Comments on: Racial Discrimination: #4 http://www.zackvision.com/weblog/2002/12/racial-discrimination-4/ The art of keeping up with yesterday's blogging Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:10:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Zack http://www.zackvision.com/weblog/2002/12/racial-discrimination-4/comment-page-1/#comment-4391 Zack Sun, 15 Dec 2002 19:57:00 +0000 http://www.zackvision.com/?p=194#comment-4391 <p>Jonathan, they do vary the neighborhood randomly in this study. Since the applicants are supposed to live in the same city as the employers, therefore, the quality of the neighborhood they live in should be obvious. What the researchers found was that all applicants were helped by living in a more affluent, more educated and whiter neighborhood. Black and white sounding names were helped equally. So, the difference between the callback rates remains between the races.<br /></p> Jonathan, they do vary the neighborhood randomly in this study. Since the applicants are supposed to live in the same city as the employers, therefore, the quality of the neighborhood they live in should be obvious. What the researchers found was that all applicants were helped by living in a more affluent, more educated and whiter neighborhood. Black and white sounding names were helped equally. So, the difference between the callback rates remains between the races.

]]> By: Jonathan Edelstein http://www.zackvision.com/weblog/2002/12/racial-discrimination-4/comment-page-1/#comment-4390 Jonathan Edelstein Sun, 15 Dec 2002 14:51:00 +0000 http://www.zackvision.com/?p=194#comment-4390 <p>I have an idea about a possible control. In the next test, the resumes should all have “white” sounding names (as defined by the researcher) but should vary by neighborhood. The neighborhoods should be readily recognizable to potential employers as being (1) upper middle class white; (2) lower middle class white; (3) working class white; (4) middle class black; (5) working class black; and (6) black ghetto. If there are any white ghettos or upper middle class black neighborhoods (e.g. Laurelton in Queens) in the area, they should also be included.<br /><br /> <br /><br /> This should allow the researchers to achieve at least a rough approximation of whether class trumps race or vice versa. For instance, the statistics might show that Alison from the Upper West Side does better than Alison from West Harlem, but that Alison from West Harlem does about as well as Alison from Bensonhurst.<br /><br /> <br /><br /> Of course, a survey that varies by neighborhood probably won’t clear up the issue by itself. It will probably take a number of single-variable tests before the results of the name survey can be placed in context.<br /><br /> <br /></p> I have an idea about a possible control. In the next test, the resumes should all have “white” sounding names (as defined by the researcher) but should vary by neighborhood. The neighborhoods should be readily recognizable to potential employers as being (1) upper middle class white; (2) lower middle class white; (3) working class white; (4) middle class black; (5) working class black; and (6) black ghetto. If there are any white ghettos or upper middle class black neighborhoods (e.g. Laurelton in Queens) in the area, they should also be included.

This should allow the researchers to achieve at least a rough approximation of whether class trumps race or vice versa. For instance, the statistics might show that Alison from the Upper West Side does better than Alison from West Harlem, but that Alison from West Harlem does about as well as Alison from Bensonhurst.

Of course, a survey that varies by neighborhood probably won’t clear up the issue by itself. It will probably take a number of single-variable tests before the results of the name survey can be placed in context.

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