种族偏见与歧视的社会学研究essay

中国，在某些特别工作岗位招聘上只接受白种外国人，并且对于雇佣的员工种族身份不做申明。在与客户进行商业贸易往来时，肤色是十分重要的方面。在看重外貌和刻板印象的中国，西方化长相的员工会是拉动公司销售额的工具。即便是英语老师，不管拥有什么资格证书，人们也希望她是白种人。

本文当中，“中国招聘现状：只需要白种人”牵涉到了中国人和在中国的白种人。中国企业的某些岗位招聘只对白种人开放，对中国本地人或者其他种族的人则不接受。对于这种特定工作只接收特定种族人员的现象，需要引起足够的重视。这样的衡量尺度，不仅会引发不公平，还可能引发全球失业率上升。然而这样的尺度对我们也并不陌生，在日本餐馆吃饭时，，我们就希望主厨是日本人。同样的，学生家长希望自己孩子的语言老师，也是相应种族的人。

偏见和歧视为何会影响社会？——Why prejudices and discrimination affects the society?

特定工作只接受特定种族应聘者的行为，可能会导致拥有同等水平技能的人无法就业。

China, hiring white foreigners for specific jobs made it openly to the public and makes no apology stating the specific race they are hiring. Skin colour is as important to them in dealing businesses with their client. Western looking men are a boost to their company sales where China believes in appearances and stereotypes. Even for an English teacher, she has to be ‘white’ and regardless of qualification she had, she will be called up for the job.

In this article, “Now hiring in China: Only whites need apply” involves Caucasian and Chinese in China. It is about Chinese hiring white Caucasian for specific jobs and not opening up to the China locals or even other races. It is important to understand and assess the situation of having only specific race got hired for certain jobs. Having such criteria not only creates unfairness, it increases unemployment rate globally. Criteria like this is no stranger to us, having dinner at a Japanese restaurant, most patrons expect the chef to be Japanese. Likewise, students’ parents expect language teachers to be of their language’s race.

 偏见和歧视为何会影响社会？——Why prejudices and discrimination affects the society?

The idea of having specific race hired for certain jobs may lead to unemployment to people with equivalent talent. Extracting from the newspaper article, parents from the northern city of Shenyang retort: ‘Don’t try to fool us with a local Chinese!’ on a Chinese Singaporean fluent in English being an English teacher (Lina Miao, 2010). Based on selection from the above, the job of an English teacher in Shenyang narrow down to only white Caucasian and it may leave qualified teachers in China going jobless. China reality is that their culture is consumed by appearance and stereotypes (Lina Miao, 2010). People with equivalent qualification do not get the equal chance of getting the job of an English teacher just because of skin colour. Not only it will cause unemployment, it also upsets the society. Non white Caucasians spent considerable amount of money in university and earning themselves a proper qualification to educate others. To earn a degree in English it cost about 10,000 pounds at Queen Mary, University of London (Figure 1, 2009). Other than costing, it creates an unbalance in the market which may let to a high demand of white foreigners. To base on skin colour for employment and without looking at qualification, companies may not do well in individual aspect. Especially in education sector, having a decent qualification is a prerequisite for a teacher in Singapore and skin colour is not part of the criteria (MOE, 2010).

Lending credibility

In China, some companies hired Western-looking men to pretend to be company directors just to lend them credibility at meetings with potential client (Lina Miao, 2010). Resorting to hiring Western-looking men deliberately for client meeting may be China’s business techniques. It may not always work out well at the end of the day as most businessmen looked out for quality products. On why western men are more preferred, it may be because of stereotyping where people believed successful businessmen are mainly from western countries and are financially inclined. Ms Xu Yueqin, 35, a real estate executive working for the Nanjing villa project commented: “Other companies do the same thing. Chinese still think all things Western are better.” (Lina Miao, 2010). With such perception, westerners hold more authority hence some companies hired westerners for particular reason.

High pay for white foreigners

Since westerners are influential in China society, businessmen in China are willing to spend high cost on white foreigners to give their business a boost. Hiring Caucasian will cost more, like the whisky Chivas promotional event at Beijing. Caucasian will be paid 150yuan (S$30) an hour, or roughly 10 times the market rate for a local Chinese (Lina Miao, 2010). Whisky Chivas was originated from Scotland and the Chinese thinks that they should use a Caucasian face to be the promotional advertisement in Beijing.

Advertisement poster

In the fashion industry, promotional poster from various brands of fashion apparels feature Caucasian faces. For example Calvin Klein, a fashion designer from New York have introduced Asian model into their advertising poster instead of narrowing down to Caucasian only. Like the Japanese soccer star Hidetoshi Nakata who appeared in the Calvin Klein underwear advertisement. Tom Murry, Chief Executive Officer of Calvin Klein Inc., commented that “The launch of Calvin Klein Underwear is a truly global initiative and believes it is important to feature talents from Asian, Europe and the USA in the launch advertising.” (Jean S., 2010). This initiative enhances the global fashion market where various ethnic models have the chance to be featured. This can also be appealing to Asians who are keen to buy apparels wondering if they suit the fashion wear. The initiative also targets at global talents like the Japanese soccer star mentioned above. With no prejudice or discrimination on ethic, company hired models base on popularity to win consumers’ appeal. Ultimately, using various ethnic models may boost sales in various countries and more openness.

Norm

Asian models appearing in fashion wear is going uptrend in near future. Online shops selling fashion wear are using Asian models instead of Caucasian only. There will be common criteria where looks will be assessed instead of ethnic. With this it creates fairness to all and everyone stands an equal chance. Aside from fashion, food and beverage companies are open to different ethnic groups regardless of cuisine they served. Like a Western cuisine restaurant, Chinese, Indian or other races with qualification or experience can be a chef in the kitchen.

Solution

The idea of multi-ethnic society will take a few years for people to willingly accept it. Younger generations growing up with the ability to use modern technology like the internet for socialising. Facebook, an online website which allows one to keep touch with friends globally and it is popular to everyone. Such technology widens the exposure of youth to have friends of different ethnic groups. Exchange programmes are available in school across various levels. The programme allows students to accept and understand an array of different cultural and community perspectives. It also gives student a broader general knowledge about global issue, hence enhancing learning experience rather than normal dull theory learning.

All in all, in the fast pace world today, younger generations are getting more open-minded in the society. Multi-ethnic issue may soon come to an end when the community stops having prejudiced or discrimination towards differences.