L11: Concealable Identities in the Workplace: queer & disabled employees

Question 1

What are concealable identities at work?

Answer 1

• religion
• occupation
• national origin
• polical beliefs
• illness
• sexual orientation
• some types of mixed ethnic / racial backgrounds

Question 2

What is a key theme in concealable identities at work?

Answer 2

information management
- do i disclose my concealable identity or not
- how will it be perceived
- how is it perceived

Question 3

What is heteronormative ideology?

Answer 3

the belief that there are 2 separate & opposing genders (women & men) w associated natural roles (masculine & feminine), which are in line w their assigned sex (female & male) and that heterosexuality is a given, rather than one of many possible sexualities

Question 4

what is descriptive vs prescriptive heternormativity?

Answer 4

descriptive: observing & describing how heterosexuality & trad gender norms function as the default in society
presecpritve: actively enforcing or promoting heternormativitiy as the default

Question 5

What are the effects of heternormative ideology on LGBT individuals?

Answer 5

• on average hetero men express more sexual prejudice towards sexual minorities, and more to gay men than lesbian women
• subtle discrimination during job interviews
• discrimination against openly trans workers
• sexual prejudice appears to decline but not everywhere

Question 6

What are the intragroup effects in queer ppl of heteronormative ideology?

Answer 6

• gay men show less strong ingroup favoritism than straight men
• lots of heteronormativiy in same sex couples (traditional gender role division)

Question 7

What factors influence LGBT employees work? what specific things do they influence?

Answer 7

• formal LGBT policies & practices
• LGBT supportive climate (strongest influence on disclosure & discrimination)
• Supportive workplace relationships (strong influence on work attitudes & strain)

these all influence work attitudes, psych strain, disclosure, and perceived discrimination amongst queer ppl

Question 8

define disability identity

Answer 8

the part of a workers self concept defined by having a disability

Question 9

What are the unique challenges employees w disabilities encounter?

Answer 9

• low base rate: nr of ppl w a similar identity in ones network is smaller than with other identities like ethnicity
• direct impact on competence expectations

Question 10

What are the dynamics of disability id management at work?

Answer 10

Disability can be visible or concealable
* concealable disabilities can use different ID management strategies: can “pass” (remember that cognitive/physical costs may be bad for work performance).
* can use signaling behaviors to “test the waters”
* Sometimes contexts affect revealing considerations (e.g.,
someone with diabetes will reveal only when there’s a
collective lunch)

Question 11

What is disability strain?

Answer 11

negative experience due to the disability
- having the disbaility, managing the barriers & coping
- negative emotions (frustration, fear etc)

Question 12

What is disability salience?

Answer 12

internal experience or awareness of an impairment being present

Question 13

What does disability salience depend on?

Answer 13

• severity of hte limitations
• relevance for the environment

Question 14

What disability ID management strategies can be used?

Answer 14

• revealing
• concealing (ex avoiding): avoidance & control perceptions
• downplaying
• selective revealing/concealment/disclosure
• environemntal adjustments

Question 15

What are the consequences of disability id management?

Answer 15

• health & wellbeing
• quality of social relationships

Question 16

In the disability identity at work model, what is meant with “discretion or humility”?

Answer 16

• appraisals of the situation in terms of its appropriateness for disclosure
• will i encoutner stigma?
• are there other ppl who need certain treaatment more (afraid of taking someone else’s accomodation)

Question 17

what health & well being be affected by disability ID management at work?

Answer 17

• psych strain
• negative affect
• cog functioning
• self esteem

Question 18

What are the unique challenges employees w mental illness encounter?

Answer 18

• problems w legitimacy (not seen as legit compared to physical)
• fluctuation decreases legitimacy further
• danger: perceived inability to resolve conflict, cooperate, control emotions, also insatbility & unpredictability

Question 19

Why does Follmer think that focusing on mental illness in the workplace is important?

Answer 19

mental illness (like other parts of social identity) shape how individuals experience the workplace
the invisbility of this identity can lead to misunderstandings, stereotypes, and unique challenges for those affected
it can reduce producitivity, job satisfaction etc

Question 20

What intraindividual factors influence ppls decision to disclose disability?

Answer 20

• disability salience
• disability strain

Question 21

What environmental factors influence ppls decision to disclose disability?

Answer 21

• disability stigma
• social support (and ineffectiveness)

Question 22

What does signaling theory posit?

Answer 22

formal policies send signals about acceptable workplace behaviours
however w/o a supportive climate or relationships, these policies may feel like empty promises