race and retail consumer racial profiling how do we treat african nova scotians? judy haiven phd...
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Race and RetailConsumer Racial Profiling
How do we treat African
Nova Scotians?
Judy Haiven PhD
Department of ManagementSobey School of Business, Saint Mary’s University
May 2014…. [email protected]
What got me started ~
• African Nova Scotian unemployment rate is 15% higher than others
• ANS men have a 10% lower participation rate in employment than others
• ANS university graduates are paid on average $10,000 less per year
• Gordon’s story• Arts agency story
What I did
My survey• Two malls, one street• Why I couldn’t have asked
for self-identification – “management’s rights”
• Visual check of front of store, not the back
• Who is serving in food courts and in front of restaurants/bars
More facts• 4% of Metro residents are
ANS• 55.5% of workers in retail
earn less than $11.00/hr• Apr 1: NS minimum wage is
$10.40/hr• 50% of retail jobs are full
time
Findings…
- Study I: Of 965 employees, 23 or 2.3% were ANS- So ANS are under-represented by 42.5%
- Study IV: Of 766 employees, 25 or 3.2% were ANS- So ANS are under-represented by 20%
On a positive note:
• Employers in the federal jurisdiction must have an employment equity plan– so at the telephone shops, and banks, there must be a program to get more 1) women 2) aboriginals 3) visible minorities 4) disabled into any workplace with more than 100 employees..
• This comes under the federal Employment Equity Act
• In phone stores, and bank branches there is a more diverse workforce. It also skews my figures!
But why are African Nova Scotians underrepresented in jobs in malls?
• Perhaps ANS do not apply to work in malls or in shops
• Perhaps ANS are not qualified – do not have the skills or education to work in retail
• Perhaps there is discrimination going on
Response to my research: 1. Philosophy professor
Professor of “Illogic”2. Marketing professor
3. The former dean of business School
“Are you saying we Nova Scotians are racist?” - we’re not racist
-we are good people
NS Human Rights Commission 2012-13
• Groundbreaking study “Working together to better serve all Nova Scotians– a report on Consumer Racial Profiling in NS”
• http://humanrights.gov.ns.ca/sites/default/files/files/crp-report.pdf
• CRP: is the practice of singling out the shopper or consumer for discriminatory treatment due to their race
2 Aspects to NS-HRC study
• Focus Groups• Held at th North Branch
Library, Hfx• Millbrook First Nation,
Truro• Dartmouth North
Community Centre
• Survey responses• 13% African Can.• 15% Asian• 59% White• 3% Aboriginal• 7% Middle Eastern• 2% Other
CRP Survey • How the survey was done: – Several towns, and Hfx– Questionnaire– Stopping pedestriansAsking about their experiences with respect to consumer racial profiling. 1219 surveys: March 2012Followed by 3 focus groups in July/Aug 2012
Questions about: Being Followed by staff or
security in shops. Being able to afford the
products or services Refused service in shops or
services Being detained by staff or
security because of suspicion that you had stolen goods.
http://humanrights.gov.ns.ca/sites/default/files/files/crp-report.pdf
Not-so-Hidden Injuries of Race
• “A couple of people have said my getting angry is ‘going black’ – even when I do my good Negro routine. African-Canadian man
• “I go to places where I’m standing in line and watching… When a white person comes up, the clerk says, ‘Good afternoon, can I help you?’ When a black person comes along ‘what’s going on man?’ or ‘hey bro what do you need?’ I need your boss! Diversity to you means you act like someone from a 1972 sitcom….”
Lived experiences:
• “A bus driver told me I hae to carry ID for my 4 year old – though it’s free till she is 5.” African NS woman
• “I have even gone ot a psychologist. He said ‘change your name’. No, I said. I believe I have enough energy to face it… After facing it every day – I’ve considered it.” Muslim-Can. Man who immigrated here 12 yrs ago
• “I’m from the West Indies. I only speak Enlgish. They ask you what language you speak. I say English. They say, Oh you know two languages then.” African-Can. man
Lived Experiences:
• “The cab wouldn’t pick me up at the cab line downtown. I complained to the cab company.I went there and the boss supported his driver for ‘what every red-blooded Canadian would do.’” African-Can. man
• “I’m driving pilots & crew to the airport… A flight attendant got out and said ‘I hope you get your virgins.’” Muslim man, who is Canadian-born and white.
Lived experiences:
• “I worked for a big box store which had a code when a black person came in… ‘The eagle has landed’. I quit my job over it.” African-NS man
• “I’m a dietician and did an internship at a local hospital. All the dieticians were white. I had an appointment with a Muslim family, I knew because the woman wore hijab. I said ‘Salam Aleijum’ and we went into a counselling room. It should take 15 min. but it took 35 … the woman spoke Arabic and the husband was translating. I worked there for two weeks and also saw white families. At the end of the internship, the report on me said, “___ is more comfortable counselling Muslim families than white.” Muslim-Can. woman
Lived experience:
• “I thought I didn’t have major issues, but last week I went to a coffee shop and had a cranberry drink. The woman was handling my drink, she broke the cinnamon stick in her hands and into my cup. She had just handled money! I said, ‘you didn’t wash your hands, and you shouldn’t do that.’ The woman behind me in line said “Really?” sarcastically. So I didn’t drink it or pay for it. … If I said something else I’d end up in jail.” African NS woman
PM Harper sets the stage…
• “Our Prime Minister puts out a statement that ‘the major threat is still Islamicism.’* You look on TV and black people are gangsters; Indians are tomahawk throwing; the Muslims all the time are being degraded. This is government policy and no one is talking about it.” Muslim Canadian man, who is NS born and white.
*CBC news. “Harper says ‘Islamicism’ biggest threat to Canada…” see http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/09/06/harper-911-terrorism-islamic-interview.html (Sept 6, 2011)