The white-man effect: How foreigner presence affects behavior in experiments • Hacker News Board

Re: The white-man effect: How foreigner presence affects behavior in experiments

#11

Post by dalke » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 3:02 PM UTC

pygy_ wrote: post #9

eru wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know that `man' used to be gender neutral? ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_(word) )

And "white man" is used here in the context of post-colonial Africa, where the phrase is loaded in a way that's relevant to the study.

  Take up the White Man's burden, Send forth the best ye breed
    Go bind your sons to exile, to serve your captives' need;
  To wait in heavy harness, On fluttered folk and wild—
    Your new-caught, sullen peoples, Half-devil and half-child.

Re: The white-man effect: How foreigner presence affects behavior in experiments

#12

Post by Sexagesimal » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 3:05 PM UTC

This is nothing new. This relic of the British Empire is found in Silicon Valley today. It connects to misperceptions around genetics. I'm screenshotting this comment btw as proof as I'm sure the group removing it will deny this. Good story for the press.

Re: The white-man effect: How foreigner presence affects behavior in experiments

#13

Post by swampthinker » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 3:11 PM UTC

Sexagesimal wrote: post #12

This is nothing new. This relic of the British Empire is found in Silicon Valley today. It connects to misperceptions around genetics. I'm screenshotting this comment btw as proof as I'm sure the group removing it will deny this. Good story for the press.

> This relic of the British Empire is found in Silicon Valley today

Care to elaborate?

Re: The white-man effect: How foreigner presence affects behavior in experiments

#14

Post by Sexagesimal » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 3:19 PM UTC

swampthinker wrote: post #13

Sexagesimal wrote: post #12

This is nothing new. This relic of the British Empire is found in Silicon Valley today. It connects to misperceptions around genetics. I'm screenshotting this comment btw as proof as I'm sure the group removing it will deny this. Good story for the press.

> This relic of the British Empire is found in Silicon Valley today Care to elaborate?

Colonization e.g. of India, Africa or the Caribbean led to undue emphasis and esteem of Anglos aside from being from a wealthy land. The psychology of a kidnapped or enslaved victim came into play aka Stockholm Syndrome. More importantly, hitleresque superior race, eugenics and a bunch of other stuff wound up in the mix which still pervades thinking today. Some of it even started right here in the Bay Area aka Silicon Valley > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics We used to think technology was the great leveler but it ebbs and flows. The only firm I know that has a clue about any of this is a16z.

Re: The white-man effect: How foreigner presence affects behavior in experiments

#15

Post by notNow » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 3:28 PM UTC

Did they run the same experiment but with people from different backgrounds and ethnicities excluding Europeans and then compare the respective results and come up with a conclusion?

Otherwise, it's just a hasty conclusion with unsound methodologies employed in the process.

Re: The white-man effect: How foreigner presence affects behavior in experiments

#16

Post by nailer » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 3:37 PM UTC

What are 'dictator games'?

Re: The white-man effect: How foreigner presence affects behavior in experiments

#17

Post by alwaysmetara » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 3:49 PM UTC

nailer wrote: post #16

What are 'dictator games'?

One player, the 'dictator', decides how to split a cash prize between themselves and the other player, the recipient. The recipient has no input into how the prize is split.

Re: The white-man effect: How foreigner presence affects behavior in experiments

#18

Post by dalke » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 4:12 PM UTC

The non-paywalled version of the paper is at http://media.withtank.com/1b58f0becf/white_man.pdf .

Re: The white-man effect: How foreigner presence affects behavior in experiments

#19

Post by mafribe » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 4:14 PM UTC

Full text here http://odube.net/papers/White_man.pdf

TL;DR: Sierra Leoneans' behaviour is influenced by how they want to be seen by others, with an aim towards maximising their own benefits.

Re: The white-man effect: How foreigner presence affects behavior in experiments

#20

Post by IllusoryReverb » Sat, Oct 03, 2015, 4:25 PM UTC

Making an anecdotal contribution. Kenyan here. I have observed that white people are given preferential treatment and have (strangely) experienced racism against black people in my own country. I have, more than once heard people, mostly uneducated people, saying how much better things would be if we were still colonized.

Examples of preferential treatment/racism include, faster service for white people at restaurants and clubs, being denied entry to a club because 'it is full' and seconds later a couple of white people walk right in, and in one memorable instance a security guard had the gall to try and deny me an open parking spot so that a white person could have it instead. The latter got a stern talking to by me.

All is not positive for the white man though. There is the 'white tax' where prices are instantly increased when a white person is the one shopping and people are always hitting them up for money because white people are perceived to be wealthy.