Bias
Cognitive Dissonance, its causes, costs, and cures
I hear Carol Tavris speak at a wonderful discussion group in Santa Monica years ago: Somehow I just felt a need to finally buy the book "Mistakes Were Made(But not by Me) and read it. Now I am getting messages from the Universe -- the phrase "cognitive dissonance" keeps reoccurring everywhere I read, on conference calls... I am clearly supposed to get familiar with this concept (and the research) and how it affects me, my work and my clients.. and the toxic court system.
I have yet to complete the book--the examples of how commonly God awful things happen and are justified buy this aspect of how humans think is hard to plow through. I keep wanting to know WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT? And I keep asking myself "Have I done this? Do I do this?"
Hard to read and do this at the same time.
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Broad Overview of Multiple Categories
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Personal Growth and Development
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Reflection, Spirituality, Consciousness
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Neuroscience, Psychology, Biology
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Divorce and Family Law
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Social and Political Change Center for Mindfulness & Justice: Mindfulness & Unconscious Bias; Transforming Internalized Notions" Workshop in Madison Nov. 13 & 14
"This mindfulness workshop will explore our unconscious adaptations and habit energy in a multi-cultural world, and will include Meditation via both sitting & movement. We will explore the ways in which we are conditioned to perceive difference - and the ways in which perceptions of difference influence our attitudes, behaviors, and responses to others. Cheri will instruct along with Don Coleman, recently retired from UW-Madison's School of Social Work & co-founder of Madison Daoguan."
"The Center for Mindfulness & Justice provides non-sectarian mindfulness instruction, keynote presentations, and organizational consulting and training for criminal justice professionals and employees in all arenas. Additionally, we offer individual mentoring and group meditation retreats for students of Thich Nhat Hanh and other interested mindfulness practitioners.
Harvard Law and Policy article: Unraveling the Gordian Knot of Implicit Bias in Jury Selection: The Problems of Judge- Dominated Voir Dire, the Failed Promise of Batson, and Proposed Solutions
"My own introduction to implicit bias was deeply unnerving. Associate Dean Russ Lovell of the Drake University Law School, with whom I have co-taught Advanced Employment Discrimination Litigation for many years, suggested that I visit a Harvard University website about Project Implicit. The site, www.implicit.harvard.edu, includes an online test on different types of biases called the Implicit Association Test (IAT). At that time, I knew nothing about the IAT, but as a former civil rights lawyer and seasoned federal district court judge—one with a lifelong commitment to egalitarian and anti-discrimination values—I was eager to take the test. I knew I
would “pass” with flying colors.I didn’t."
For full article, see http://hlpronline.com/2010/02/bennett_bias/
Neutralizing Your Own Implicit Biases to Avoid Conflict and Increase Flexibility
Since lawyers deal with every kind of person in matters requiring impartiality (those involving legal rights, fairness and social justice), we acknowledge there is no place for bias. We are all very familiar with the bigot's open, unapologetic contempt for individuals based on their membership in a group defined by race, ethnicity, religion, disability, age, gender and sexual orientation. This type of bias is explicit, because it is conscious. The bigot is fully aware of his view that some groups of people are inferior and he will vigorously defend it.
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Contemplative Practice, Reflection and Spirituality in Law
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