Until educated racism diminishes and the educated educate the ignorant, ignorant variety will thrive
Rapid response to:
Education And DebateEthical dilemma
Education and debateDealing with racist patientsDoctors are people tooCommentary: A role for personal values … and managementCommentary: Isolate the problemCommentary: Courteous containment is not enough
Until educated racism diminishes and the educated educate the ignorant, ignorant variety will thrive
Editor
Mary Selby is lucky to be concerned about a racial incident from ten
years ago!1 My experience is much more current than that; shouted racist
epithets are common in this part of the country and it is possible,
depending on the clinical
environment to experience incidents involving patients which turn 'racial'
three or more times a year. Many of us cope easily with minor, and
sometimes major verbal abuse from the 'ignorant'. I find the best reaction
to common racism in
general practice, the wards, clinics is to ignore it and be professional.
There are, however, dangers in 'using personality' as Julia Neuberger
suggests and 'remaining courteous' as Pippa Gough advises; both may
encourage the
patient to lodge a complaint on some clinical grievance. Charles Easmon's
attempts to isolate the problem show that the racist abuse is merely part
of an 'everyday culture'.
However some differentiation should be made between the racist views of
the 'ignorant', which tend to be petty, if unsettling pricks, from those
'who should know better'. The former tend to be transitory - unless
violence is involved. The latter is the precursor of the institutional
racism of the NHS, manifested in the major, minor and trivial disadvantage
suffered by ethnic minorities in dealing
with bodies like the GMC, and in the culture of the royal colleges,
defence organisations, and other administrative or institutional bodies.2
Those familiar with colonial and apartheid discourse will recognise some
of the excuses;
where the victims 'standards', 'temperament', 'cultural knowledge (bad
loser etc.) becomes the issue. Not surprisingly many prefer not to
complain or 'play
the race card'; the stress involved in making a futile complaint and the
resultant backlash are deterrents to most mortals.3
I find 'perceived' racism from peers of similar education - those
with knowledge of the history of the British Empire and its legacies, like
doctors, administrators, lawyers etc. is much harder to deal with. I use
'perceived' because this is often the reaction when one complains, despite
the gradually accumulating figures to the contrary.4 Until 'educated'
racism diminishes and the 'educated' educate the
'ignorant', the ignorant variety will thrive.5
3 Ruggiero KM and Taylor DM 'Why minority group members perceive or
do not perceive the discrimination that confronts them: the role of self
esteem', Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 72 (2): 373 - 89,
1997 Feb.
4 Esmail A, Everington S. 'Racial discrimination against doctors from
ethnic minorities'. BMJ 1993; 306: 691 - 2.
5 McPherson W. 'The Stephen Lawrence inquiry'. London: Stationary
Office, 1990.
Rapid Response:
Until educated racism diminishes and the educated educate the ignorant, ignorant variety will thrive
Editor
Mary Selby is lucky to be concerned about a racial incident from ten
years ago!1 My experience is much more current than that; shouted racist
epithets are common in this part of the country and it is possible,
depending on the clinical
environment to experience incidents involving patients which turn 'racial'
three or more times a year. Many of us cope easily with minor, and
sometimes major verbal abuse from the 'ignorant'. I find the best reaction
to common racism in
general practice, the wards, clinics is to ignore it and be professional.
There are, however, dangers in 'using personality' as Julia Neuberger
suggests and 'remaining courteous' as Pippa Gough advises; both may
encourage the
patient to lodge a complaint on some clinical grievance. Charles Easmon's
attempts to isolate the problem show that the racist abuse is merely part
of an 'everyday culture'.
However some differentiation should be made between the racist views of
the 'ignorant', which tend to be petty, if unsettling pricks, from those
'who should know better'. The former tend to be transitory - unless
violence is involved. The latter is the precursor of the institutional
racism of the NHS, manifested in the major, minor and trivial disadvantage
suffered by ethnic minorities in dealing
with bodies like the GMC, and in the culture of the royal colleges,
defence organisations, and other administrative or institutional bodies.2
Those familiar with colonial and apartheid discourse will recognise some
of the excuses;
where the victims 'standards', 'temperament', 'cultural knowledge (bad
loser etc.) becomes the issue. Not surprisingly many prefer not to
complain or 'play
the race card'; the stress involved in making a futile complaint and the
resultant backlash are deterrents to most mortals.3
I find 'perceived' racism from peers of similar education - those
with knowledge of the history of the British Empire and its legacies, like
doctors, administrators, lawyers etc. is much harder to deal with. I use
'perceived' because this is often the reaction when one complains, despite
the gradually accumulating figures to the contrary.4 Until 'educated'
racism diminishes and the 'educated' educate the
'ignorant', the ignorant variety will thrive.5
Yours sincerely
John Lwanda
Gailes Park
Bothwell,
Glasgow G71 8TS
References
1 Selby Mary. 'Dealing with racist patients'. BMJ 1999; 318: 1129 -
31
2 ODA News Review, Issue No. 17. Vol 5, May/June 1998.
3 Ruggiero KM and Taylor DM 'Why minority group members perceive or
do not perceive the discrimination that confronts them: the role of self
esteem', Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 72 (2): 373 - 89,
1997 Feb.
4 Esmail A, Everington S. 'Racial discrimination against doctors from
ethnic minorities'. BMJ 1993; 306: 691 - 2.
5 McPherson W. 'The Stephen Lawrence inquiry'. London: Stationary
Office, 1990.
Competing interests: No competing interests