Graduation Date
Fall 1978
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Arts degree with a major in Sociology
Program
Sociology
Committee Chair Name
Larry Buffington
Committee Chair Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
James D. Turner
Second Committee Member Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Third Committee Member Name
Helen Batchelor
Third Committee Member Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Keywords
Sociology, Anthropology, Social Welfare
Subject Categories
Sociology
Abstract
In the field of Sociology, studies are continually initiated to ascertain basic social processes integral to an area under research. As these processes are isolated and identified, their function can be understood and related to a larger social spectrum. In the field of personnel management, the predominant quest has been to screen applicants for their desirability as future employees. Some of the criteria used are: 1) amount of experience in the area of the job opening; 2) quantity of formal education in the given area; 3) past job performance recommendations; 4) amount of previous job absenteeism; 5) ability to handle responsibility; 6) seeing past jobs through to completion. Unfortunately, due to various personnel idiosyncrasies and sometimes company policy, certain types of applicants have been systematically discriminated against despite their obvious job qualifications. Two examples are men attempting to find jobs as telephone operators and women trying to qualify as airline pilots. Another problem area has occurred when applicants have been excluded because of religion, skin color or ethnic origin. Although justification in the form of patronage preference has been advanced, the government of the United States finds this criterion to be unfair and thus unacceptable. Although racial equality was guaranteed in the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution, it was a slow process. Segregated restrooms, drinking fountains, housing and schools were common place throughout the United States up until the 1960s. Along with racial and ethnic separation, women were treated less than equal in matters relating to employment. Protective laws have prohibited women from working at salaries equal to men even when they were doing the same types of work. Out of these situations came the Equal Pay Act of 1963, and later, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. These federal laws were an attempt to rectify the unequal treatment being given to women and minority group members in employment. The viability of these laws is still being tested. Engineered social change in the United States has brought some interesting results.
Recommended Citation
Veenhuyzen, Peter J. C., "Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action in Humboldt County Federal Contracting Private Sector Industries" (1978). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2499.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2499