When the issue of discrimination materializes, the common types that come to mind are class, race, and gender discrimination. However, appearance-based discrimination in the workplace is a growing issue in America. Discrimination based on appearance is different from other forms in that it can be used to discriminate against a wide range of people. From gender, race, and sex, to social class, age, and weight, every person has a physical appearance, which in turn makes every person a candidate for being judged. Whether intentional or unintentional, the physical appearances of workers from all walks of life are being subjected to corporate scrutiny. When deciding who should represent their companies, American employers tend to focus on a person’s ability to conform and outward appearances rather than a person’s skill level. One such instance has already led to two lawsuits being filed against the corporate giant Abercrombie & Fitch. Discussed in Paula Rothenberg’s book Race, Class and Gender in the United States, Carol Vu uncovers Abercrombie’s vision of their ideal employee. People of African American, Filipino, or Latino descent were unable to provide the stereotypical all-American look that Abercrombie typically expects their workers to exude. It is no coincidence that these minority groups also comprise the bottom tier of the American Ethnic Hierarchy. There is also a direct correlation between the minority groups who make up the bottom tier of the American Ethnic Hierarchy also belonging to a substantially poorer economic class than the Euro-Americans in the top two tiers (Marger 308-310). This is another contributing factor leading companies like Abercrombie to hire a mainly white staff. If the higher economic cl... ... middle of paper ... ... Works Cited Darlin, Damon. "Extra Weight, Higher Costs." Nytimes.com. The New York Times Company, 2 Dec. 2006. Web. . Ehrenreich, Barbara. Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream. 1st ed. New York City, N.Y: Henry Holt, 2006. Kindle Ebook. Marger, Martin N. Social Inequality: Patterns and Processes. 5th ed. New York, N.Y: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print. Tahmincioglu, Eve. "Fat Chance: It's Not Easy for Obese Workers." Msnbc.com. Msnbc Digital Network, 26 Jan. 2007. Web. . Vu, Carol N. "Abercrombie Settles Class-Action Suit." Race, Class, and Gender in the United States: An Integrated Study. By Paula S. Rothenberg. 8th ed. New York, N.Y: Worth, 2010. 253-55. Print.
A little girl dreams of a white wedding with white doves flying over the ceremony and the fairy-tale honeymoon. Only then to come home to the yellow house in the country, with the white picket fence included. Everyone has daydreamed about their future and having the “perfect” house, with the “perfect” car and the “perfect” marriage- everyone wants to live the “American Dream”. There are many people that believe that the “American Dream” is a concept that they are entitled to and expected to live. Then, there are those who believe that you should use the opportunities that America offers as a stepping stone to earn and create your own “American dream”. However, as time goes on the mainstream idea of “living the American Dream” has changed. This change is mostly due to the ever-changing economy, professions, and expectations of the American people. Throughout the book Working, by Studs Terkel, we meet many diverse groups of people to discover the people behind the jobs that allows American society to operate and how their choice of a career path has changed their lives.
“The American Dream: Out of Reach?” America Press 10/3/2011: Pages. Vol. 205 Issue 9, p6-6. 8/9
Hurst, Charles, E. 2013. Social Inequalities: Forms, Causes, and Consequences (8th ed). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Brody, Jane E. “Attacking the Obesity Epidemic by First Figuring Out Its Cause.” New York Times. 12 September 2011. Print.
Rothenberg, P. 1998. Race, Class, and Gender in the United States. New York: St. Martin's Press.
Though many may not want to believe it, young black men are stereotyped in the business world. These stereotypes can subconsciously cause disadvantages at the collegiate level, in internships and even at the professional level when competing for advanced positions. Sometimes, it is difficult for black males to receive positions over males of other races due to these stereotypes. Regardless of the fact that both may meet the qualifications, it is likely that the black male will fall short. Therefor, young black males must work twice as hard and go above and beyond just to ensure that we recieve the same opportunities as other males. Appearance also plays a major factor, when competing for high-level professional positions a black male with piercings or tattoos; which many young men have, may not represent the company ...
9. Marger, Martin. Social inequality: pattern and processes / martin N. Marger – 2nd. p.169)
In today’s society the idea of “American Dream” has become a controversial and widely interpreted issue that awaked opinions and research from professionals in fields such as Economics and Journalism because of the concept that in general the American dream involves. In his essay, “Hiding from Reality,” Bob Herbert examines how the achievement of the American dream is affected by the economy and quality of education in American society, and the effect of the inadequate utilization of the sources by the politicians will impact future generations. Despite his diverse points of view to determine if the American dream is still a viable element in today’s US society, the restauration of the American
Walmart is a multi-billion dollar retail industry that hires thousands of employees a year. Over the last decade Walmart, there has been some speculation that Walmart discriminates against women. They employ 815,000 women, which is 57 percent of its U.S. workforce (Reed). Over 2,000 women from each of 48 states have filed legal complaints against Walmart and the company is said to have a history of unfair treatment of these female employees by under paid and how there are so many lawsuits against them given few opportunities for advancement (Hines). I selected this topic because after doing some research I discovered some shocking information about how Walmart supposedly treats their female employees and how there are so many lawsuits filed against them. This relates to my field of study because it shows what goes on internally between a company and its employees and how a company’s decision affects their employees. This also relates to my field of study because it an example of what occurs sometimes within a company and that is legal action from employee to the employer.
In today’s job market, there are many reasons an individual could be turned down for employment. According to Deborah Rhodes, author of “Why looks are the last bastion of discrimination”, appearance should not be one of them. Rhodes is a law professor at Stanford and holder of numerous titles for her outstanding work in legal matters. She is also the author and co-author of over 250 articles (Directory). In this article, she addresses an issue with profound impact on today’s society. She proposes that appearance discrimination should be included in anti-discrimination laws in addition to what is already accepted and legalized in today’s workplace. While it is a seemingly “silly” concern, it is actually quite valid. There has been many a concern over discrimination. That is, discrimination based on race, color, gender, and others of a similar nature in the work environment.
Buck, Pem Davidson. “Constructing Race, Creating White Privilege.” Race, Class, and Gender in the United States. Ed. Paula Rothenberg. New York, NY: Worth Publishers, 2010. 32-37. Print.
Aguirre, Adalberto, and Jonathan H. Turner. American Ethnicity: The Dynamics and Consequences of Discrimination. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.
Racism refers to the practices, actions, beliefs and practices that consider people who are affiliated to different races as being ranked inherently superior or inferior to others. This assumption or belief is mainly based on the presumed shared inheritable abilities, traits, or qualities. Racial discrimination has been termed as a major vice in the employment industry where members from different racial backgrounds are treated differently regardless of their abilities, qualities, or traits. Canada has been one of the worst affected territories where the workplace discrimination has dominated in the last century. There have been several empirical studies that have been developed in an effort to evaluate whether the racial discrimination in the workplace is reducing in any way. In order to investigate this topic, we shall consider two scholarly materials that will include “Racial inequality in employment in Canada” and “An Examination of Factors Affecting Perception of Workplace Discrimination”.
Evensvold, Marty D. "The American Dream: Stories from the Heart of Our Nation." Library Journal Dec. 2001: 200. General OneFile. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
In the case of Dukes vs. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (Dukes), the court found that there was a lack of significant proof that Wal-Mart had a general policy of discrimination (Schipani, 2013). The plaintiffs needed commonality to establish uniformed disparity within the Wal-Mart organization, and statistical evidence was deemed unworthy of proving this commonality (Schipani, 2013). The numbers were astounding; seventy-two percent of the hourly workforce of Wal-Mart are women, yet only 10% are store managers, and a mere 4% of female Wal-Mart employees are district managers (Bernardin & Russell, 2013). The numbers seem to reflect a painfully obvious presence of discrimination, and with Wal-Mart’s market power within its industry, it can be frightening to evaluate the impact their practices have on the American employment culture.