If "we do" then "I can't": Discrimination and career mobility of same-race and interracial applicants

Abstract

Thus far, significant amounts of research have explored the nature of interracial couples but there is a lack of empirical research that addresses the possible career barriers that these individuals may face in the workforce. Several studies suggests that stigmas surrounding interracial marriages still exist and result in those individuals being discredited, devalued, and derogated in the eyes of others because they are marked as socially deviant and that these views may extend to workplace attitudes. The present study explores how majority or minority applicants are viewed in terms of promotability when they are in same race or interracial marriages. Additionally, the study examines how this differs based on the majority or minority racial status of the applicant and if the rater’s willingness to distance themselves socially from groups they perceive as different from themselves or collective self esteem may influence perceptions of the applicants. Results obtained from university students demonstrate that participants view minority applicants in a same-race marriage in a better light than their majority counterparts but there is no difference between majority and minority applicants in interracial marriages. This difference appears to be derived from the White raters that are evaluating applicants.