The Anxious Achiever Revisiting Accent Bias in a World Pushing Against DEI Initiatives
Jan 24, 2025
Heather Hansen, an expert on accent bias in the workplace, shares insights on the overlooked impacts of accent perception. She discusses how bias affects individual careers and mental health, especially in multicultural settings. The conversation highlights the ramifications of recent DEI initiative rollbacks and the colonial legacy of language privilege. Hansen also emphasizes the importance of inclusive communication training for leaders to combat these biases and improve workplace dynamics.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Personal Identity and Speech
- Our speech is a deeply personal part of our identity, making discussions about accent bias sensitive.
- Challenges to how we speak feel like personal attacks, contributing to the topic's sensitivity.
Accent Bias Definition
- Accent bias encompasses bias against dialects and broader communication styles.
- It considers vocabulary, slang, and speech patterns, expanding beyond pronunciation.
Colonialism and Language
- Colonialism significantly impacts accent bias, with English holding unearned power.
- English speakers enjoy privilege as the world's language, despite only 25% of the global population speaking it.
