Unconscious Bias: Awareness
Topic outline
-
Unconscious bias is a natural part of how our brains work, being a trait that remains from the earliest days of humankind - from an early age, our minds learn to be comfortable with the familiar and to be sceptical of unfamiliarity.
If we are aware of our biases, we are better able to avoid unintentional discrimination. It is with this awareness that we might ‘unlearn’ old habits and old biases, and learn how to be more inclusive and welcoming of diversity, which brings with it many benefits and opportunities.
By the end of this course, you will:
- Understand different types of unconscious bias and the impact of 'Fast and Slow' thinking.
- Have explored the ways in which unconscious bias impacts our interactions with others.
- Have developed strategies for self-awareness and behaviour change.
The course has been designed by Dr Karamat Iqbal of Forward Partnership, in collaboration with Church of England Birmingham.
You will work through materials independently, here on the online Pathways platform. This course will provide definitions and resources to help you understand what we mean by unconscious bias, followed by a short quiz. You will be encouraged to reflect on how bias impacts you and those around you, contributing to anonymous discussion boards. You will consider strategies to mitigate bias, through forming an action plan.
The whole course is likely to take at least 2.5 hours, but is a process you can leave and return to, with progress saved.