What was the general purpose of the study (hypotheses)?
The general purpose of the study on Mark of a Criminal Record is to analyze the manners in which the criminal records affect the information of employers while hiring employees, and the extent to which it affects it. This research believes that this is imperative because many people have been assuming that criminal records have no impact on decisions made by employers. This is because they believe that employers focus on the interactional skills and other characteristics that they can observe. Therefore, the aim of the research is to identify the degree to which employers apply criminal history without collaborating evidence. Secondly, the study further aims to show how races are a significant challenge to employment. This is because in the ancient times, race affected the rate of employment among the African American population. Moreover, the study contends that in the contemporary society, there are different things in race such as the soft skills, cognitive ability and location that affect the rate of employment. Finally, the study intends to find out whether the consequences of criminal records differ between the blacks and whites in employment sectors (Pager, 2003).
Who were the participants/subjects in the study?
The participants in this study included the black and white men on whom an analysis was done on the effect of criminal record on their rate of employment. It drew attention on white and black men working in different regions including those working in the warehouse, the operators, the service men, sales men, delivery drivers, cashiers, kitchen staff and clerical officers(Pager, 2003).
How the study was conducted (methodology)?
In conducting the study, the researcher applied the audit approach to the intended problem since it is the best method to apply while isolating the causal mechanism. In the ancient times, fewer studies were using this method while studying the criminal stigma. This is because the previous studies highly believed in the correspondence test, which focuses on using emails without in-person contact. On the contrary, the experimental method applicable in this study does not draw attention on the criminal records. Instead, it focuses on the behaviors shown by employees in their current workplace settings. The researchers believed that it is an advisable method because it works by combining the experimental methods with real life situations. Additionally, research shows that the method is beneficial when handling discrimination matters. It was also applicable in studying the characteristics under Civil Rights Act entailing matters on gender, age and race(Pager, 2003).
What were the results/conclusions of the study?
The findings in this study indicated that criminal record has a significant impact to the rate of employment because most employers review the criminal records of their employees before employing them. Additionally, it indicated that it is clear that race has an impact on the rate of employment because most organizations consider whites when it comes to employment unlike blacks. This has been the major issue contributing to gender inequality in America. Finally, the research claimed that policies are imperative since they can deter the issues that support an individual in participating in criminal activities (Pager, 2003).
How do the results apply to the material we have covered in class?
The results obtained in this study are similar to the material obtained in class. This is because the class material insists that most of the contemporary organizations review the criminal records of all applicants before hiring them. They do so in order to avoid hiring applicants with bad criminal records likely to taint the image of an organization. Furthermore, the class material rhymes with the results obtained in this study because it claims that there is a high relationship between employment and race. Concurrently, it is because most people prefer employing whites in their organizations compared to blacks. Finally, the class material indicated that policies are important in employment sectors because they reduce the rate at which people participate in criminal activities.
References
Pager, D. (2003).The Mark of a Criminal Record.The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 108, No. 5, pp. 937-975. Retrieved from:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3568287
