Stupid Ethnicity Questions

[Dukat]

The data is used to monitor how many applications from each ethnic group there are, and then to compare it to the successful applications. So if you are hiring along ethnic grounds, it would be obvious.

I see what you're saying, and it makes sense in a way, but it doesnt promote equal rights.

For example: If a certain business happens to have 40 coloured applicants and only 1 white applicant then if the company is worried about these surveys the chances are the white applicant will get a place no matter how good they are. This scenario is unfair to the majority because it decreases thier chances of getting a job regardless of thier ability, solely because they are in the majority. This is oversimplified I know but just an example

It seems to me that discrimination against the majority just incites more racial hatred against the minorities.

Its a hard one to call, I guess the polls do thier job of stopping people from hiring along ethnic groups by forcing them to, but in equal numbers.

I'm not sure what the answer is, but I can see this racial stuff getting worse before it gets any better.

 

[old.Tohtori]

PEople are different?

 

[DaGaffer]

Actually, in the case of University applications, isn't the Scottish/Irish thing just there to cover grant eligibility? If it says it's an ethnicity check they might have stuctured it that way to give extra corroboration. Just a thought.

There is also another reason why they might have ethnicity questions on University applications; if new students are applying for Halls/Student accomodation, many universities try to put people from similar backgrounds together; when I was at Uni and living in an on-campus student village there was, um, "friction" between the one of the guys in my house (Ulster - very Orange) and some Irish catholic guys next door and plenty of Moslem/Jewish, Moslem/Hindu bother, there was even the odd Swede/Norwegian dust-up (although that was only once and they were all very pissed). And don't even get me started on the Mancs and Scousers

 

[JingleBells]

I suppose, but I had this on a graduate job application form too, and this one was a general student survey on our satisfaction about course etc...
Several job forms i've seen have "If you want to work in northern ireland, please indicate whether you are Catholic or Protestant", which makes perfect sense

 

[ECA]

Just put down "Heathen Athiest, plz dont burn me lol".

 

[Will]

Ah, but if they were not hiring along ethnic grounds, they wouldn't have to think about it. In the example you gave, the odds are a coloured applicant will get a job, but not impossible it will go to the white applicant. If this happened twice, and the white applicant was successful both times, things would look a little bit suspect. But if the company can prove that they were both the best candidates, then nothing would happen.

 

[DaGaffer]

Ah, but if they were not hiring along ethnic grounds, they wouldn't have to think about it. In the example you gave, the odds are a coloured applicant will get a job, but not impossible it will go to the white applicant. If this happened twice, and the white applicant was successful both times, things would look a little bit suspect. But if the company can prove that they were both the best candidates, then nothing would happen.

There are a lot of statistical pitfalls in that kind of logic.

 

[Will]

There isn't really a better way though, is there?

 

[GDW]

I want to know where "White English" is....

There are some left?

 

[tRoG]

I agree with Will.

If they're trying to promote equality and not take ethnic backgrounds into account... Why the hell do they ask you? If someone feels they have been discrimated against, eg. in a job interview, then let them take it up with the Racism Commitee*. Monitoring percentages of applicants accepted from different backgrounds doesn't seem like it would show any concrete evidence at all.

* I have no idea who or what deals with this sort of thing. I'm thick.

 

[Chilly]

Give the job to the most qualified person. End of.

 

[old.user4556]

Even if they're black?

JOKE

 

[Doomy]

tee Fucking Hee

 

[rynnor]

All a bit sad really - the only reason for such surveys is so you can have quotas which leads to appointments for political reasons rather than merit - which increases racism by embitterment - the only way to equality is to treat people the same - seems simple but its surprisingly overlooked

 

[MYstIC G]

Over here, your racism is simplified.

It needs to simple over there, after all it has to be understood by americans...

 

[yaruar]

All a bit sad really - the only reason for such surveys is so you can have quotas which leads to appointments for political reasons rather than merit - which increases racism by embitterment - the only way to equality is to treat people the same - seems simple but its surprisingly overlooked

No they aren't there for quotas at all, they are there for monitoring purposes. Because there is still a bias on average for people to hire someone of the same gender and percieved ethnicity as themselves which invariably leads to white men getting more bias in hiring than any other group.

 

[DaGaffer]

No they aren't there for quotas at all, they are there for monitoring purposes. Because there is still a bias on average for people to hire someone of the same gender and percieved ethnicity as themselves which invariably leads to white men getting more bias in hiring than any other group.

And if said "monitoring" finds such a bias? Then what?

 

[Will]

And if said "monitoring" finds such a bias? Then what?

Clicky.

 

[~Yuckfou~]

Clicky.

Their logo pic (top left) features 5 people, only one is white, how is that equal?

 

[rynnor]

And if said "monitoring" finds such a bias? Then what?

Aye theres the rub - to monitor and then do nothing makes no sense - its monitoring then stuff like we must hire more X.

 

[pez]

thing about those questions is there is no right or wrong answer

YOU define your ethnicity

I can call myself White Scottish if i want cos my Grandfather lived there for 2 years and then thats what i am. No one can turn around and say no you''re not this you are that.

 

[leggy]

No one can turn around and say no you''re not this you are that.

That's funny because someone said to me the other day: "you're not black!"

It turns out he was right. I'm not black, I'm white (Scottish). To my extreme shock and horror I might add.

 

[Trem]

You aren't black?

FS.

 

[Wij]

You aren't black?

FS.

That explains why he's hung like a maggot chewing a pea !

 

[KimmyBear]

Irish Rock!

 

[Moo]

they should just do it by varying degrees of whiteness

 

[tris-]

YOU define your ethnicity

No one can turn around and say no you''re not this you are that.

if worded a bit differently this would be 100% correct. i am mixed indian/white english or something.
i always chose white british as i class my self as that.

 

[ECA]

I'm afro-cari-nordic-indo-asian-white british.
Fuck yall.

 

[MrHorus]

WTF... is that all you guys have to worry about across the pond? White Brit, White Scottsman??? Fuckall... Racism is COMPLETELY different here in The States. It's all about skin color, fuck where you came from. White folks, irregardless of initial background, band together. Same for Blacks, Latino, Indian, Native American, etc. No one care what country you're from, if you're from Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, or even Israel, you're Arab. If you're from Nigeria, Congo, Mississippi, or Louisiana and your skin is dark brown, you're black. If you're from pretty much any European nation, you're white.

Over here, your racism is simplified.

Racism in the states is still quite deeply ingrained in the south and even in the north many people in my own experience, are closet racists who air their views when they are satisfied they are in the "right sort of company".
Historically, the culture in the south has always been distinct from the rest of the US and part of this stems from the fact that as a group, the "south" was defeated in war and occupied by an enemy force who then imposed it's own values and ideals re: equality and slavery on the defeated states.

Compare this to the history of the British Empire which was very fond of invading and defeating other nations and imposing white colonial ideals on them and you see similar problems with internal strife and racism.
It is incorrect to say that in the US, the UK's racial or social problems are "simplified" because that rather misses the point - the UK's problems are NOT in the US and your line of arguement is thus invalid.
Racial problems in the UK exist between indigenous white groups, chinese, pakistanis, indians, italians and any other group that has came here to settle and you can't really trivialise what for some people is a very real problem.