Research Methods short response

Part A

Devah Pager wanted to find out how the effect of a criminal record might influence people’s chances of finding a job and how that process might differ depending on the race of the job applicant. In her experiment, the variables were: applicant call back, race and criminal background. The independent variables are race (white or black) and criminal record (no record and with a record). These independent variables are the cause and their values are free of other factors in the study. The dependent variable, job call back, is the effect that depends on the changes in the independent variables.

Part B

The experimental audit study approach allowed the researcher to randomize the criminal record characteristic about the job applicants in the study and sent the individuals into the field to test the effects of race and criminal records on the chance of one getting a job call back. The methodology was necessary to scientifically investigate the relationship among the variables because it facilitates examination of difficult to detect and quantify behaviors such as racial discrimination in a real-world scenario.

Part C

The findings of this scientific experiment are important because they highlight the problem of mass incarceration in the United States and how the social issue translates into the process of finding jobs. There is a cycle that exists as white and black young men find it increasingly difficult to reintegrate into the society. The findings indicate that employment opportunities are distributed with discrimination as there is a direct effect of race. Black applicants without any criminal record fairs relatively the same with a white applicant with a criminal record. The findings help us to better understand about how our society works with reference to discrimination and the effects of race and securing employment. It is clear from the study that the mass incarceration policy in the U.S. justice system has led to employment and racial inequalities.

Sociological Question

Is there a direct relationship between the mass incarceration issue in the U.S. and the ability of black men to find equality in the job market?