Thesis
Years and years of racial discrimination have created the doubt that racial discrimination might not be the cause of the economic injustice. The article, Discrimination in a Low-Wage Labor Market, focuses on the racial discrimination in the labor market. In this research paper, researchers have carried out field experiments, which give insight into the low wage market where discrimination against minorities and ex-offenders can be observed.
Methods
Herein, it should be noted that as per the analysis of the article, it came to the notice that the researchers have made use of the quantitative research method. The study has also derived its own or respective research formula. Furthermore, the authors have linked and substituted the data of the research in the given formula. In this research to investigate the topic of concern, a team consisted of three testers from different races that are Black, Latino, and White; were sent to apply for jobs through out the city of New York. The chosen participants had same social characteristics. The physical attractiveness, skills, and education of all the participants of this research matched. The testers were assigned bogus résumés showing same qualification and equal work experience. The participants of this research were also trained to ensure that they behave in the same manner. Another team of testers consisted of white men who were ex-offenders and their criminal history was being signaled on the résumés. All the testers were assigned the names that are related to particular ethnicity. After the application of job by the testers, reactions of the employers were written or were observed from the call back to the applicants.
Also, the audit methodology is used in the conduction of research when the researchers selected the matched pair of the testers who posed for the real jobs as the job applicants. The in-person presentation of job seekers should be carefully controlled while using this technique. Testers were given extensive training to get familiarized with the details of the profile made up for them and to learn and practice of presentation of themselves to employers accordingly.
Talking about my experience, or the idea that I get after reading the article, I believe that the chosen research method was suitable for the selected hypothesis. The methodology of this research in my opinion is advantageous because of the usage of the correspondence test approach in which there are no requirements for actual job applicants. That is optimal for methodological and practical approach. Methodologically, the fictitious paper testers allow researchers to make up matched applicant pairs without needing to accommodate the complexities of real people, while practically; the dependence on research applicants is favorable in terms of handling the details of the operation with ease.
The selected approach for this research is understandable to people from all groups and easy to comprehend. By using simple methods and criteria to carry out the research the researches have made a point that this work is for the general population to interpret and draw the results themselves.
As far as replication is concerned, it will not be incorrect to state that the authors have made use of a very easy-to-understand language. In simpler words, it is explained that the general audience can make use of the data and information given out in the article. There have already been many instances where the articles have been referenced for the future research. The authors have given out each and every detail in an explicit manner. Every detail from the research method to the limitation has been discussed and informed in the article for general readers to understand. It can also be considered an effective research article to be cited for further research in the field of the labor market and social structure.
Evidence of Thesis Support
The conclusion of the method used revealed a clear interpretation of the thesis that says that there is racial hierarchy present the economic framework. After applying to 171 employees, the white participants of the research received a job offer or call backs at 31% of the time, while the Latinos received the offers 25.2% of the time and 15.2% call backs were reported for Blacks. In comparison to equally qualified Blacks, it is prominent according to the study of this research that employers favor White and Latino candidates. In fact, the Black applicants have to search two times for a job as compared to White candidates who are equally qualified as the Black applicants.
Additionally the most disturbing fact found through this study is that the Whites who were ex-offenders and had criminal records received a job offer or a callback 17.2% of 169 applications relatively in comparison to 15.4% for Latinos and Blacks 13% without any criminal records. In other words, anyone can interpret from this study that yes, criminal convictions lower the opportunities of callbacks for whites but they fare just as the Latinos and Blacks without having any criminal history. The results drawn from this research is the evidence of the hypothesis of discrimination in the low wage market as the thesis of this detailed research.
There can be found some weakness in the selected methods of research. For example, the method of in-person audits used by researchers are very time-consuming and also requires rigorous and exhaustive supervision for the testers but at some points this technique provides advantage over the correspondence approach where the in-person audit allows the research on both the qualitative and quantitative analytic approaches.
Contribution to the Literature
The persistent discrimination in the context of race and ethnicity in employment and other social domains is the topic of interest to many researchers for the possible part of discrimination in this present time. On my personal experience, I observed the racial discrimination in a general store when two my friends applied there for part time jobs. One of my friends who is Black was offered a job with a weekly wage lesser than the friend who is White. There is a particular social structure that is followed in a labor market (Arrow). After years of study, it is demonstrated that African Americans, as well as other Americans specifically belonging to other cultures still struggle to against placement by the Whites. The situation is considered on the basis of a racial hierarchy of this country (Feagin). In a study, it has been concluded in the survey of 202 African Americans which found that 80% of the sample viewed racial discrimination in the city of Boston as an important problem faced by the different events of life (Feagin).
Recommendation and Implications
Social demographic changes the statists of the way the society is being ruled and influenced. If the expanding groups do not get the proper place and equality regarding the employments, then it creates the great economical imbalance in the society. Traditionally, in this country the immigrants and the population from other races and ethnicities often out-perform the Americans who are natively born (Little and Triest). Many pieces of research are made which have proven the discrimination in the labor market on the basis of the social status of the individuals in the country. Workers from diverse cultures, races, and ethnicities with the same education, ability, and training as white workers are still receiving lower wages. However, it is argued that there is another possible reasoning for this. These discriminated minorities may bring more skills and ability to the market if the policies to avoid the discrimination are complied.
Works Cited
Arrow, Kenneth, J. "What Has Economics to Say About Racial Descrimination?" Journal of Economic Perspectives 12.No. 2 (1998): 91-100. Print.
Feagin, Joe. Systemic Racism: A Theory of Oppression. New York City: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Little, Jane, Sneddon and Robert, K. Triest. "Seismic shifts: the economic impact of demographic change: an overview." Federal Reserve Bank of Boston 46 (2001). Print.
