyncratic, if white people (who still have the majority of power in this country) exhibit an implicit preference for other whites, is this an argument in favor of affirmative action?
I think the main upshot is that we should not beat ourselves up over our unconscious bias, but we also should not overlook a potential disconnect between what we "think" and what we "feel". Furthermore, if we know we are biased against other groups, we should consider seeking out individuals in these groups to enter into relationship with.
The Jesus-move is to have a preferential option for the poor, the hurting, and the broken, regardless of race, ethnicity, or other demographic category. My base instinct is towards selfishness and preference for people who look and act like me -- the Jesus impulse has to be cultivated.
(Update: I took the test again and found no bias in preference for whites over blacks -- or vice versa -- and only a moderate Obama preference. But while the test is a fun tool, individual results aren't really the point. The important question is whether there is a pattern of subconscious racism in the population as a whole. I'm fairly agnostic to this question, but I'm willing to be convinced by good research one way or the other.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/opinion/30kristof.html
which offered a link to the following:
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/
It's an "Implicit Association Test" attempting to test our unconscious associations with race (and the leading party candidates).
Here are my test results:
"Your data suggests a moderate automatic preference for White people over Black people
Your data suggests a strong automatic preference for Barack Obama over John McCain"
(my emphasis)
Remember, the idea here is to open up the hood and look at visceral reactions, rather than something you have time to think about. It doesn't surprise me at all that I'm implicitly (moderately) pro-white -- I've had mostly positive experiences with white people, and my view of African-Americans has largely been formed by culture/media rather than personal relationships. Intellectually, I believe we are all God's children, and that there are no significant biological differences (other than appearance) between black and white folk, but my sub-conscious instinct is to prefer my own tribe.
I attribute my preference of Obama to self-conditioning. I really like Obama, so I associate him with positives. I see McCain as more of a tragic figure, so it's natural for me to associate him with negatives.
If my results are not idiosyncratic, if white people (who still have the majority of power in this country) exhibit an implicit preference for other whites, is this an argument in favor of affirmative action?
I think the main upshot is that we should not beat ourselves up over our unconscious bias, but we also should not overlook a potential disconnect between what we "think" and what we "feel". Furthermore, if we know we are biased against other groups, we should consider seeking out individuals in these groups to enter into relationship with.
The Jesus-move is to have a preferential option for the poor, the hurting, and the broken, regardless of race, ethnicity, or other demographic category. My base instinct is towards selfishness and preference for people who look and act like me -- the Jesus impulse has to be cultivated.
(Update: I took the test again and found no bias in preference for whites over blacks -- or vice versa -- and only a moderate Obama preference. But while the test is a fun tool, individual results aren't really the point. The important question is whether there is a pattern of subconscious racism in the population as a whole. I'm fairly agnostic to this question, but I'm willing to be convinced by good research one way or the other.)
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