ABSTRACT
While much attention concerning employment programs has been directed on the problems faced by threatened whites, this chapter focuses on the situational problems often posed by affirmative action for black employees. It is believed that affirmative action in employment is essential for further progress in eroding racial discrimination in the United States and other western nations. The chapter also focuses on the difficulties that are often associated with the inclusion of black Americans in predominantly white employment contexts. It illustrates some of the ways modern prejudice interacts with situational constraints to create racial discrimination. The chapter discusses three stages in the minority inclusion process: recruitment, entry, and evaluation. It describes various interpersonal and structural interventions that can be used to combat these second-generation forms of discrimination. Under the scrutiny of affirmative action programs, blacks have been encouraged to enter many white-dominated jobs, occupations, and fields of study.
