Compare social groups: (Example: differences between racial/ethnic minority groups, along with their comparison to whites).

Does race and sex play a role in shaping the life chances of people entering into and working in your intended career path? In what ways may sex and race impact your life as a professional? What are the possible causes of these inequalities?

The correlation of success with gender and ethnicity has always been and will always be a matter of debate. It is commonly claimed that differences exist among people belonging to different minority groups and when it come to gender, men are considered more privileged than women. In reality, statistics do support such assumptions; however, they do not explain the factors driving such preferential behaviors. In this essay, besides displaying some statistical data, I would go a bit further into analyzing the reasons of such patterns. The hiring process, although seemingly easy, is very complicated and entails several complex relationships. There are several perceived disadvantages of women or minority groups when it comes to employment. In the past 20 years, through affirmative action policies, men and women have been encouraged to enter non-traditional areas. However, the removal of legal barriers has not eliminated all obstacles faced by them. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, there were 28,372 charges of sex-based discrimination in 2008. Also, data collected from the American Community Survey in 2008 indicate that women in even the most economically advantaged race groups, white and Asian, earn less than men in the most economically disadvantaged race and ethnic group such as African Americans and Hispanic. The same study reveals that white and Asian men earn much more than African American or Hispanic men. This gap widens at the lowest levels of educations and narrows at the highest levels.

There are many causes for gender discrimination; however, I would like to point out some of the reasons that I do consider as the most important. Religion and its conservative applicability impacts the women approach toward employment. Being an Albanian, I was grown up in a society with a predominantly Muslim majority and I know that, independently of what Islam really promotes, its distorted application has contributed in the creation of a patriarchal society. This very same pattern might be easily noticed within Americas Muslim minority groups as well. Recently, a huge debate emerged as Universities in Albania prohibited Muslim girls to attend classes wearing the traditional yashmak. The parents immediately reacted by not allowing their daughters to attend University thus impairing their chances for a decent career. Education plays a crucial role in either narrowing or widening inequality among men and women. In underdeveloped societies, women are expected to stay home and do all the cleaning and cooking while men are sent to universities. The less educated the women are, less opportunities they will have to build a successful career. We are all aware that the supply for labor does not meet the demand. Under such circumstances, a natural selection process begins. Racial discrimination between people of different cultures and nationalities is a very natural phenomenon and one that is bound to affect everyone at some point of time. This is not as much a problem as it is a bitter truth. Humans are bound to feel a sense of belonging and fondness for their own people and races by default and expecting them to tide above it is unnatural. The problem lies in the way the matter is dealt. Its not about expecting people to like every race, its about creating a sense of oneness amongst all. An Indian in an American run enterprise would have to work very hard to be fully integrated into his team. Differences in food habits, values, lifestyles create a barrier among people. Furthermore, if a non native national is doing extremely well at his workplace and climbing the corporate ladder faster than his native counter parts, there is bound to be some discrimination thats then blamed on his race.
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Patterns of discrimination can be shaped by influences at various levels. I think that people are not born being racist just as they are not born knowing right from wrong, rather racism is something that is learned. An important contributing factor to racism is social and economic status. People are often judged by where they live, how much money they make, what type of car they drive and so on. Racial discrimination leads to more racism and to higher inequality. The chances of an African American to attend a decent University are lower that that of a white individual even because his ancestors could not guarantee him enough support and financing because they were themselves prejudiced and discriminated sometime in the past. This makes the race unfair and unequal since inception. A factor causing racial discrimination is related to the fear we have from people who are different. Since the whites constitute around 80.4% of the population, they will as well be the main providers of employment opportunities. Different customs, religion or attitudes of individuals belonging to ethnic minority groups will make the majority of white people less confident in sharing power. Instead, they would better prefer someone belonging to their own ethnic group. Many legal initiatives have aimed to eliminate both gender and racial discrimination; however, the phenomenon still exists. Individuals are resistant to changes thus it will take much more time. The already established perceptions and mindsets accompanying various ethnic minority groups will slightly improve from one generation to the other. Several studies have identified education as a crucial element in narrowing existing gaps faster, thus further investment in education is a must.