SOSC 103DSocial Inequality in HK

Lecture 20: Social Discrimination

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Problem of social exclusion Social isolation

vicious circle (further excluded)

Hostility lack of cohesion, social instability

Social problem criminals, deviance

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Marginalized groups are more likely to turn to crime?!

Empirical evidence

Different interpretations Blaming the victims: weakness of will, sub-

culture Discrimination: excluded from labour market Unequal nature of the economic and legal

system: marginalized groups are more easily to connect with or involving “crime”

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Social Discrimination The running of a fair and rational

market: Job selection is based on one’s merit

(objective measurement) Income is based on one’s qualification and

job performance

In reality… The role of employers’ preference and

discrimination The effect of stereotype (e.g. stereotypical

imagine of women)

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Occupations of the working population by sex, 1991 (%)

Occupations Male Female Differences Mean incomeratio (F:M)

Manager/ Administration 11.8 4.9 6.9 0.79

Professional 4.1 3.0 1.1 0.79

Associate professional 9.7 11.3 -1.6 0.82

Clerk 8.0 28.8 -20.8 0.89

Service/ Sales 13.7 12.5 1.2 0.66

Craft & related workers 21.0 4.4 16.6

Plant & machine operators 13.9 12.7 1.2

Elementary 16.6 21.7 -5.1 0.58

Others 1.2 0.7 0.5 0.64

Total (%) 100 100

source: HK 1991 Population Census: Main report, p.93

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Labour Queue Effect Discrimination in the labour market

Marginalized groups are always being placed at the end of the labour queue

Even if they have relevant training and qualified for the job, they are not being chosen by the employers if there are other applicants

e.g. Gender, race, language, age discrimination

Marginalized groups have limited chances in formal and normal economy

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Recent problem: From neglect to concern?

Stigmatization (role of government, media, etc.)

Discrimination (role of the general public and employers)

Further marginalized

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Informal Economy Not illegal: something between legal

and illegal

Have not been fully recognized in society

Have some specific rules to regulate the business

E.g. sex industry, hawkers (unlicensed retailers)

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食環署捉小販冷血無情

粗暴捉殘障小販

一個聾啞、一個智障，兩名自力更生男小販，每晚在深水埗「通宵墟」擺賣舊雜貨維生，昨晨被食環署販管隊職員掃蕩，兩人成為捕捉目標 (20.10.06)

The disabled hawkers – targeted by officials from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department

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小販不滿執法嚴 圍 10 食環署職員 現場為深水埗福華街及北河街，上址約有 200 個小販攤檔。有小販

稱，食環署職員在一年多前加緊到上址執法，該署職員昨早又往查牌，一旦發現持牌人不在攤檔，便會「抄牌」。小販表示，部分持牌人因年老體弱找子女幫忙「看舖」，又或有要事找下屬暫為打點，但當局並不體諒他們的情況，見非持牌人看檔即「抄牌」，小販埋怨食環署執法過嚴，似是有意針對上址小販，對此深表不滿。小販表示稍後會找區議員協助。

食環署發言人回應稱，當局鑑於深水埗區的持牌固定攤檔的擴展擺賣範圍（即將貨物擺放出攤檔範圍）有惡化現象，昨早執勤前已與多名攤檔代表開會商討，並勸喻持牌人應遵守持牌條件及小販守則，否則會檢控。該署職員昨早在上址對違例的持牌人採取執法行動，其間有人起哄，職員遂報警求助，而行動中共有兩宗檢控。

(27.03.07)

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How to help? Law-enforcement

Anti-discrimination law Law relating to the informal economy Implementation of laws and policies

Public education General education in schools Change of social attitudes towards the

marginalized groups (government and public)

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Readings:

Reskin, B. (2001) “Labor Markets as Queues: A Structural Approach to Changing Occupational Sex Composition,” in David Grusky (ed.) Social Stratification: Class, Race and Gender in Sociological Perspective (2/e)

South, Nigel (2005) “Inequalities, Crime, and Citizenship,” in M. Romero and E. Margolis (ed.) The Blackwell Companion to Social Inequalities