Code-Switching Is Not Co-Signing

“Leadership material.” “Promotion material.” “Hireable.” “Professional.”

“Leadership material.” “Promotion material.” “Hireable.” “Professional.” In an ideal world, each of these terms would bring up innumerable and unique mental pictures. They would call up images of so many different kinds of people, each living their individual and cultural expressions unapologetically. While I firmly believe that we are at an important point in the journey towards greater equity and inclusion at work, we aren’t there yet. So even though we are expanding the meaning of what counts as professional behaviour and demeanor, we still end up wrestling with a dominant, default image. It can be staggering to really confront just how much of so-called professional demeanour is rooted in restrictive views on class, race, gender, and more. As happens in so many contexts, the burden this creates falls too heavily on marginalized people and demands that we alter ourselves for the sake of acceptance and advancement. We talk about this problem as code-switching. 

For marginalized workers, code-switching at work specifically can feel like a matter of sheer survival. It can feel like, unless you suppress as much of your difference as possible, you can’t even get your foot in the door — never mind climbing any ladders. Maybe you pick up on some unspoken cues, or maybe you’re extra cautious based on previous bad experiences. Maybe a colleague drops a hint here and there, or maybe a supervisor tells you outright that there are certain “standards” you need to maintain if you’re going to “succeed” at that company. Regardless, the message is clear that code-switching is key to avoiding pitfalls and accessing rewards at work (even if the rewards are meager). 

That being said, code-switching like this is costly. First of all, if you’re codeswitching at work then chances are you’re aware of a significant threat. You’re aware on either a conscious or subtle level that you aren’t wholly safe at your job; and that your colleagues and higher-ups aren’t interested in cultivating your trust and confidence. In addition to spending precious energy being on constant threat alert, you might also feel like you’re always being scrutinized. It can feel like being in a fishbowl! The worry of being caught in an unguarded moment; of slipping up in your speech, body language, or performance can loom over you throughout the day. Cue the anxiety. Cue the inevitable burnout. But those aren’t the only costs! If you manage to code-switch enough to fend off the negative stereotypes of being “angry” or “lazy” or “unintelligent” at work, then you run the risk of getting labelled a “sell-out” or worse a “traitor” to your cultural community. It’s a no-win situation. 

So what do we do? How do we as marginalized people transform this sad state of affairs? My suggestion is, first and foremost, to respond to one another with more compassion. Witnessing someone you know distance themselves from your shared identity can feel like the biggest wound in the world. It can feel like a betrayal, and it can activate all kinds of emotional defenses — including belittling that person in order to shake the feeling of being put down. But remember, code-switching can feel mandatory. If someone is altering their speech or behavior at work, that means they’re responding to either an overt threat or a generalized sense of unease. It does not mean that they believe that their cultures, communities, and families are somehow inherently inferior. They are not co-signing discrimination! They are navigating a situation in which they’ve been set up to lose. 

Remember that the burden of “professional” norms already falls on marginalized folks rather than the folks and systems in power. What if we, as marginalized people, didn’t add to that burden by invalidating and rejecting one another? What if we responded to the pressure with compassion? Because the truth is that code-switching isn’t inherently bad! Code-switching also encompasses a wide range of genius adaptations and maneuvers among multi-racial and multicultural communities. It can signal belonging, sensitivity, insight and even humor! For individuals who speak more than one language or who express more than one cultural identity, code-switching is a normal part of everyday life. More importantly, even within a single cultural community, we change our speech patterns and behaviors all the time. The ways we behave among family and close friends are not the same as when we’re with acquaintances or strangers. The way we address our elders is not the same as the way we address our children. The fact that we have those differences does not make us inauthentic! It makes us sensitive and effective communicators. So let’s embrace one another in all our facets, accept the complexities of how we communicate, and demand the safety and equity we all deserve at work.