The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership | Critical Thinking | Problem-Solving

516: Professor of Psychology on Succeeding as an Immigrant

Jan 8, 2025

Nilanjana Dasgupta, a psychology professor at the University of Massachusetts, discusses her impactful research on implicit bias and diversity science. She reveals how media representation can transform attitudes and emphasizes the need for evidence-based strategies in creating inclusive cultures. Nilanjana shares her personal immigrant journey, tackling challenges of identity and discrimination while highlighting community support. She critiques traditional diversity training, advocating for clear evaluation criteria and authenticity in the workplace to combat biases.

58:36

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Nilanjana Dasgupta

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Quick takeaways

Nilanjana Dasgupta emphasizes the potential for changing implicit biases through exposure to counter-stereotypical media images, challenging the notion that biases are fixed.

She advocates for proactive community engagement and mentorship to transform experiences of subtle discrimination into constructive professional strategies for immigrants.

Deep dives

Career Journey and Influences

Nilanjana Dasgupta's journey into social psychology is shaped by her family's strong commitment to science and social justice. Raised by a scientist and an engineer, with grandparents involved in India's freedom movement, she developed an appreciation for using data and evidence to address societal issues. Her transition towards psychology ignited during her college years when she discovered her fascination for studying human behavior through scientific methods. This backdrop of activism and the quest for equality provided a rich context for her career in research focused on implicit bias and diversity.

Intro

2min

From Activism to Academia

7min

Navigating Identity as an Immigrant

27min

Biases in Workplace Talent Perception

9min

Reducing Stress Through Community and Belonging

2min

Redefining Diversity Training

9min

Gratitude and Resources for Empowerment

3min

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 516, an interview with the author of Change the Wallpaper: Transforming Cultural Patterns to Build More Just Communities, Nilanjana Dasgupta.

In this episode, Nilanjana discusses her career journey and research on implicit bias and diversity science. She highlights her groundbreaking 2001 study showing that implicit attitudes can be changed through exposure to counter-stereotypical media images. Nilanjana also discusses the importance of understanding and addressing subtle forms of discrimination, such as accent and social class, in professional settings. She advocates for evidence-based strategies over diversity training to foster inclusive cultures.

Her new book, "Change the Wallpaper," offers practical approaches to creating cultural change for equality and justice, focusing on situational forces that influence behavior and perceptions.

Nilanjana Dasgupta is a professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts. She is a leader in research on implicit bias, diversity science, and designing interventions to create local culture change. Her passion is to translate science for social good.

Get Nilanjana’s new book here: https://changethewallpaper.com/

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