Privileged Omissions: The Impact of Discriminatory Inaction

Abstract

Scholars commonly study bias and discrimination from the perspective of those discriminated against and, to some extent, the institutional practices that foster discrimination. Within the research of institutional oppression, there is a concurrent area of discriminatory omissions that is often excluded from such studies. Research on privileged omissions as a discretionary bias provides a more holistic view of discretionary decision-making. The concept of discriminatory omissions has limited research, but this paper adds to scholarship in this critical area by providing analysis and calls upon public service practices to disrupt the unintended consequences of privileged omissions.