About
PATHWAY
Increasing Workforce Accessibility and Stability for Marginalized Groups via Social Science Perspectives
I aim to address issues that primarily or solely affect marginalized groups with social science perspectives to increase job accessibility and stability in a manner that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. The sentiment that "opposites attract" is proven false when it comes to hiring practices. Rather, interviewers are consciously or unconsciously influenced by the similarities they share with interviewees. Thus, there is a hidden form of gatekeeping that promotes employment opportunities for those perceived as "similar," while blocking those that are "dissimilar." Some areas that might impact another's perception include gender, race/ethnicity, class, religion, sexual orientation, mental health, disabilities, and immigration status.
When a person is fortunate enough to be included in the workforce, it is expected that they will face some difficulties. This may be in the form of financial complications, transportation problems, health issues, or family emergencies. Regardless of the exact situation, these difficulties are anticipated for everyone. However, there are unique concerns for marginalized groups that affect their employment status and/or performance at work, such as the second shift, emotional tax, schemas of devotion, wage gaps, and gender/racial ideologies. Whatever the case, one thing remains certain: marginalized groups face a broader range of issues that make it difficult for them to enter the workforce and/or maintain their jobs. Therefore, my goal is to bring awareness to the unique hardships groups face by discussing how individuals are impacted and what we can do to open up opportunities and secure stability for those in need.
