Racial Discrimination Against African Americans in the U.S. Labor Market

Racial Discrimination against African Americans in the U. S. Labor Market Josefina Anorga Carlos Albizu University Abstract The following work deals with racial discrimination against African Americans in the workplace. Terms as racial discrimination, racism, race and African Americans are going to be defined to a greater understanding of these. It presents different types of discrimination at work, statistics of the African American population who works in the U. S. , the way how it is changing over the years and the laws and entities that protect discrimination at the workforce. Racial Discrimination against African Americans in the Labor Market There are many ethnic and racial groups in the United States, such as Euro Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, American Indians, Latin Americans, and others. Some of these groups have faced severe discrimination in social, political, educational, and economic opportunities. In our days, there are still large differences among these groups in areas like employment opportunities, income, education, criminal justice, voting and elections, health, and other fields. Because of this, many ways of unequal opportunities and discriminatory treatment persists in the United States in many ways, especially with African Americans. The term African Americans, also called Afro-Americans or Blacks, refers to residents or citizens of the United States who have African origins. It also describes a very diverse group of people in the American society. They may come from different ethnic backgrounds such as African, Caribbean, Central American or South American. According to Robert Hill in â€Å"The Strength of Black Families† African Americans have family characteristics such as strong kinship bonds, strong work orientation, adaptable family roles, high achievement orientation, and strong religious orientation (Harry, 1992; Hairston, 1983). Afro-Americans make up collective family structure and subjects like family and spirituality are very important for them. Although the number of African American Muslims has increased, their choice of religions tends to be Christianity (Harry, 1992). Even though the workplace is more diverse than ever and there is more consciousness of racial discrimination, African Americans, a racial-ethnic minority group in the United States, still have to face many discrimination problems. Many people in the U. S. have prejudices about African Americans describing them as inferior. â€Å"Research in social psychology suggests that categorizing individuals on the basis of salient, observable characteristics such as race, gender, age, and even patterns of dress and speech is inevitable, occurs automatically, and activates biases associated with these characteristics (Measuring Racial Discrimination, 2004). There are also many stereotypes that qualify them as poor, unemployed, unintelligent, uneducated, smelly, dirty, lazy, and also violent offenders. Discrimination means unequal treatment. To treat an individual or group of people differently based on their racial origins is called Racial Discrimination. It is also important to understand two terms that will be mentioned throughout the project, and those are: race and racism. The term race was used to distinguish populations in different areas on the basis of differing physical characteristics that had developed over time, such as skin color, facial features, and other characteristics† (Blank, Dabady, Citro, 2004), and â€Å"according to the US Civil Rights Commission 2010, racism is an action or attitude, conscious or unconscious, that subordinates and individual or group based on skin color or race. It can be enacted individually or institutionally†. The United States has been dominated in many aspects including the work place since the colonial era by the predominant group, Euro-Americans or Whites. White men are twice as likely to get management jobs as qualified black men, and three times as likely as black women (Smith & Elliott, 2004). It is expected that by the year 2050 Whites are not going to be the predominant group in this nation anymore. This is because the demographics are changing very fast and many of the minority groups are increasing enormously. By the year 2000, African Americans comprised the United States largest racial minority group comprehending 12. 3 percent of the total population Nowadays Latin Americans are the largest minority group in the U. S. ollowed by Afro-Americans that are expected to be 15% by the year 2050. Seventeen million were the number of Blacks that worked in the United States by the year 2000 and it is expected that by the year 2050 there will be 27 millions of this group in the workforce. This significant amount represents an important part of the population for this country (U. S. Census, 2001). As mentioned before, diversity in the U. S. workplace is growing fast and it is bringing more opportunities to the minority groups. But just as it brings positive things, also brings challenges, such as racial or ethnic discrimination, especially against African Americans. Although there are many types of racial discrimination, two of the most important and most common in the workplace are Direct Racial Discrimination and Indirect Racial Discrimination. The Direct Racial Discrimination is intentional and easier to recognize because the employee does not try to hide being discriminatory with another employee, but this can be very difficult to prove. In most of the cases, the person who is discriminating believes that the discriminated employee or co-worker is not going to blame or take any action against them. Some examples for this type of discrimination could be when an employee jokes that blacks cannot sit with whites while having lunch or when simply an employee makes uncomfortable comments and jokes about the skin color of another worker knowing that he is listening just to make him feel humiliated in front of other people (Mighealth, 2007). The second type of discrimination is Indirect Racial Discrimination. It is when a supervisor or employee is committing an act of racial discrimination but tries to hide it so that it does not seem they are discriminating against the other employee. It is to place a group of African Americans in disadvantage with other groups and it is also very difficult to prove because those actions can be justified very easily. Examples of this type of racial discrimination could be when a black employee is not recognized for their job or being denied for deserved promotions while Euro Americans are not. Other cases of this type of discrimination could be when a supervisor gives similar tasks that require the same amount of work to all their subordinates but more difficult tasks to African Americans or also, not evaluating their jobs as they do with the others (Mighealth, 2007). It is important to emphasize that many American companies are reported annually because of racial discrimination against African American employees. An example of this are the cases of two American companies Nike, a sportswear company, and Walgreens, the largest drugstore chain in the U. S. In the year 2007, 4 former employees of the Nike Company, who used to work in the Niketown store in Chicago, filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the company. They accused one of the managers from the store for eferring to black employees and customers using inappropriate and discriminatory language, making false accusations against them, segregating them to low-paying jobs and sending security guards to closely monitor both employees and black customers (ABC News, July 31, 2007). According to the CBS 2, 2007, a lawsuit against Walgreens was filed based on the widespread racial bias toward thousands of black employees. The company was accused of making decisions about employee promotions and assignments based on race. There are two important entities that defend racial discrimination in the workplace in the United States. These are the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). The Civil Rights Act says that is illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or a current employee because of the person’s skin color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to discriminate against a person because they have complained of discrimination, filed charges of discrimination or has participated in an investigation of employment discrimination. This law applies to all work situations including personnel selection, hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, salaries and benefits. The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws against discrimination in the workplace. In the year 2007 according to the statistics issued by this Commission, 30,510 racial discrimination charges were recorded, compared with 82, 792 total charges in the workplace. In 2006 75, 768 charges were reported and 27, 238 or 35% were related to racial discrimination. In 2007, charges of racial discrimination increased 12% from the previous year, reaching their highest level in 13 years. By the year 2009, 33, 579 were the charges reported. There is an increase in discrimination against African Americans in the labor area as the statistics show, and this is expected to continue growing over the years. Racial discrimination is a social problem that is learned and can be solved with education and the help of government authorities and the various companies that comprise the workforce in the United States. Diversity in business is very beneficial, either to avoid charges of discrimination, increase productivity or the company's corporate image. Every individual, regardless of their skin color or origin, have the right as a human being, to be treated in a fair way. References Hairston, E. , & Smith, L. (1983). Black and deaf in America. Silver Springs, MD, TJ Publishers, Inc . Harry, B. (1992). Cultural diversity, families, and special education       system: Communication and empowerment. New York, NY, Teachers       College. US Civil Rights Commission (2010, January). . Retrieved January       30, 2010 from , U. S. Government Web site: http://www. usccr. gov/ Blank, R. M. , Dabady, M. , Citro. C. F. (2004). Measuring racial       discrimination. National Research Council. Retrieved from http:       //www. nap. edu/openbook. php? record_id=10887=26 Smith, R. A. , Elliott, J. (2004). Race, Gender, and Workplace Power,. , 69, . doi:10. 1177/000312240406900303 Grieco, E. M. , & Cassidy, R. C. (2001). Overview race and Hispanic       origin 2000. Retrieved January 31, 2010 from , U. S. Census       Bureau Web site: http://www. census. gov/prod/2001pubs/c2kbr01-1. pdf Mighealthnet (). Explanations of race discrimination. , , 1. Retrieved from ht       tp://mighealth. net/uk/index. hp/Explanations_of_Race_Discrimination Clark, A. S. (2007, March 7). Feds sue Walgreen Co. for bias class-action       lawsuit alleges drugstore chain discriminates against black       workers. CBS 2, , 1. Retrieved from http://www. cbsnews. com/stor       ies/2007/03/07/business/main2546179. shtml U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (). Charge statistics       fy 1997 t hrough fy 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2010 from , U. S. Government Web site: http://www. eeoc. gov/eeoc/statistics/enforcement/charges. cfm Appendix [pic] EEOC, 2009 Appendix [pic] Census, 2000 Appendix [pic] Census, 2008 [pic][pic]

Leatherback Loggerhead or Just Turtle Final

After a hard day of laboring through the grease and grim at your pitiful factory job, you come home and meeting you at the door is a 77 year old desert tortoise. You reach down to stroke the turtle, and it retracts its head into its shell because it wants nothing to do with you, starting to feel threatened it snaps at your fingers. Youngsters and adults typically adore animals and especially loves turtles are not what Kay was trying to convey in this piece. She wanted to use an animal that most people would not, or could not relate too.It depicts a harsh reality to a mundane occurrence. Ryan portrays a turtle using metaphors, rhyming, personification, assonance and imagery to relate that the human daily grind Of humanity is no different than any chelonian. As the reader you are being baited into thinking, â€Å"What is she thinking? Is there a human being in this world that would want to live the life of a turtle? † It remains still hibernating in a rocky self-dug hole for lon g periods of time without any contact to the outside world only to emerge to a cruel and unforgiving reality.Eating grass and trying to avoid a speeding teenager riving on a country road, or a starving alligator seems like a life of misery. She goes on and likens the turtle to something cumbersome that can barely get out of its own way. â€Å"A barely mobile hard roll, a four-oared helmet,† (line 2) Dinner rolls are made to be enjoyed while warm, soft and freshly from the oven, but this roll is hard and not consumable. A meal that the majority would not choose if given the chance, but ingest if absolutely necessary is what a crusty dinner roll represents.It brings to mind rowing a boat with three other people in rough water, just trying to make ground in the choppy sea. Turtles have extremely hard outer shells and have serious problems with locomotion, and Ryan uses these metaphors in the first few lines which portrays a seriously immobile, clumsy loggerhead. Ryan shows us ri ght away that being a turtle IS not like Franklin the Turtle, a character in the Franklin picture book series by Paulette Bourgeois who goes to school and eats sandwiches that his mom makes, or plays outside without care with his friends.This turtle does not go to school, or receive an education like Franklin. The reader can start to identify with the turtle as Ryan gives the animal ender and makes you start to feel for her and the chances the turtle must take to eat. Ryan gives the turtle not a name, but describes it as â€Å"her†. The female or egg laying half of the turtle race who not only has to find food through any means possible, but carry the future while doing so. This responsibility was not by her own choice, it was handed down to her by nature.Gathering food is not something civilized people do on a regular basis; they simple order while resting comfortably in their air conditioned vehicle while listening to their favorite AC/DC soundtrack. On the other hand, he t urtle is dangerously rowing with its four stubby legs towards its meager reward of grass. She is moving so slow and deliberately that any number of creatures could easily stop her quest for nourishment. Ryan pens the word rowing, but turtles cannot row.Those slow, deliberate strokes symbolize just how hard any movement is for this leatherback just to find sustenance. Ryan describes a turtle that is not interested in becoming more than just a subpar being dragging its inconvenient shell, trying to eat and not perish doing so. Her turtle is â€Å"below luck level† and could never imagine winning the lottery† or any other prize that would change her â€Å"pottery† or shell in to wings that would enhance her life immensely. People dream of hitting the jack pot and spending their fortunes, but not this turtle, it is a realist.Ryan uses rhyming with â€Å"lottery and pottery' (line 13, 14) to bring attention just how far away this turtle is from anything great, and th e turtle knows that it will be nothing but a turtle living a life of just getting through the next meal. Ryan compares the turtle to an axled vehicle getting stuck almost on a regular basis. Images of an 18 wheeled tractor-trailer, perched on top of raffiti covered concrete K-rail on the side of the freeway come to mind. There will not be a tow truck coming to save this turtle's day, it must fend for itself.The turtle, precariously wedged on the slant of an oversized stone, using gravity to start a rocking motion to hopefully free itself, hoping that its efforts will not upright her and exposed a soft delectable under belly. One definition of insanity is repeating the same action and expecting a different result. The manager who urgently escapes his workplace at the whistle every day because that is when the work day is done, and then complains he did ot receive his bonus based on effort or lack thereof shows insanity. The turtle is not a truck, a train or even a boat, but Ryan uses personification in reverse to relate these things.Our turtle is avoiding things that would make it more difficult to survive, just as a man working in a belt factory would not raise his hand to show interest in becoming a supervisor. Raised hands mean additional labor and nonexistent satisfaction. The unneeded stress of the responsibilities would surely crush the factory worker and his family would undeniably suffer dire onsequences. â€Å"Almost any slope† (line 6) would defeat the pace of any turtle from finding some grass to eat. The turtle ‘Skirts the ditch which would convert' (line 10) her into turtle tar-tar for any mangy animal that happens to be passing through.Ryan uses assonance to convey that the turtle might be slow, but through experience as learned to avoid hazards just like the belt factory worker. Eating your favorite dish, or remembering that when as a child you saw your mother start to prepare for baking Christmas cookies brings you back to that plac e and time. It is a perfect picture in your mind, even though some cookies were not perfect you still remember the image without flaws and imperfections. The author uses imagery of the turtle turning her shell into a serving dish, upside down and vulnerable.Once the turtle is on its shell, it becomes more than just a helpless creature; it becomes lunch, or even a buffet for all to share. After an alligator snaps the turtle in half and partakes in the majority of the supple meat, other smaller creatures stop by to pick through the steamy entrails and leftover pieces its elongated snout prevents it from eating. It is imperative to understand what Ryan means bynot being able to change her â€Å"pottery to wings† and know that this turtle cannot be anything else, but a mindless creature doing the same thing every day just to survive.Our friend the turtle was merely trying to eat, and not be eaten. Millions of people rise without the shine and go through the same mundaneroutines e ven before leaving their residence. The same monotonous lifestyle or career shapes a society and teaches the masses to just place one foot in front of the other. A homeless man wakes every day from a restless few hours of sleep to instantly onder if he is in imminent danger. He struggles to his feet, and starts a plan of action, not unlike to his previous eleven years.Prison would be an easier life. Themiddle aged soccer mom takes the same steps every day starting at the gymand then to daycare before racing to work to avoid the penalties of being late. They both rarely venture outside of their comfort zone. The homeless man knows what small, slow steps he must take to survive for that moment, and the soccer mom thinks of multiple projects and lists she must complete to provide for herself. In either case, both are going through the ame daily steps and in survival mode to reach the next marker in their life.

Confucianism Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Confucianism Reflection - Essay Example If we were to look back into the history of China as a people, what becomes evident is that they have a deeply rooted respect for their elders and ancestors that continue to this very day. It is this sense of respect that has created a strong family bond among the Chinese. The aforementioned Confucianist belief conveys the message that respect for parents is not only something that should be done in the presence of others, but it is something that must be embodied in order to be an effective tenet of the human relationship or relationships between senior and junior members of the family. The idea behind the passage that I chose to reflect upon is simple. My understanding is that children are being trained to know, from an early age, that if one shows respect to his elders, then he will not need to demand that his elders respect him as well. The true respect and family relationship is built when the young generation shows support for his elders, without feeling obligated to do so. It then becomes important for children to understand that showing respect for their elders, and not showing them a bad face is the kind of payback that is expected or accorded to people who have nurtured them since conception and helped them become contributing members of society. Parents, are known to do everything that they can for their children up until the time when their age no longer permits them to do so. Once they become feeble and weak, it then becomes the responsibility of their children to sacrifice for and respect their parents until their last day on earth. Some children these days often show their parents a bad face once they are asked by their elders to perform certain tasks, because of the sense of privilege and self-centered attitude that modern parenting styles have bestowed upon them. Thus showing a lifelong disrespect for their parents rather than showing thanks for the sacrifice that the elders committed themselves to for the benefit of the younger

Sport And Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Sport And Society - Essay Example The functionalist theory focuses attention on how sports assists keep the society operating easily and influences individuals to contribute to the social system. From the Governments perspective it is easy to see that access and participation are intertwined; by providing more opportunities for people at all levels in sport, a number of participants will rise. From a functionalist approach, the Governments perspective is not sufficiently discriminatory, it overlooks certain problems such as age and gender issues that do not support the equilibrium in society. A functionalist approach leads to exaggerated statements about positive effects of sport, believing that anything that lasts is good and it fails to consider that sport could distort values. Functionalist theory is based on the assumption that the needs of the individuals in society reflect the needs of the social system, it assumes homogeneity of interests and the desire to maintain harmony which is not the case, not everyone i n a society may want to play a certain sport, and functionalism cannot distinguish whether people actually want to play sport at all. The way the Government wants to promote sport is typically from a functionalist perspective and is the best sociological theory to use when promoting the sport. Different sociological theories help identify issues and problems and Coakley believe the best theories are the ones that make sense, so from the Governments point of view, a functionalist approach is ideal because it believes sport is an inspiration.... The Government aims to improve health and they identify how sport is a means of this, the approach to achieving this is predominantly a functionalist approach in that they believe sport is an inspiration and a precious contributor to health. The Government believes that if they increase opportunities and improve access to facilities for all people, then their goal of improved health will be attained. Government's use of sport From a functionalist perspective this would encourage participation from all areas of society regardless of sex, age, race, gender or class as the perspective does not discriminate against individuals. From a functionalist point of view the policy over-exaggerates the benefits of playing sport, and Coakley (2003, p.40) believes it doesn't address "the emphasis on physical power" which may show prejudice towards certain groups in society, and this is one of the reasons why women's sport has failed to be as big as men's, and one of the reasons why the Paralympic Games is not as big as the Olympics. Development of sport in the UK Although until relatively in recent times sport might have been described as a neglected subject in social analysis, the worth of sport in modern societies seems irrefutable. In financial terms sport is estimated to symbolize 3 per cent of GDP in the OECD countries. In cultural terms extra than two-thirds of the world's population saw a few part of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games via television. In supporting terms sport has been engaged as a policy tool by country states, as for instance in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and in the Olympic Games' boycotts of the 1980s, or more lately in promoting the new or reviving patriotism of the post-communist Central along with Eastern

Transition services in special education Coursework

Transition services in special education - Coursework Example Transition services normally coordinated and designed within an outcome-oriented process that aims at promoting movement from school towards post-school life activities. These activities are usually based on the needs, preferences and interests of the students. They include the activities needed in the following areas: related services of disabilities, instructions, experiences in the community, daily living skills acquisition when appropriate, functional vocational evaluation and the development of employment and other living objectives of adult post-school life. The transition services are important in offering students with disabilities hope for their future. The community resources and agencies provide students with disability with adequate knowledge, and education can be tailored to the goals and strength of the students to providing the options and plans for the future life. It is not just enough to simply be aware that students with disabilities are in need of guidance to successfully transition themselves from high school life to the next stage of young adulthood life. Bold steps need to be taken to offer guidance and prepare the teenagers for college life and their future careers, as well as independent lives. Without such guidance in place, students with disabilities, more so learning disabilities, often fail during their high school life and beyond. All special education students regardless of the disability severity between the ages of sixteen (16) to twenty-one (21) years qualifies for transition services and must have transition components in their Individualized Education Plan (Pennsylvania Department of Education, Education Law Center, 2007). Planning in most cases begins from the age of sixteen (16) years, or when appropriate, as early as fourteen years of age. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires the first Individualized Education Plan to be implemented once the student reaches sixteen (16) years of

Diet analzing project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Diet analzing project - Essay Example 54.01 mg 75 mg/d 29% 1 cup vegetable salad 1 cup lemonade 1 cup peach slices B12 2.4 ug/d Folate 400 ug/d Nutrient Intake DRI (RDA/AI) Percent (%) Foods Calcium 847 mg 1,000 mg/d 85% 1 Fast food chicken fillet sandwich 1 McDonalds Egg McMuffin 1 slice of 9" cheesecake Iron 10.99 mg 18 mg/d 61% 1 pc. Porterhouse steak 1 cup spinach 1 cup legumes Sodium 4525 mg 1.5g/d 301% Fried breaded shrimp Chicken fillet sandwich McDonalds Egg Mc Muffin Cholesterol* 566.79 mg 300 mg 189% Egg Mcmuffin Fried breaded shrimp Chicken fillet sandwich Fiber* 3.89 g 25 g/d 16% 1 cup All-bran cereals cup Mature lentil seeds cup Split peas NOTE: For Sodium and Cholesterol: If the numbers are 67%, you do not need to provide foods to increase your intake. *No DRI available- use the amount listed under the recommended daily nutrients on your personal profile page. Answer the following essay questions in a minimum of one page typed (double spaced). (25 pts.) 1. Assuming your calculated recommended calorie requirements are accurate according to your print-out, should you be gaining, losing or maintaining your body weight With an average calorie intake of 2059 kcal, I should be maintaining my body weight. Although the recommended calorie requirements in my personal profile suggest a daily calorie intake of 2000 kcal, the 59 kcal, in excess of that will not affect my body weight too much. However, if I continue to take in 2060 kcal a day, there might come a time that I would gain weight. 2. What are the 2 main food sources of fat and calories in your diet What does this tell you about your food intake Most of my intake of calories comes from carbohydrates. The carbohydrates come from the various types of bread that I consume...If your percent is greater than 67%, list 3 foods (from your printout- day 1, 2, or 3) that contributed the greatest amount (in order- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd greatest contributor) of this nutrient (example provided)- provide the serving size of the food (1 cup, cup). (30 pts) With an average calorie intake of 2059 kcal, I should be maintaining my body weight. Although the recommended calorie requirements in my personal profile suggest a daily calorie intake of 2000 kcal, the 59 kcal, in excess of that will not affect my body weight too much. However, if I continue to take in 2060 kcal a day, there might come a time that I would gain weight. Most of my intake of calories comes from carbohydrates. The carbohydrates come from the various types of bread that I consume each and everyday. In the three days that I analyzed my diet, I did not consume pasta or rice. However, in each of those three days, I consumed a particular type of bread. On the other hand, much of the fat in my diet comes form the fried items that I eat. These are usually from fast food restaurants. The fat comes from the oil that is used in cooking such food items. What this says about my diet is that I rely too much on fast foods that may not be as healthy and nutritious as home-cooked meals. Among the aforementioned nutrients, I have the lowest intake of fiber with only 16%.

Islamic credit cards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Islamic credit cards - Essay Example Worthington has defined these cards as â€Å"Pay Later Cardsâ€Å", which facilitates the user to purchase any product or service without paying cash money. Fowler explains the credit cards as any coupon, single credit device, card or plate that can be used to get labor, services, goods or cash on credit. Such a card allows the user to make the required financial transaction without paying any money. The current technological development has given more powers to the buyer for purchasing goods and services on line. However, this requires an instrument that can facilitate payment to the seller at the time of such purchase. The credit card issued by a bank comes handy for this purpose as the buyer pays seller the required money through this card. Credit cards are secure as they replace cash which most of the people do not find safe to carry. In addition, carrying cash requires deep pockets and may create hassles. There are several reasons for the people to use credit cards. These include purchasing of foods and services, making necessary recharges, getting cash advances and enhancing the self-prestige. Credit cards have a long history as they have been in use since several decades. Their use started from United States in 1920s. Ritzer has named these cards as â€Å"American Icon†. During the early 20th century, credit cards were used for the first time in oil, automobile companies and general stores. Many writers have given credit to John Beggins of Flatbush National Bank in New York for inventing the first bank-issued credit card. The Banking Review’s Paper, FDIG informs that the idea of providing cash through a card goes back to 1800s era. However, the use of a bank issued credit card at different merchant outlets started only after 1950s. Bank Americard issued first VISA card in mid 1970s, while created the reputed credit card operation, called â€Å"VISA†. The scope of credit card use has widened now largely as