Abstract
White attitudes toward equal opportunity and affirmative action are explored through semi-structured interviews with 246 middle and working class respondents from three areas of the USA. Both working and middle class interviewees espouse a consistent and coherent view: that opportunity is widespread for anyone willing to take advantage of it, that facing adverse conditions or obstacles is not a sufficient excuse for lack of success, and that government help in the form of affirmative action gives women and/or minorities unfair advantage over men and/or whites. In the responses, however, we also find that whites apply standards to others about being the ‘best person for the job’ that they do not apply to themselves in their own career histories. Using the interviews with these respondents, we explore the implications of this inconsistency in how whites apply normative standards about what constitutes merit and fairness. This research helps elucidate the meaning of previous research on white racial attitudes.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.