ABSTRACT

This book addresses diversity in public employment. To be sure, references must inevitably be made to the private sector and educational settings, especially in the context of equal employment opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action. Notwithstanding, public employment serves as the main arena. The book illustrates the extent to which EEO and affirmative action are still relied on in the workplace. It addresses the core of managing diversity in the public sector. The book examines the initiatives, strategies, and programs that government employers either do or might rely on to ensure that the demographic mosaic embodied by their workforces is prepared to meet the needs and interests of the American citizenry of the twenty-first century. It addresses each of the following aspects of diversity: race and ethnicity, gender, physical ability, age, and sexual orientation. It is important to note that in light of the subject matter, the research approach for this book is necessarily based in both description and prescription.