Introduction
Devah Pager’s critical study, “The Mark of a Criminal Record,” examines how race and criminal record affect people’s chances of getting a job. With many people in prison and many released every year, Pager wanted to figure out if it is harder for someone to get a job because of their skin color or because they have a record. She did this using a unique method, like an experiment, where she had pairs of black and white people apply for real jobs.
Problem Setup
In figuring out what makes it hard for people to get jobs, one must understand two important things: “ascribed status” and “achieved status.” Ascribed status is something you have from birth, like your race. Achieved status involves things you do or your choices, such as getting a criminal record. Devah Pager is investigating whether your race or having a record has a more significant impact on job opportunities (Pager). The author aims to determine which factor—being a particular race or having a record—more strongly influences employers’ opinions of you.
Methodology
Pager used a particular methodology called an “experimental audit.” It is like a specific test but with real job applications. She got four black and two white individuals to be testers. Each pair of testers included one person with a made-up criminal record. Pager changed the race of the testers to see how it mixes with having a fake record when they apply for real entry-level jobs (Pager). The testers filled out job applications, and Pager noticed how often employers called them back for a second look.
Findings and Conclusions
Pager made crucial discoveries. Firstly, a simulated criminal record significantly hinders individual job prospects, regardless of race. Employers, upon seeing the record, tend to dismiss applicants. Secondly, Pager observed that black testers received fewer callbacks than their white counterparts, even with identical qualifications (Pager). Surprisingly, being black appeared to carry more weight than having a record (Pager).
Lastly, Pager investigated the impact of being black and having a simulated record. Black testers with a record faced even more significant challenges, 40% less likely to receive callbacks than white testers with a record (Pager). This could be due to existing negative perceptions about black individuals, exacerbated by the presence of a record.
Evaluation
A good plan and lots of facts back up Pager’s ideas. The experimental audit let her look at what happens in actual job situations. The study tells us that race and having a record mix up together, making it hard for some people to get a fair shot at jobs. Pager’s work challenges what we might have thought about everyone having an equal chance at jobs (Pager). It demonstrates that having a record can create additional challenges, particularly for black individuals. This is significant and prompts consideration of how we can enhance opportunities for everyone in the job market, particularly those facing difficulties.
Conclusion
Pager’s research unveils the challenges people face in securing jobs based on race and having a record. Despite similar qualifications, black individuals experience more difficulty obtaining callbacks than their white counterparts. Whether black or white, possessing a record further complicates the hiring process. This underscores the potential unfairness within the job system, particularly for those confronting obstacles. There is a pressing need to contemplate ways to enhance fairness for everyone by reconsidering hiring practices and offering support to individuals seeking to rebuild their lives after involvement with the justice system.
Work Cited
Pager, Devah. 2003. “The Mark of a Criminal Record”. American Journal of Sociology 108 (5):937-975.