“I’M SORRY, IT’S THAT YOU DON’T LOOK LIKE...”: whiteness and the privilege of normality in corporate environments

Abstract

This article proposes a discussion about the relationships between race, work and power based on the understanding that Bento (2002) and Schucman (2012) present about the concept of whiteness. For the authors, this concept has been decisive in the structure of racial relations, especially in the Brazilian context. Therefore, it is extremely important that it is also taken as a reference for labor relations. It is confirmed, therefore, in Brazil, as in other societies forged in slavery exploitation, that work and race are intertwined and their developments continue to produce hierarchical social markings. It is also observed that the principal one is linked to the stereotype of occupying subordinate positions and of leadership. Any profile that subverts this assumption is met with surprise, here called racial scare, generally through language, highlighting what Carneiro (2023) evaluates as a “raciality device”. Whiteness, supported by the privilege of normality, perpetuates exclusionary values and practices, fostering the racist structure (Almeida, 2019) that organizes society. In this way, we sought to investigate, through bibliographical review and theoretical reflection, the modes of organization and action of racism in Brazilian labor relations, especially in leadership positions commonly associated with white profiles, in addition to their personal and social implications. Concluding that meritocracy does not overlap with racial issues, acting as just another factor that distorts the focus on racial influence in power relations. It should also be noted that, even after the many years that separate slavery from affirmative action, black people remain unrecognized figures in positions of relevance, prominent positions, decisions and power, especially in corporate environments.