Equal opportunity: Gender, Culture, and Equality in the workplace

p Outline of : Gender , Culture , and Equality in the Workplace Name School Section Number Gender , Culture , and Equality in the Workplace I . Introduction

A . Female and minority status play an important factor in relation to obtaining and

retaining financially sound work and being treated fairly in regards to white

men in the s same professions

B . Women and minorities have struggled with fairness in the workplace in the

United States , since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution . It is a

misconception that untrue stereotypes and

unfair work practices are not still

rampant in the workplace in this country

C . From a sociological conflict theory perspective , status is ascribed negatively to

women and minorities in the workplace and causes institutional discrimination

that is thinly veiled by the power elite and misunderstood by many privileged

individuals

II . First , it is important to understand that many privileged members of society believe that individuals get what they deserve in terms of job opportunities and blame women and minorities for their social and financial issues

D . Many individuals do not recognize , for example , that inequality is a social

problem and believe instead that it is a personal problem They think

individuals usually get what they deserve , which makes the trouble just a sum of

individual troubles . This means that if whites or males get more than others , it 's

because they have it coming-they work harder , they 're smarter , more capable (Johnson , 2001

E . A similar stereotype that perpetuates a cultural myth and goes to demonstrate the

blame that is placed on minorities is the idea that African Americans and some

women in poverty prefer to live on welfare and are unmotivated in the

workplace . Acknowledging the economic gap between blacks and whites

whites are inclined to blame blacks for their lack of motivation then , perceiving

them to be poorly motivated , employers are less likely to hire blacks (Heiner

2006

III . The power elite will continue to find ways to prevent change and maintain their power without any regard for women and minorities that may be struggling . Therefore , even if inequality is recognized , it is difficult to change on an institutional level

F . Extensive organizational change will bring about a different status quo and

will , therefore , be resisted by many employees Lasting organizational

change , while being dependent on the power and influence of top management

is even more dependent on the reaction and response to the change by the

value-added employees in any system (Dubois Wright 2001

G . The wealth of Americans , that is concentrated in the hands of a few (the power

elite , is accepted as a social reality that many individuals do not want to

question or change . many American , it seems tolerate such concentrations of

wealth because they would like to see themselves among those who possess

such great wealth . Such dreams are part of one of the most powerful

constructions in American society , frequently referred to as the `American

Dream` (Heiner , 2006

IV . Such oppressive environments , also , keep individuals so engaged in...