“Ban the Box? An Effort to Stop Discrimination May Actually Increase It”
“When we try to end discrimination without addressing the underlying causes of discriminatory behavior, our efforts may accomplish little — and may even backfire.
Efforts to ban the box are racially charged. As Bruce Western, a Harvard sociologist, documented in his 2009 book, “Punishment and Inequality in America,” many of those with criminal histories are black, particularly among the roughly 30 percent of black males who do not have high school diplomas. By 2013, nearly 70 percent of black male high school dropouts in their early 30s had served time in prison.
Without jobs, their situation is bleak, yet they can’t get past the first step of a job application if they disclose their criminal history….
Before the regulations took effect, candidates with criminal histories were far less likely to be called back, irrespective of race.
After the regulations took effect, though, things changed. Lacking the ability to discern criminal history, employers became much less likely to call back any apparently black applicant. They seemed to treat all black applicants now as if they might have a criminal past…
we should actually try to change beliefs and preferences. Economists usually take them as given, yet over the course of decades, civil rights advocates have done astounding work in changing hearts and minds.”
I guess this means that, yeah, we actually have to do the hard work that makes people uncomfortable.
