Page 270 - Discrimination at Work The Psychological and Organizational Bases

10. WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION
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the issue of "How can the person cope with the stimulus (e.g., disability) or
prevent harm to himself or herself?" Using the same example, one means
of coping with a coworker with AIDS is to avoid the person or ask for a
transfer to another unit. However, another strategy for coping is to alter
one's cognitive beliefs so that the stimulus is perceived as less threatening
or harmful (e.g., a person may learn that AIDS is not contagious through
casual contact). Interestingly, although we have presented two opposing
views of emotions we believe that both theories may be correct, and emo­
tional responses may depend on the type of disability and cultural norms.
As noted previously, emotional responses to some types of disability may
be automatic (e.g., facial deformities), but reactions to other disabilities
may be influenced by the degree to which the disability is perceived as
contagious or terminal (e.g., cancer, AIDS).
As noted previously, we believe, as do others (Jones et al., 1984), that
cultural values affect individuals' emotional responses to disabilities in
several ways. First, culture influences the cognitive appraisal of disabilities
by defining the significance of the disability for the observer's well-being
(Lazarus et al., 1980). For example, in U.S. culture many diseases that were
once contagious are controlled and no longer pose severe risks to those near
the person (e.g., tuberculosis, polio, and smallpox). However, in some less
developed cultures these diseases have yet to be controlled, and individu­
als may perceive they will be harmed if they are exposed to someone with
the diseases just noted. As a result, individuals in one culture may react
more negatively to individuals with illnesses than those in other cultures.
Second, culture influences emotions by informing individuals on how
emotional responses to disabilities should be controlled or expressed. For
example, in the U.S. culture the norm to treat the person with a disability
with kindness converts revulsion into compassion (Stone et al., 1992). How­
ever, in the same culture the norms associated with equity and self-reliance
may mean that coworkers will react negatively when individuals with
disabilities are given special accommodation in the workplace (Colella,
2001).
Although there are a number of emotional reactions that may lead to
unfair discrimination in the workplace, we consider three key emotions
(i.e., pity, anxiety, and resentment) in the sections that follow, and we dis­
cuss strategies for overcoming the negative consequences associated with
these emotions in work-related settings.
Compassion and Pity Individuals often experience compassion at the
sight of someone with a disability, and the emotion may become particu­
larly pronounced when they are aware that the person is suffering or in
distress. For example, individuals often experience compassion when they
observe someone with a physical disability who is confined to a wheelchair.