Chapter 7 Homework Asian Females Who Are High School Graduates

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Chapter 7: Whites/Caucasians

Chapter 7

Whites/Caucasians

Table of Contents

Content

Page No. in the IM

Chapter Outline

1

Chapter Objectives

1

Lecture Notes and Teaching Suggestions

2

Key Facts (and Selected Questions)

3

Consideration as Discussion Points

Questions to Consider (End of Chapter)

11

Actions and Exercises

14

Suggested Test Questions

18

Chapter Outline

2. History of Whites in the United States

4. Population

6. Research on Whites and Diversity

8. Recommendations for Individuals

10. Summary

12. Questions to Consider

13. Actions and Exercises

Chapter Objectives

After completing this chapter, readers should have a greater understanding of

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Chapter 7: Whites/Caucasians

Whites/Caucasians and their role in organizational diversity. Specifically, they should be

able to:

• discuss some of the history of White ethnic groups in the United States.

• describe differences in income by education levels between Whites and other racial

and ethnic groups.

• explain the similarities and differences between employment experiences of White

Lecture Notes and Teaching Suggestions

This chapter focuses on Whites/Caucasians as a particular racial group relevant to

diversity in organizations. Instructors should emphasize to students that Whites are

sometimes overlooked in the study of diversity but they are very important to the study

and to make changes in organizational diversity. Students are often surprised to learn that

Title VII covers White men as well as women and people of color. Some cases are

included in the chapter that provide examples of when a White individual was purposely

discriminated against because of his or her race and/or sex. Instructors should emphasize

to students that although “reverse discrimination” is often associated with affirmative

action and is often feared by White men, it is highly unlikely. If it does occur, however,

Title VII is applicable. In many of the EEOC cases, Whites were treated unfairly when

they stood up against discrimination against other groups.

By examining the history of Whites in the U.S., this chapter allows readers to observe the

similarities and differences in the experiences of White ethnic group members with each

other and also with Blacks in the U.S. While White ethnics originally experienced

discrimination and differential treatment, intermarriage and the general invisibility of

their ethnic background reduced the opportunity for any discrimination against them. The

internment of Italians in the U.S. during the 1900s is a little known fact about the

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Chapter 7: Whites/Caucasians

discrimination practiced against members of Italian ethnic groups in the U.S. White

religious minorities (e.g., Irish Catholics, Jews) also experienced, and still continue to

experience, discrimination in the U.S.

During the 1900s, lower status White ethnic groups encouraged and capitalized on the

fear and antipathy of high-status Whites toward Blacks, using them to “become insiders,

or Americans, by claiming their membership as Whites” and designating Blacks as the

“other.” This differential treatment against Blacks and others of color remains stronger

These unearned advantages do not make one racist, but they do not make one meritorious

to receive the advantages either. Despite being members of the non-dominant class group,

and dealing with class-based inequality, lower SES Whites often experience White

privilege and advantages denied to minorities at the same or higher class levels.

The chapter provides comparisons of the experiences of White men and White women in

organizations, emphasizing women’s experiences with the glass ceiling and walls, sex-

based discrimination, sexual harassment, and other barriers to diversity. Although White

women are the least disadvantaged among women of all races/ethnicities, they earn less

than White men and receive lower returns than White men on their educational

investment.

Key Facts (and Selected Questions)

Questions following each “Key Fact” are helpful in stimulating class discussion.

(Selected key facts include discussion points in this Instructors’ Manual. Instructors may

choose to emphasize different ones depending on the needs/interests of students and

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Chapter 7: Whites/Caucasians

racial and ethnic groups.

Question: Why is the growth declining for non-Hispanic Whites?

• Although women of all races and minorities of both sexes now comprise a greater

share of the labor force, White men and White women continue to hold a

disproportionate share of managerial jobs.

Questions: Why do these differences still exist?

Similarity effect, greater social networks of Whites compared with people of color,

• As the great majority of CEOs, executives, and senior level managers, White men

play key roles in organizational diversity.

Questions: What kind of roles do Whites play in organizational diversity?

Whites play distinctive roles in organizational diversity. As members of the

dominant racial group, Whites have more power to make changes than do people of

color. As members of the dominant group, they may also erroneously view

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Chapter 7: Whites/Caucasians

• Whites are less likely to be laid off than minorities in the same organization, even

when taking into account their education, skills, performance, and tenure.

Question: Why do you think Whites are less likely to be laid off?

Students’ answers will vary. Often the people making the decisions about layoffs

may be Whites and may choose to keep people who are more similar to themselves.

• White women have higher workforce participation rates than Asian and Hispanic

women but lower participation than Black women.

Question: What factors contribute to these differences in women’s participation

rates?

Students’ answers will vary. Some of them may mention that this is a complex

issue, as the participation rates for women are generally affected by age and

• Even Whites who do not personally practice discrimination and exclusion, or who

are recent immigrants, are advantaged by systemic discrimination and exclusion

that disadvantage people of color.

Question: In what ways do Whites continue to benefit from slavery and

discrimination in the U.S.?

The combination of slavery in the past and continued discrimination disadvantage

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Chapter 7: Whites/Caucasians

Blacks and therefore advantage Whites. When competition for education, jobs,

Selected Items for Instructors’ Consideration as Discussion

Points

1. Individual Feature 7.1: Albert Einstein, Genius and Antiracist

This feature discusses Albert Einstein as an anti-racist and civil rights activist, which is a

little known aspect of Einstein’s work. Readers are often surprised to know about this.

Questions to Consider:

1. Prior to reading this section, were you aware of Albert Einstein’s strong antiracist

stance?

2. Some have suggested that because Einstein was Jewish and also experienced

discrimination, he was more antiracist than he otherwise might have been. Is this a

likely cause of Einstein’s perspective? Explain.

Students’ answers will vary. Einstein may have been able to empathize more with

2. Feature 7.1: The Internment of Italians and Germans in World War II

Questions to Consider:

1. Prior to reading this selection, were you aware that Italians and Germans had been

evacuated and relocated as enemy aliens during World War II?

2. Aside from differences in the numbers of people affected, why do you think that the

Italian and German relocation experience has received such little attention when

compared with that of the Japanese?

3. Why might Caucasians have been perceived as more loyal than the Japanese?

3. Research Summary 7.1: “White Privilege” and the “Myth of Meritocracy”

This research summary considers the research of Dr. Peggy McIntosh, associate director

of the Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, and a book on the Meritocracy

Myth by Stephen McNamee and Robert Miller. McIntosh’s list of “white privileges” is

often used in diversity training programs, and it provides examples of numerous

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Chapter 7: Whites/Caucasians

Questions to Consider:

1. What other White privileges can you think of that have specific relevance to

diversity in organizations?

2. If you are a member of a non-dominant racial or ethnic group, how many of the

privileges listed resonate with you? Which ones?

3. If you are White, how many of the privileges listed had you recognized prior to

reading this selection? Which ones are most sobering or surprising to you?

4. Belief in meritocracy and that people can “pull themselves up by their bootstraps”

is common in the United States. Had you considered “the myth of meritocracy”

prior to reading this selection? What do you think of the possibility that by

discriminating against minorities, society and organizations provide advantages for

Whites? In what ways does failure to acknowledge the consequences of

discrimination contribute to Whites’ feelings of their own individual qualifications

and “merit” and to beliefs that others just need to work harder?

Students’ answers will vary. Some of them may mention that Whites receive

employment advantages and preferences based on similarity to key decision

5. The term qualified minorities is sometimes used in selection searches. How much is

the term qualified Whites used? (Qualified women? Qualified men?)

6. What things might be on a list of “male” privileges—unearned advantages that men

experience—relative to diversity in organizations?

7. Recall from Chapter 4 that most wealth is inherited. What things might be on a list

of privileges provided by wealth?

4. Table 7.1: Unemployment Level by Educational Attainment by Race (2013)

(Percent of Population 25 and Over)

5. Table 7.2: Mean Total Money Earnings of Workers 18 Years and Over, by

Educational Attainment, Race, Hispanic Origin, and Sex: 2012

This table depicts the male and female wage gap for Whites, Blacks, Asians, and

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Chapter 7: Whites/Caucasians

Hispanics by their education level. This table also shows that Asians females sometimes

have higher earnings than their White counterparts (e.g., Asian females with an advanced

6. Individual Feature 7.3: Frank McCloskey, Vice-President of Diversity, 2000–

2010, Georgia Power

Questions to Consider:

1. McCloskey believes that corporations must “take the lead to close the educational

and poverty gap across racial and ethnic lines” to build a future talent pipeline and

sustain corporate business models. Do you agree that the racial and ethnic

disparities in educational attainment discussed in this book may negatively affect

corporations? If so, in what specific ways might corporations get involved with

alleviating such disparities? Why might individual investors support corporations’

involvement in such efforts?

Students’ answers will vary. Some of them might agree that racial and ethnic

disparities in educational attainment will negatively affect corporations.

2. What is the relationship between a country’s success and the ability of all its

citizens to be free from injustice, educated, and participating in and benefiting from

wealth creation?

3. McCloskey believes that change must first begin in one’s immediate circle of

influence—the family—and recommends adults be careful not to unintentionally

teach children subtle forms of bias and prejudice. To what kinds of unintentional

forms of bias and prejudice are children introduced by well-meaning adults who

believe themselves to be unprejudiced?

Students’ answers will vary. Students might suggest that most adults may

Questions to Consider (End of Chapter)

1. Many Whites argue that their resistance to affirmative action and diversity

programs is due in part to their families’ history of not owning slaves or their not

having practiced discrimination. What are some ways in which Whites who have

not done these things nonetheless benefitted from and been advantaged by slavery

and discrimination?

By restricting opportunities for Blacks (former slaves) and other people of color,

employers, banking institutions, educational institutions, and other institutions have

2. How does the visibility (identifiability) of groups such as Blacks and Asians

contrast with the invisibility of White ethnics in shaping their organizational

experiences?

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Chapter 7: Whites/Caucasians

3. Recall from Chapter 4 that many of the Whites who participated in Blacks’ struggle

for civil rights were Jewish. How were the organizational experiences of Jews and

Blacks in the United States similar and dissimilar?

4. Is the transition of Jews and Irish from non-White to White category surprising to

you? Brodkin also discusses the transformations of Mexicans to White then back

again. Were you aware of these changes? In addition to those listed in this chapter,

what other changes in race occurred within the U.S. census categorizations?

5. Recall the study by Castilla that found similar starting salaries but differential

salary growth for women and minorities compared to White men even when

performance ratings were the same. What are some possible negative consequences

for the organization if these salary differences become widely known? What

specific steps would you recommend to avoid “performance–reward”

discrimination?

If the performance-reward discrimination were widely known, the negative

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Chapter 7: Whites/Caucasians

6a. If you are not White, do you know someone well who is White? In what capacity

do you know this person (e.g., personal friend, manager, classmate, neighbor)? Do

you know this person’s ethnic origin (e.g., Italian, Irish, German)? How much time

have you spent with him or her? Have you thought about this person as having a

race or ethnicity? Have you discussed race, ethnicity, or other diversity issues with

him or her? Explain.

6b. If you are White, do you know your ethnic origin? How much of a role does your

ethnic origin play in your everyday life, experiences, and opportunities? Can

outside observers discern your ethnic origin by looking at you?

Students’ answers will vary. Students who are white might belong to one ethnic

6c. How does the ethnicity of Whites differ from visible ethnic differences in its effect

on a person’s experiences and opportunities?

7. Individual Whites may report experiences with reverse discrimination, despite little

research evidence to support it. How do such experiences affect support of or

resistance toward diversity efforts? What might help such individuals to be

supportive of diversity efforts, despite believing they had experienced

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Chapter 7: Whites/Caucasians

discrimination?

Students’ answers will vary. Whites’ experiences with reverse discrimination are

likely to fuel animosity toward diversity efforts. Some people in the dominant

Actions and Exercises

1. Search the EEOC Web site (http://www.eeoc.gov) for the most recent three or six

months for cases of discrimination charges and settlements against Whites. In any

month that you find a case involving discrimination against Whites, document the

events surrounding this case. What proportion of cases involved race-based

discrimination against Whites?

2. Although “quotas” are generally illegal in the United States, many people believe

they are legal and common. Prepare an argument to dispel the idea of reverse

discrimination basing it on education and earnings and representation in senior and

executive management of White men, White women, Black men, and Black

women.

Students’ answers will vary. Students might base their argument on fact that

3a. Conduct an informal census of employees in several places: a fast food restaurant, a

sit-down restaurant, a discount store, department store, government office, bank, or

other locations in which many employees are visible. Document the number of

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Chapter 7: Whites/Caucasians

employees overall and the number of White employees visible. What is the race

and sex of the store manager? Estimate the proportion of the employees who are

White in each place. How many managers and assistant managers are White? How

many are White and male?

Students’ answers will vary.

3b. Choose two nights to watch television for thirty minutes to one hour each night.

Document the program, type of commercial, and the numbers of White characters

in the programs and commercials. In what roles are they portrayed?

Students’ answers will vary.

3c. What similarities and differences are apparent between the people in parts a and b?

4. From your data in Exercises 3a and 3b, speculate on the ethnicity of the White

employees (3a) or characters (3b). What factors did you use in your speculation?

Compare the difficulty in speculating on the ethnicity of the Whites with

identifying them by race and sex.

Students’ answers will vary.

5. Use a calculator to make a chart projecting the effects of performance-reward

disparities (Castilla’s study, discussed in the chapter) in salary growth for White

men, White women, and people of color.

a. Make columns for starting salaries of $30,000 for the new employees. Use

different annual salary increase estimates (e.g., 1%, 3%, 5% or other

estimates) for each demographic group. What are the salary differences after

10 years? After 20 years?

1% Annual

Increase

3% Annual

Increase

5% Annual

Increase

Year

30000

1

30300

30900

31500

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Chapter 7: Whites/Caucasians

2

30603

31827

33075

3

30909

32782

34729

4

31218

33766

36466

5

31530

34779

38289

6

31845

35822

40204

7

32163

36897

42214

8

32484

38004

44325

9

32809

39144

46541

10

33137

40318

48868

11

33468

41528

51311

12

33803

42774

53877

13

34141

44057

56571

14

34482

45379

59400

15

34827

46740

62370

16

35175

48142

65489

17

35527

49586

68764

18

35882

51074

72112

19

36241

52606

75718

20

36603

54184

79504

b. What effects would such disparities in salary growth have on each

employee’s and the employer’s contributions to the employees’ Social

Security, tax-deferred savings plans, and retirement plans?

Students’ answers will vary. As the salary of an employee grows, an

c. What effects would such disparities have on other outcomes for these groups

(e.g., housing opportunities, investments, children’s education)?

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Chapter 7: Whites/Caucasians