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Discrimination Against Several, But Not All, Minority Groups, Including Women, Is Believed To Be Widespread
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Older people, gays and lesbians and people with disabilities are perceived by many to be frequent victims of workplace discrimination. Other groups viewed as frequent victims of workplace discrimination by smaller, but still substantial, numbers of people include women, African Americans and Muslims. On the other hand, relatively few people believe that Jews, Asian Americans or Hispanic Americans are often discriminated against.
This survey also finds that workplace jokes about women, gays and lesbians, and older people are relatively common, while fewer (but still substantial numbers) recall hearing jokes about Asian Americans, people with disabilities, Muslims and Jews.
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll(R), which is based on online interviews with a nationwide cross section of 2,203 adults surveyed between August 26 and September 2, 2002. Harris Interactive(R) conducted this survey in collaboration with Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc., a strategic public relations and marketing communications firm.
Because the sample used in this poll was quite large compared to most published opinion polls, it was possible to analyze the responses of five of these groups and compare their replies with those of all adults. These results show that African Americans are much more likely than the general public to see blacks as victims of discrimination, while gays and lesbians are also significantly more likely to see themselves as discriminated against.
When it comes to jokes, gays and lesbians and Hispanics are more likely than other groups to report hearing jokes against people like them. Women, on the other hand, are less likely to recall hearing jokes about women, presumably because men are more likely to make these jokes to other men when no women are present.
Some specific findings about the perceptions of discrimination are:
* Fully 50% of African Americans feel that blacks are "often" victims of
workplace discrimination, but only 18% of all adults believe this to be
true.
* Almost half of gays and lesbians and bisexual adults (45%) feel that
they, as a group, are often discriminated against at work. Nearly a
third of all adults (29%) perceive this level of discrimination against
gays and lesbians.
* Relatively few people perceive Jews (5%), Asian Americans (5%),
Hispanic Americans (12%) or Muslims (14%) as frequent targets of
discrimination. Only one of these groups is large enough to be
analyzed separately; relatively few Hispanics (16%) believe their group
is often discriminated against.
* Over a quarter of women (27%) believe they are frequent victims of
discrimination.
When it comes to jokes told in the workplace about minorities, more people recall hearing jokes about women (53%), gays and lesbians (44%), older people (38%), African Americans (37%) and Hispanics (32%) than about the other groups.
However, substantial numbers report hearing jokes about all of the nine groups we asked about, including Jews (29%), Muslims (29%), people with disabilities (26%) and Asian Americans (25%).
Most of those who self-identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (64%) recall hearing jokes about their group at work, as do 50% of Hispanics.
TABLE 1
PERCEPTIONS OF WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST EIGHT MINORITIES AND WOMEN "How often do you think the following groups experience discrimination in the workplace, and, for example, are fired or dismissed from a job, are harassed,
or denied promotions or job advances - never, rarely, sometimes, or often?"
Base: All Adults
"OFTEN" Gap Between
All Adults and
Group Discriminated
Against
%
Older adults, aged 65 and older
All adults 32 +7
People aged 65 and over 39
People who are gay, lesbian, bisexual
or transgender
All adults 29 +16
Lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender 45
People with disabilities
All adults 21 NA
People with disabilities NA
Women
All adults 19 +8
Women 27
African Americans
All adults 18 +32
African Americans 50
People who are Muslim
All adults 14 NA
Muslims NA
Hispanic Americans
All adults 12 +4
Hispanic Americans 16
Asian Americans
All adults 5 NA
Asian Americans NA
People who are Jewish
All adults 5 NA
Jews NA
TABLE 2
HEAR JOKES AT WORK ABOUT EIGHT MINORITIES AND WOMEN
"Have you ever heard someone at your current or most recent job tell jokes
about any of the following groups?"
Base: All Adults
"OFTEN" Gap Between
All Adults
and Group
Discriminated
Against
%
Women
All adults 53 -8
Women 45
People who are gay, lesbian, bisexual
or transgender
All adults 44 +20
Lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender 64
Older adults, aged 65 and older
All adults 38 +3
People aged 65 and over 41
African Americans
All adults 37 -2
African Americans 35
Hispanic Americans
All adults 32 +18
Hispanic Americans 50
People who are Jewish
All adults 29 NA
Jews NA
People who are Muslim
All adults 29 NA
Muslims NA
People with disabilities
All adults 26 NA
People with disabilities NA
Asian Americans
All adults 25 NA
Asian Americans NA
Methodology
The Harris Poll(R) was conducted online within the United States between August 26 and September 2, 2002, among a nationwide cross section of 2,203 adults. Figures for age, sex, race, education and number of adults in the household were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. "Propensity score" weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.
In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus 2 percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult population had been polled with complete accuracy. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (non-response), question wording and question order, interviewer bias, weighting by demographic control data and screening (e.g., for likely voters). It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors. This online survey is not a probability sample.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
About Harris Interactive(R)
Harris Interactive (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/) is a worldwide market research and consulting firm best known for The Harris Poll(R), and for pioneering the Internet method to conduct scientifically accurate market research. Headquartered in Rochester, New York, U.S.A., Harris Interactive combines proprietary methodologies and technology with expertise in predictive, custom and strategic research. The Company conducts international research through wholly owned subsidiaries-London-based HI Europe (http://www.hieurope.com/) and Tokyo-based Harris Interactive Japan-as well as through the Harris Interactive Global Network of local market-and opinion- research firms, and various U.S. offices. EOE M/F/D/V
To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to participate in future online surveys, visit http://www.harrispollonline.com/ .
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