Race And The Invisible Hand

Paul Adams
2/21/13
Race and the Invisible Hand This book is an evaluation and comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of the white and black population of the late 1900’s. The data used in these comparisons were acquired over months of surveying. These surveys were conducted mainly by a woman named Deirdre A. Royster who is a black female, but was able to pass as a white woman and on many different occasions this was the only reason why she got many of her interviews with some white families. Being a black male in the 1900’s, you were easily at a disadvantage, but many of them heeded the advice that was given to them that was to, “Get a trade”. Getting a trade simply meant to become educated in a specific trade such as mechanics, plumbing, or roofing so that you can easily acquire a blue-collar job. and you don’t hit a dead end like most uneducated individuals did in the late 1900’s. It was difficult for black males to get a job even if they had been educated. Employers almost always oftendiscriminated against blacks, calling them lazy, just plain and untrustworthy. and even Sometimes they chose picked someone who was white workers who were less qualified, less educated or didn’t do as well in school. just because he was not black. This book demonstrates a very clear comparison of whites and blacks growing up and becoming working individuals in their communities as well as the struggles of black men in the 1900’s. On several occasions the book mentions refers to an analogy known as “the invisible hand”. The Invisible Hand suggests a non-biased sorting process in which whites and blacks are treated equally and may possibly be the only reason why so many blacks got their jobs. The book also mentions that on many different talks about occasions instances when the job you get depends on the people you know and how interpersonal relationships are critical to economic process. This is known as the “Embeddedness” approach which suggests that personal contacts are valuable in connecting workers to job opportunities. Being black in America in the (early) 1900’s meant the exact opposite of having contacts in high places. This opportunity or connection was not available to young black men because they did not have the personal contacts or relationships in higher paying, economic positions or businesses. This constantly left young minority workers in less desirable or lower paying occupations. Deidre Royster’s surveys study took time and were often not put her in the most undesirable pleasurable neighborhoods. Her data was acquired through a case study of 25 black males and 25 white males. A case study is a research strategy that is useful for “how” and “why” questions. These types of questions take into account, factors in processes and events that occurred over a period of time. In her survey she claims she was trying to account for what many other sociologists surveys had not considered, which was the combined influence of each student grades, demeanor, or efforts to find work, personal connections; most personal connections were held by the white males that were included in the surveys, and local labor market conditions. The main objectives of her study were to first compare the transition stages of both races from high school to the work place comparing their job connections, the amount of jobs they held and their salary for each job.Second, to compare the young men’s schooling and grades, employers, and encouragement standards and conditions of their families. And lastly, to take into account each person’s skills, attitude differences, and values. might be taken into account in their employment. She chose to conduct her study in Baltimore, Maryland finding high school graduates students who had graduated in 1989 and 1990. Royster specifically chose to perform her study in Baltimore for three main reasons.One reason being that Baltimore’s black population was more than over 50 percent, second, Baltimore

Show More

My Paper

My Paper

my paper

My Paper

my paper

my paper

My paper

My paper

my papers

My paper

Race And The Invisible Hand

Related Documents: Race And The Invisible Hand

My Paper

My Paper

my paper

My Paper

my paper

my paper

My paper

My paper

my papers

My paper