Race and the Invisible Hand: How White Networks Exclude Black Men from Blue-Collar Jobs (George Gund Foundation Book in African American Studies)

243 Pages·2003·1.84 MB·English

by  Deirdre A. Royster

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Race and the Invisible Hand
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   
    
The George Gund Foundation has endowed
this imprint to advance understanding of
the history,culture,and current issues
of African Americans.
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Race and the Invisible Hand
How White Networks Exclude Black Men
from Blue-Collar Jobs
Deirdre A. Royster
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
Berkeley Los Angeles London
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The publisher gratefully acknowledges the generous
contribution to this book provided by the African
American Studies Endowment Fund of the University
of California Press Associates, which is supported by
amajor gift from the George Gund Foundation.
University of California Press
Berkeley and Los Angeles, California
University of California Press, Ltd.
London, England
© 2003 by the Regents of the University of California
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Royster, Deirdre A. (Deirde Alexia), 1966–.
Race and the invisible hand : how white networks exclude
black men from blue-collar jobs / Deirdre A. Royster.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN0–520–22999–1 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN0–520–
23951–2 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. African Americans—Employment. 2. Discrimination
in employment—United States. 3. Blue collar workers—
United States. I. Title.
HD8081.A65 R69 2003
331.13'3'0973—dc21 2002154103
Manufactured in the United States of America
12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The paper used in this publication is both acid-free and
totally chlorine-free (TCF). It meets the minimum require-
ments of ANSI/NISO Z39.48–1992 (R1997) (Permanence of
Paper).8
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For Dan Clawson and Deborah King
Twin pillars of strength in my intellectual journey
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CONTENTS
List of Tables
ix
Foreword
xi
Acknowledgments
xv
1. Introduction
1
2. “Invisible” and Visible Hands
Racial Disparity in the Labor Market
16
3. From School to Work . . . in Black and White
A Case Study
37
4. Getting a Job, Not Getting a Job
Employment Divergence Begins
60
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5. Evaluating Market Explanations
The Declining Significance of Race and Racial Deficits Approaches
82
6. Embedded Transitions
School Ties and the Unanticipated Significance of Race
104
7. Networks of Inclusion, Networks of Exclusion
The Production and Maintenance of Segregated Opportunity Structures
144
8. White Privilege and Black Accommodation
Where Past and Contemporary Discrimination Converge
179
Appendix: Subjects’ Occupations at the Time of the Study
193
Notes
195
Bibliography
205
Index
217
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TABLES
1. Job Experiences of Respondents 67
2. Black and White Men’s Success Categories by Field Status 80
3. Academic Characteristics 93
4. Character-Oriented Characteristics 96
5. Motivation and Preparedness Characteristics 99
ix