Code-switching, or adjusting one's typical behavior to fit into an environment, has long been a strategy for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) individuals to navigate interracial interactions successfully. Code-switching often occurs in spaces where negative stereotypes of Black individuals run counter to what is considered appropriate or professional behaviors and norms in a specific environment and regularly happens in work settings.
An example of code-switching is when someone switches from their mother tongue to the standard language used by the dominant group. However, it can also apply to different dialects unique to their culture and upbringing.
While code-switching may be something BIPOC people do, it can happen with others within the workforce. For example:
A person born and raised in New York may have an accent that they take effort to hide when on a phone call with people from Iowa
A bilingual nurse at a hospital in California may speak Khmer with a Cambodian immigrant. After the appointment with the patient, the nurse will then speak English to brief the doctor on call
A LatinX writer may use Spanish slang throughout an article for Spanish publication but speak the dominate language to her co-worker
A Black woman who takes great pride in her appearance may straighten her hair before a job interview
Why code-switching happens
It's necessary to understand code-switching and why it happens because it impacts inclusion at work.
People naturally want to fit in and be accepted in the workplace. Consciously or unconsciously, a member of an underrepresented group may adjust in order to adapt. To fit into the company culture, they may change their:
Language
Syntax
Grammatical structure
Behavior
Appearance
People have absolute and contextual identities. The absolute is truer to who we are. Our contextual identity is often out-of-step with our absolute identities. People are forced to hide their authentic selves by offering up a contextual identity.
Code-switching can be damaging for members of minority populations because they may perceive their “natural” selves as:
Unprofessional
Undesirable
Unacceptable
The extent to which they feel “other” in the workplace may lead to code-switching. They may:
Fear confirming stereotypes
Change to achieve a specific result (such as getting hired or getting a raise)
Because they can’t help it (Northerners who move to the South sometimes quickly develop a “Southern accent”)
Find they cannot express something any other way
But constantly code-switching can be detrimental because it:
May lead to stress and anxiety when worrying about "acting right" and coming across as "acceptable"
Is emotionally draining
Causes tension between self-expression and social acceptance
May lead to language loss and loss of diversity
Employers who become aware of code-switching can create a more welcoming and safer environment by establishing inclusive policies, procedures and training to establish a more diverse workspace.
