Individuals from Diverse Background and Interviews

Interviewing people from diverse backgrounds was a very challenging assignment, but it was quite interesting. Since my job does not include workers from diverse backgrounds, I asked friends and relatives to help me find people to interview. I finally settled on workers from the following backgrounds and occupations: Carlos, a Mexican American airport security supervisor, Belinda, an African American worker in a Headstart program, and an Egyptian man who said he had assumed several occupations, but who was currently driving a cab.

I found that all three workers were focused on the present and the future with regard to their occupations. All three people interviewed were concerned not only with their present survival, but also with their future status and job security. In addition, I found that if you ask most people, "Who are you?" they will respond with their occupations. This signifies to me, as sociological theory would suggest, that our personal and social identities are bound up in our occupations.

Carlos and Belinda appeared to be comfortable enough with their job status to be completely honest, but the Egyptian man appeared to misrepresent himself. Perhaps he was not comfortable with his real, cab-driving status. The Egyptian man was very negative about American culture, and it was apparent that he was having trouble assimilating American customs.

Another aspect of sociological theory that appeared to hold true in my interview with Belinda, is the followi

Related Essays

Strategy of the Extensis Corporation .... experienced management team with a diverse background in the .... its distribution worldwide (Extensis - Background, 1997 .... has identified a few individuals within the .... (2634 11 )

Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development .... of subjects' responses to the diverse background items and .... an increasing ability to view the diverse components of .... a fairly large number of individuals and the .... (6472 26 )

Problems of Inner City Schools Background of the Study Acc .... section presented the basic background supporting the .... level of involvement of individuals and institutions at .... will be obtained from diverse educational sources .... (8379 34 )

Wonderlic Personnel Test .... Wonderlic Corporation maintain that individuals with higher .... experiences, draw inferences from diverse sources, interpret .... using a broad background of knowledge .... (1290 5 )

WPT IQ Test .... Wonderlic Corporation maintain that individuals with higher .... experiences, draw inferences from diverse sources, interpret .... using a broad background of knowledge .... (1287 5 )

eds to be more polished in English. As he attains a more specialized skill, one more valued by society, he will be able to demand more from an employer. As it is now, he is at a disadvantage. I did a very interesting interview with an African American woman who works at the Headstart Program, an agency supporting economically disadvantaged children and their families. Belinda is working on her Master's Degree in social work. Because I wanted to find someone with professional status, particularly in social work, I asked my coworkers if they knew someone in the Headstart program whose job status is at the professional level. Headstart personnel sent me to interview Belinda. According to Belinda, having a degree in a particular field is important, and in the social sciences, it is particularly important. Experience in one's chosen field is also important. She pointed out that an individual without a social work degree, plus experience, would find it difficult to break into the profession. A person working in human services could be a paraprofessional, but the higher salaries and benefits, not to mention higher status, went to the professionals. Belinda seems to be satisfied with her work, although she is planning ahead by

Category: Psychology - I