ERIC Number: EJ829675
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Dec
Pages: 30
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0037-7732
EISSN: N/A
Social Contacts and Race/Ethnic Job Matching
Stainback, Kevin
Social Forces, v87 n2 p857-886 Dec 2008
Scholarly literature and the media often tout "networking" as an effective route for obtaining quality employment. Some scholars, however, have cautioned that racially segregated social networks may produce racially segregated workgroups and differential opportunity structures over time. Drawing from theoretical perspectives pertaining to social closure and analyzing data from the Multi-City Study of Urban Inequality, this article analyses the role of social contacts and race/ethnic matching in employment. The findings reveal that among individuals using contacts in job searches, same-race contacts dramatically increase race/ethnic matching for all status groups. On the other hand, using a cross-race contact, while a rare event, strongly discourages this process. The results also show that race/ethnic matching is reduced with increases in educational attainment and in larger workplaces. Further analyses highlighting the quality of jobs attained through same- and cross-race social contacts show that cross-race contacts do not provide access to higher paying jobs nor jobs with authority. They do, however, increase access to lower-level supervisory positions for blacks and Hispanics. (Contains 8 tables and 3 notes.)
Descriptors: Peer Relationship, Social Networks, Employment Opportunities, Employment Patterns, Employment Potential, Employment Practices, Network Analysis, Job Search Methods, Racial Relations, Ethnicity, Cross Cultural Studies, Interviews, Community Surveys, Performance Factors
University of North Carolina Press. 116 South Boundary Street, P.O. Box 2288, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2288. Tel: 800-848-6224; Tel: 919-966-7449; Fax: 919-962-2704; e-mail: uncpress@unc.edu; Web site: http://uncpress.unc.edu/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A