The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on marginalized populations in the United States: A research agenda

Abstract

International and national crises often highlight inequalities in the labor market that disproportionately affect individuals from marginalized backgrounds. The COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting changes in society due to social distancing measures, has showcased inequities in access to decent work and experiences of discrimination resulting in many of the vulnerable populations in the United States experiencing a much harsher impact on economic and work-related factors. The purpose of this essay is to describe how the COVID-19 pandemic may differentially affect workers of color, individuals from low-income backgrounds, and women in complex ways. First, this essay will discuss disproportionate representation of workers from low-income and racial/ethnic minority backgrounds in sectors most affected by COVID-19. Second, it will discuss the lack of decent work for low-income workers who perform "essential" tasks. Third, this essay will highlight economic and work-related implications of increased discrimination Asian Americans are experiencing in society. Finally, role conflict and stress for women who are managing additional unpaid work, including caretaking responsibilities, while needing to continue to engage in paid work will be examined. A research agenda will be set forth throughout the essay, calling for vocational psychologists to engage in research that fully examines how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting vulnerable communities.On March 31, 2020, during the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Andrew Cuomo, the governor of one of the hardest hit states, New York, wrote on Twitter that the coronavirus is the "great equalizer" (Cuomo, 2020), reflecting the sentiment that the virus was capable of sickening anyone regardless of age, social status, race/ethnicity, or gender. Governor Cuomo's tweet was well meaning in nature but did not accurately reflect the differential impact of the virus on historically marginalized groups in the United States. International and national crises, including pandemics, often highlight inequalities that may have been unseen or hidden prior to the crisis. COVID-19, and the resulting changes in society due to social distancing measures, have showcased inequities in access to decent work and in experiencing discrimination resulting in many of our most vulnerable populations in the United States (e.g., racial/ethnic minorities, individuals from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and women) experiencing a much harsher impact on work-related and economic factors.Racial, gender, and social class disparities have been well documented in educational and work opportunities for decades (Flores, Martinez, McGillen, & Milord, 2019). For individuals from vulnerable or marginalized backgrounds, educational systems, labor markets, and workplace environments often perpetuate systems of oppression, power, and privilege, resulting in them experiencing marginalization and discrimination within these systems and obtaining poorer educational and vocational outcomes (Flores et al., 2019)....

The Disproportionate Burden of the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Pregnant Black Women

“…They also reported knowing more people who had died from COVID-19. These findings reflect the well-recognized disproportionate toll of the pandemic on the health and economic stability of Black communities in the US ( Cyrus et al, 2020 ; Kantamneni, 2020 ; Millett et al, 2020 ; Poteat et al, 2020 ), indicating structural racism ( Chambers et al, 2020 ).…”

Social Marginalization Motivates Indiscriminate Sharing of COVID-19 News on Social Media

“…Experiences of marginalization are likely to trigger people to figure out why such experiences occurred and if similar conditions will continue into the future, causing them to search for meaning. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought major complexities and psychological uncertainties into people's lives, and this is particularly the case for those who already feel marginalized in our society (Kantamneni 2020; see also app. A).…”

“…Sharing news is certainly not the only way that socially marginalized individuals can find meaning. The reason we focus on news sharing is that the COVID-19 pandemic is challenging people's sense of certainty and order, posing a potential threat to meaning (Kantamneni 2020).…”

We Need to Talk About Racism—In All of Its Forms—To Understand COVID-19 Disparities

“…Laissez-faire racism is exemplified in people of color disproportionately working in jobs that are deemed essential or that require significant risk of exposure to COVID-19. 32 Jobs with less autonomy also activate the stress process in ways that make persons more vulnerable to severe illness and limit the ability to stay home during a pandemic or receive sick leave if one does become ill. 33 In addition, laissez-faire racism results in a lack of racial minorities in decision-making positions. That is to say that white people, both as leaders in corporate and political settings, have been tasked with deciding when it is ''safe'' for their employees and constituents to end lockdown protocol.…”