The Relationship Between Race Ethnicity and Underemployment

The Relationship Between Race Ethnicity and Underemployment

Takeaways from the Introduction Section

The article by Slack & Jensen (2009) discusses the relationship between race, ethnicity, and underemployment. One of the things I learned from the introduction section is that rural minorities are among the most economically disadvantaged populations in the United States. The introduction section also provided an overview of the research topic’s historical background. The historical background includes the presidential address submitted to the Rural Sociology Society in 1990 by Gene F. Summers. The presidential address focused on challenging rural sociologists to increase their interest in the well-being of ethnic and racial minorities in rural America and identify the barriers that hinder rural minorities from claiming rights such as the right to sufficient income, adequate education, adequate health care, decent housing, and full employment.

The study hypothesizes that racial or ethnic minorities in rural areas experience higher levels of inequality than those in urban areas. The authors’ theoretical explanations focus on social justice principles to emphasize the extent of ethnic and racial inequality in rural areas. They argue that the minority groups’ low socioeconomic status in rural areas raises concerns about social justice, leading to the conclusion that ethnic or racial inequality is an important indicator of the extent of rigidity in the United States stratification system. Do you need urgent assignment help ? Get in touch with us at eminencepapers.com.

Takeaways from the Methods Section

The methods section indicates that the authors used data from the March Current Population Survey from 1968 to 1998 to test their hypothesis. The March Current Population Survey was selected for the study because it offers data on various variables, including occupation, education, and household and individual income, thus allowing the researchers to describe the demographic and socioeconomic circumstances of households, families, and individuals in detail. The participants were non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white individuals living in non-metro regions of North America. The authors used multivariate statistical and descriptive techniques and simple cross-tabulations to describe the increase in underemployment based on residence and race or ethnicity. The authors also used multivariate analysis to elaborate and confirm their descriptive findings and logistic regression analysis to estimate the probability of underemployment.

Takeaways from the Results Section

One of the things that I learned from the results section is that there are higher underemployment rates among Latinos and blacks compared to white people. Secondly, Hispanics face higher inequality compared to African Americans. I also learned that unemployment rates are high in non-metro regions, although there is a decline in underemployment among black workers. The main statistical procedures used in the study include multivariate logistic regression models applied to confirm and elaborate on the trends in underemployment in metro and non-metro regions. One of the models includes the dummy variables for ethnicity or race, and the other considers the effects of the main sociodemographic characteristics on underemployment. The authors also used descriptive tables to present the research findings. Based on the data presented in the table, I learned that underemployment among whites and blacks has reduced over time, but the inequality between whites and Hispanics has increased. The authors stated that the findings indicating that black-white inequality changed over the 30 years reviewed in the study are statistically significant because they explain the decrease in inequality in non-metro regions and a slight increase in inequality in the metro regions.

Takeaways from the Discussion Section

One of the things I learned from the findings sections is that the underemployment rates among Hispanics in non-metro areas are higher than those in metro areas. I also learned that the employment rate among whites and blacks has remained stable for a while, but the unemployment rate among Hispanics changes constantly due to the increase in underemployment among Hispanics in rural non-metro regions. The study results were interpreted by developing conclusions based on the statistical data presented in the March Current Population Survey from 1968 to 1998. The authors also developed conclusions by comparing their findings with those from past studies focused on the same research topic. They provided an alternative explanation by stating that non-citizens from foreign countries were more likely to be underemployed compared to their native counterparts, and the inclusion of nativity reduced the higher likelihood of unemployment among Hispanics. Although the study’s limitations were not mentioned, the authors suggested future research areas by stating that future research may focus on the impact of immigration policy on the underemployment of minority groups such as Hispanics.

Personal Reactions

The research findings clearly demonstrated how underemployment increases inequality among minority groups living in rural areas because income plays a significant role in poverty alienation and reducing wealth inequality. The findings also clearly demonstrated the vital role that race plays in the American employment sector since most underemployed individuals were African Americans and Hispanics.

References

Slack, T., & Jensen, L. (2009). Race, ethnicity, and underemployment in Nonmetropolitan America: A 30-year profile*. Rural Sociology, 67(2), 208–233. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1549-

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Prepare a brief summary of the problem, method, results, and discussion/conclusion. The summary of the article does not have to be written as an essay or in APA format. Just answer the items below. You may answer all or some of the following questions in items A through e below (depending on the specific content of your article):

The Relationship Between Race, Ethnicity, and Underemployment

What did you learn from the introduction section? What is the historical background of the research topic? What theoretical explanations are emphasized in this section? What is the hypothesis of the study?

What did you learn from the methods section? Who were the subjects? What procedures were used?

What did you learn from the results section? What kinds of statistical procedures were used? What did you learn from charts, frequency tables, and bar graphs? What results did the authors say were statistically significant?

What did you learn from the discussion section? How did the authors interpret their results? Did they provide alternative explanations? Did they talk about the limitations of the present research study? What future research studies were suggested?

What are your personal reactions to the research findings?