Earnings Prospects of Black and White Working-Class Women

Abstract

Earnings of white, Puerto Rican, and black female graduates of a New York City vocational school are analyzed for a period of five years after graduation. Puerto Rican and black graduates who complete the same curriculum as whites earn considerably less upon entry into the labor market and thereafter for the next five years. Factors affecting these differences are analyzed. The findings cast doubt on the theory that equalizing training and education of whites and blacks will automatically result in equal job opportunities.

Prior interracial experience and Black student transition into predominantly White colleges.

“…Fewer than a dozen studies attempt any sort of controlled investigation in the sense that tests or other means of measuring selected characteristics of students are employed in comparisons of groups of students expected to differ in certain ways (Babbit, Burbach, & Thompson, 1975;T. L. Baker, 1976;Braddock, 1978Braddock, , 1981Burbach & Thompson, 1971Hedegard, 1972;Hedegard & Brown, 1969;PfeiferA Schneider, 1974;Suen, 1983;Tate & Barker, 1978;Young, McAnulty, & Daly, 1981).…”

“…L. Baker, 1976;Braddock, 1978Braddock, , 1981Burbach & Thompson, 1971Hedegard, 1972;Hedegard & Brown, 1969;PfeiferA Schneider, 1974;Suen, 1983;Tate & Barker, 1978;Young, McAnulty, & Daly, 1981). Only two use any kind of pre-and postmeasurement (T. L. Baker, 1976;Hedegard, 1972;Hedegard & Brown, 1969).…”

“…Most investigators are interested in the social aspects of the black student's adjustment to the predominantly white college (Allen, 1982;Babbit et al, 1975; T. L. Baker, 1976;Boyd, 1974;Braddock, 1978Braddock, , 1981Burbach & Thompson, 1971;Fleming, 1981aFleming, , 1981bFleming, , 1982Gibbs, 1974;Jones et al, 1975;Kleinbaum & Kleinbaum, 1976;Suen, 1983;Walker, 1976;Willie, 1981;Willie & Levy, 1972;Willie & McCord, 1972); many are concerned about academic adjustment, including level of academic achievement (Allen, 1982;Astin, 1972Astin, , 1982Braddock, 1981;Dawkins & Dawkins, 1980;Fleming, 1982;Gibbs, 1974;Hedegard, 1972;Johnson et al, 1967;Jones et al, 1975;Kilson, 1973aKilson, , 1973bKleinbaum & Kleinbaum, 1976;Sedlacek, 1974;Tate & Barker, 1978;Willie & McCord, 1972); and a few focus on personalemotional problems (Gibbs, 1974;Gold et al, 1980;Tate & Barker, 1978;Young et al, 1981). A number of investigators report use of measures of satisfaction with college as indices of adjustment (Allen, 1981;Astin, 1982;…”

“…Almost all of the studies cited report that black students in white colleges, by comparison with white students in the same colleges or black students in predominantly black colleges, experience more difficulty in the various aspects of adjustment, perform less well academically, are generally less satisfied with college, perceive the university climate more negatively, and have higher drop-out rates. Only three studies describe positive adjustment experiences or consequences (T. L. Baker, 1976;Boyd, 1974;Hedegard, 1972).…”

“…Several writers pointedly assert heterogeneity in black student adjustment to predominantly white colleges and some identify variables that they see as responsible for differences such as sex, social class, kind of preparatory education, home environment (rural, suburban, urban), or sociopolitical orientation (T. L. Baker, 1976;Barnes, 1972;Boyd, 1974;Davis & Borders-Patterson, 1973;Fleming, 1981bFleming, , 1982Gibbs, 1974;Harper, 1975;Johnson et al, 1967;Morgan, 1970Morgan, , 1972Pruitt, 1970;Scott, 1978;Walker, 1976;Wilson, 1974;Word, 1973), but in approximately half of these instances the assertion does not lead to empirical investigation. Two articles very appropriately cite need for research on this topic (Davis & Borders-Patterson, 1973;Scott, 1978).…”