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“Each accused soul scrabbles for gain at any price because wealth alone is deemed proof of authenticity and freedom from censure – always gained at the price of our fellow humans. Thus it is that our innate passion for transcendence is sidetracked and derailed. Often our minorities seem selected for cultural stoning, scapegoat victims and captives of our lie” (Pearce, 2002, p. 150).

As a culture, we pride ourselves on our ability to get down to brass tacks, to take the bull by the horns, and to tell it like it is. We pull no punches, and we let people know where we stand. None of these tendencies prima facie are necessarily bad. But some have argued that these tendencies can constitute what may be the new millennium form of discrimination. Researchers have noted that in the presence of societal disapproval and legal sanction, discriminatory attitudes now more commonly manifest in insidious, more covert behaviors known as “selective incivility.” These types of behaviors allow majority employees to denigrate out-group members, while at the same time preserving their image as non-prejudiced individuals. Turn the page…