A new study that suggests racism within small groups appears to affect men more than women may have immense implications.
Jury verdicts could be swayed, military strategies changed, business decisions influenced because of the racial composition of a group, according to Dr. Larry E. Davis, one of the authors of the study and a professor of social work and psychology at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis.
“While many people might consider that an equal number of Black males and an equal number of white males would be an ideal composition when working on a project, our study shows that that might be the worst thing to do, setting up all kinds of conflict,” Davis said. Interestingly, all-women work groups were less affected by the racial balance of the group, leading Davis to conclude that gender is a factor in racism.
