http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2013/03/27/need-for-networking-puts-black-job-seekers-at-disadvantage/?KEYWORDS=racial+inequality
This article Need for Networking Puts Black Job Seekers at Disadvantage is an opinion article by Neil Shah. Shah talks about how African American job seekers are at a disadvantage when applying for a job due to the increasingly important "social capital" seen as needed in order to get the better, higher paying jobs. Social capital is the network of people you know and who are able to help you get a job and then work for the higher paying promotions. This Shah says, is putting minorities at a disadvantage because these people don't have the well established contacts through family and friends who've been involved in a business for many years. Shah also talks about how the jobless rate has been and continues to be higher for African Americans in the United States than whites and that in-group favoritism is helping this rate stay this way. This favoritism Shah talks about isn't illegal but helps to reproduce the racism and job inequalities.
Do you agree with Neil Shah in that African Americans don't have as much of a "social capital" as whites? Also, do you see "social capital" or having contacts within a company as important in order to get a job, and then exceed at it?
I agree with the idea that Shah has brought forward. In the United States, African Americans ate not granted the same opportunities as many white citizens here. One way this is apparent is through the wealth gap currently shown throughout the different majority and minority race groups. This goes along with the idea of social capital because African Americans are not granted the same opportunities as others in America. The do not get access to a greater education because they can not afford it. Therefor they are not able to meet the right kind of people to help them advance in the future. But white children that have a higher chance of
ReplyDeletebeing able to afford a great education at Yale for example, will meet the right kind of people. I also believe that this is very true because I see it everyday at work. My managers were put into
their high positions because they were friends with my store supervisor.
I believe that certain groups of people should not be looked at in a certain way and generalized in such a manner as if every African American person has less of a social capital. I think this issue should not only be appointed to African Americans but to all people whom do not have a great social capital. I believe that social capital should not be as demanded as it is because it is not one's choice what kind of people they are linked to. Therefore employment should be based on hard work and character not race,social capital or economic status of a person.
ReplyDeleteI think that having "Social Capital greatly increases the kind and the amount of jobs you can get. I do however realize that hiring people based entirely on who they know rather than there experience or knowledge in that field should not be done. I do know that most African Americans do not have as much social capital simply because they have not been in a situation where they could obtain this higher job for as long as a white american has
ReplyDeleteI agree with what was brought forward. Seeing that there was a lot of inequality in the past, people that are white were more likely to get jobs higher up in a companies heirarchy. They probably maintained those positions until now and blacks must not hold high positions. So I am not particularly suprised by his claim of social capital. These connections should not matter when business actions take place but unfortunately they do. People feel obligated to help those who are closer to them, and will. If more high positions are held by whites then it makes sense blacks may not have the right connections.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this. From everything that has happened in the past, some of the minority groups would not even have the possibility of being higher up in the social class. Our past history has made groups like African Americans struggle even still today like Maxine said with the current
ReplyDeleteWealth gap. Having a "social capital" does make a difference when it comes to finding jobs in these people's lives. It makes it a lot harder I think.
Personally, I agree with Neil Shah. Though a low social capital has been an issue for the African American population for decades, it is most prevalent today. In the documentary, Crips and Bloods-Made in America, that we watched in class, this issue was brought up indirectly.It was seen that through the tradition of gangs, African Americans were continuously choosing the gang lifestyle instead of going to college or pursuing a career. Through this multi-generational pattern, not enough African Americans have joined the work force to build a social capital. This does not mean that all African Americans are involved in gangs, but it does contribute to the issue at hand. Therefore, due to a continuous circular pattern, whites ultimately have created more of a social capital than African Americans.
ReplyDeleteOff of Mariana's statement, ethically and morally social capital should not be based on race, character, or economic status. But, as much as we wish this was the case, social capital does not rely in these factors. And, as today's social capital rates are showing, there is no way to change this. Therefore, the only way for all African Americans to establish a higher social capital, they would have to better their economic status. But, even if this occurred, racism would still prevail. As Nancy DiTomaso stated in the article, there are, and will always be "Hidden forms of racism inequality". Honestly, I do not see how African Americans could get out of the hole that they are in.
I agree with Neil Shah in the sense that social capital is very important in a workplace. People can more easily get things if they know someone in higher up positions. It is also easier to get a job in general if you know people who are hiring. In this way minorities might find it hard to get a good job because there are not very many minorities in high up positions of companies. However, people in hiring positions should not be racist when they are hiring but they could be. This might make it harder for minorities to get jobs. It is not just minorities at a disadvantage, but anyone who does not know people in hiring positions, even white people. It is just too bad that most minorities do not know people in high up positions.
ReplyDeleteI agree because like Dan said, people can easily have access to things if they know someone in higher positions. If you are a minority, it is easier to find a job if you know people and it is easier to become higher up in a position of a company. Racism will always be a problem in finding a job, I think. A "social capital" makes it a lot harder to find jobs nowadays for minorities.
ReplyDeleteI feel that a social capital is very necessary when it comes to getting and exceeding at a job. If a person does not want to grow in a job and get to a higher position, then there will be no point in them holding the job at all. A strong worker will want to move up in the company which will also help the company grow and open up more spots for this worker. However, I do not feel that African Americans are lacking in this department. There are many setbacks when it comes to the finances of the African American, however the lack of a social capital is not one. IT may seem as though they do not seek out jobs anymore, but this is our own fault due to years of oppression.
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