Activity on Challenges to Effective Interpersonal Relations
Instruction: Look for a local article that depicts either one of the following:
discrimination, ethnocentrism, prejudice, stereotyping, cultural influences. Share a short
summary about it and make a short reaction paper. Share as a well your thoughts on
how each of these challenges can be resolved.
The Sociology of Discrimination: Racial Discrimination in Employment and
Housing.
Summary
The persistence of racial inequality in employment, housing, and other social domains
has reignited speculation about the role of discrimination. Modern forms of
discrimination, on the other hand, are frequently subtle and covert, posing challenges
for social scientific conceptualization and measurement. This article examines the
relevant literature on racial discrimination and provides a road map for scholars who
want to build on this rich and important tradition. The charge for this article was to focus
on racial discrimination in employment, housing, credit markets, and consumer
interactions, but many of the arguments discussed here may also apply to other
domains and types of discrimination (example, educational, health care, the criminal
justice system) (e.g., gender, age, sexual orientation).
Employment
Blacks and Hispanics face higher rejection rates and less favorable terms in securing
mortgages than whites with similar credit characteristics. Blacks pay more than 0.5%
higher interest rates on home mortgages than do whites. This difference persists even
after controlling for income level, date of purchase, and age of buyer. Blacks and
Hispanics face higher rejection rates and less favorable terms in securing mortgages
than whites with similar credit characteristics. Blacks pay more than 0.5% higher
interest rates on home mortgages than do whites. This difference persists even after
controlling for income level, date of purchase, and age of buyer.
Housing
Racial group residential segregation is still a significant aspect of modern American
communities. Blacks continue to encounter patterns of residential placement that are
significantly different from whites, even if segregation appears to have lessened. Social
scientists and federal housing agents have focused a lot of their attention on how much
discrimination causes racial differences in housing. There is evidence that
discrimination is still prevalent in the housing and rental sectors. Greater discrimination
is experienced by black women and/or blacks who talk in a way indicative of a lower-
class upbringing. The effects on various types of inequality (health, employment, wealth,
and inheritance) are explored below.
Conclusion
Discrimination is not the only factor contributing to racial disparities in the United States.
Indeed, persistent racial and ethnic disparities are the result of complex and
multifaceted influences. Nonetheless, the weight of existing evidence suggests that
discrimination continues to affect the allocation of contemporary opportunities; and,
given the often covert, indirect, and cumulative nature of these effects, our current
estimates may in fact underestimate the extent to which discrimination contributes to
minority groups' poor social and economic outcomes. Despite significant progress since
the early 1960s, racial discrimination remains a significant factor in shaping
contemporary patterns of social and economic inequality.
To address these issues in the workplace, we must investigate our legal obligations for
combating discrimination and creating an inclusive work environment, collaborate with
community groups, eliminate hiring biases, adapt our on boarding, and review our
training and policies. Increase opportunities for Black homeownership in housing. Invest in
distressed, racially segregated neighbourhoods. Stop fostering segregation. Invest in low-cost
rental housing. Reduce the impact of COVID-19 on black households.
