Abstract This paper is a legal issue analysis of a newspaper or magazine article that discusses a legal aspect of a specific diversity issue - workplace harassment. This article offers a summary of the diversity issue, analysis of the legal issues and a presentation of thoughts and beliefs regarding this issue. The presentation is contextualized in terms of the challenges of managing that diversity issue within the workplace.
From the Paper "Restaurant Business revealed that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing Cracker Barreland its parent for the alleged sexual and racial harassment of ten employees in three Illinois units of the restaurant chain. The E.E.O.C. alleges that the female workers had been subjected to sexual assaults, sexual propositions, obscene jokes and the circulation of pornography. The suit also alleges that some of the African-Americans among the ten employees represented by the E.E.O.C. were subjected to racial discrimination and harassment."
Abstract This paper begins with a brief discussion of the background of women's entry into the legal profession, before taking in turn the main arguments presented by feminists and human and social capital theorists. Through this analysis, this paper argues that, whilst the feminist claim of institutionalised sexism does hold authority in its argument, it is not the only explanation. The writer maintains that human and social capital theories also offer explanations of contributing factors to explain the disparity between men and women in the legal profession. The writer concludes that whilst this paper finds that the feminist argument is generally supported by empirical data, it should not be taken as a clear indication of institutionalised sexism. Rather, the writer maintains that it appears that other explanations, such as those proffered by human capital and social capital theories, also contribute to explaining the marked differences between males and females in the profession.
From the Paper "The legal profession is almost infamous for its culture of employing white, middle class men. As a traditionally male-dominated field, some branches of feminism suggest that the legal profession of today still embodies these historical roots of institutionalised sexism. It is argued by these feminists that discrimination against females is reflected in statistics detailing female career pathways, income inequalities, and workplace sexual harassment and discrimination. Conversely, supporters of human and social capital models use the same statistics to argue that sex differences in the legal profession are explained not by discrimination, but by factors including poor female academic rates, family commitments, and weak dedication to the profession."
