The evaluation of the workplace and the presence of social problems revealed the presence of a widespread social issue of discrimination in gender and race in organizations. Common in small and large firms’ sexism and racism continue to affect productivity, management, and opportunities for workers in the organization. The focus on Uber Company experiences, allegations and investigation on gender and race discrimination revealed the diverse nature of the social problem leading to loss of jobs and positions (BBC News, 2018). In this paper, an evaluation of the sociological perspective of discrimination on gender and race is conducted outlining the major organizational factors contributing to the problem at both the micro and macro levels. Consequently applying a sociological theory assessing the different social structures and social constructions of the stakeholders as well as the impact of different cultural perspectives.
The sociological perspective on gender and race discrimination
On gender, a sociological analysis of Uber Firm shows a bias of women through the firm processes in hiring, compensation, and equity in roles performance and remunerations. Uber Company sociologically indicates the classification of gender roles as where women roles are viewed as more inferior (Gibbs, 2018). Men in the firm seek to maintain power and status through discrimination. Race discrimination within uber takes a sociological perspective fueled by competition and contact and the need for accommodation of other races in the workplace and their assimilation (Turner, 2013). Thus the gender and racial discrimination and conflicts are present due to social aspect hart drive men to maintain power and status over the women while different races compete for resources which equip them for strength and class in the organization.
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Major organizational factors contributing to gender and race discrimination
The organization has to nurture various factors which contribute to the persistence of gender and racial discrimination. The company management lacks an established system of resolution of social conflicts and in particular those related to gender and race. The firm has been reluctant on taking action on accusations and claims of sexual harassment and racial discrimination that has led to the resignation of management officials (BBC News, 2018). The established human resource management system fails to cater to the needs of workers and employs biased practices in hiring, equality and compensational procedures. Lack of diversified leadership, knowledge, and skills are some of the significant factors contributing to gender and racial discrimination in the Uber Company (Cohn, 2000).
Discrimination at Micro and macro levels
In the analysis of the micro level in Uber firm, norms beliefs and cultures influence the productivity and functionality of individuals in the company are neglected. Internally, the company faces managerial problems and constraints such as lack of leadership skis and knowledge in handling a diversified workforce (Gibbs, 2018). In this level, the stakeholders affected are the employees. The decisions made in treating individual cases and allegation in gender and race discrimination issues are primarily biased and arise from personal as opposed to a professional approach. At the macro level, external problems are raised by the society affecting stakeholders like the customers and community as well as the competitors aggravating complaints of irresponsibility.
Symbolic interactionism Sociological theory on discrimination
The uber company can be best described using the symbolic interaction sociological theory. The symbolic interactionist perspective explains gender and race discrimination based on the creation of symbols and daily interactions which are reinforced to produce meanings (Turner, 2013). According to the theorists, gender discrimination rise due to the reinforcement of everyday human interactions and symbols that perceive women and create meanings of women as inferior. Thus, men reactions towards women in the workplace are influenced by the meanings they have created towards women creating a toxic and discriminatory work environment.
Racial discrimination in symbolic interaction theory is derived from meanings, symbols significance, and interpretation of other people’s action (Turner, 2013). Discrimination on color seems form meanings derived on intelligence, performance, and capabilities wherein the Uber company some members in the management are skeptical on skills of people of color leading to discriminatory remarks and ideas on people of different races.
Different social structures and social constructions
Different social structures are displayed in the Uber company symbolic interaction. Social structures which include the creation of social classes, relationships, values, norms, and roles. The primary stakeholders affected by the social structures in the firm affect employees who are subordinate in positions and therefore their hold the lowest social class and functions and consequently produces gender and race divisions and inequalities (Gibbs, 2018). The results are social constructions of diversity which are taken for granted by the management. The social structures lead to social constructions of power and dominance which are implemented and interpreted by the management to the identified groups mainly women and people of color (Cohn, 2000).
In the process, the difference in cultural perspective is also reflected and works together with the social structures and constructions in the firm. For example, the investigations showed that in March uber paid $10m as a settlement to class action lawsuit which claimed discrimination of over 400 women and minorities in discrimination based on their gender and race (BBC News, 2018). The revelation of the investigation that employees were neglected and discriminated and the filed case were often left unresolved, dismissed and swept under especially those on race and sexism.
Conclusion
The uber company from a sociological perspective and sociological theories show the presence of social issues in gender and race discrimination resulting from organizational factors. Poor leadership and lack of knowledge in the proper implementation of diversity can be sociologically assessed as a significant contributing factor to the prejudices in the company. The company has over the year created a toxic culture through ignorance of sexism and racism and reinforced the beliefs and practices through social structures of values and social classes as well as social constructions viewing women and minorities as inferior.
References
BBC News. (2018, July 16). Uber probed over gender discrimination . Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44852852
Cohn, S. (2000). Race and gender discrimination at work . (Race, Gender, And Discrimination At Work.) Boulder: Westview Press.
Gibbs, S. (2018, July 11). Uber's head of HR resigns amid allegations of racial discrimination. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/11/ubers-head-of-hr-resigns-amid-allegations-of-racial-discrimination
Turner, J. H. (2013). Contemporary sociological theory . Los Angeles: SAGE publications.
