Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Vol. 7, No. 3, 1978

Work Ethic of Gifted Black Adolescents

Fred Schab 1

Received February 14, 1978

The attitudes and opinions o f 15 gifted Black male and 152 Black female adole- scents toward their future in the world o f work were surveyed. Under headings o f self-determination on the job, rewards, and work philosophy, significant dif- ferences were found between the sexes. Males demanded more freedom and inde- pendence, ye t would be more willing to unionize. They also believed men to be the main breadwinners and marriage more important to females. Gifted males wanted to surpass the successes o f their parents more than did their gifted female peers. The latter would not put up with poor working conditions as often as would the males. Thus, among gifted Black adolescents the world o f work is still the domain o f the male.

INTRODUCTION

This report will summarize the responses of 302 Black honor students from lower class homes who attend high schools in Georgia to a questionnaire designed to probe the work ethic of a minority that has experienced frequent problems of adjustment in the economic life of this nation (Fein, 1974). The re- velation of a recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Health, Educa- tion, and Welfare (Work in America, 1973) that 57% of white-collar and 76% of blue-collar workers are dissatisfied with their jobs should add interest to the find- ings presented here (Smith, 1977). Since the number of males (150) and females (152) was large enough to warrant comparisons, differences in their responses were tested for statistical significance using the t test of proportions. The ques- tionnaire covered such areas as general work philosophy, preferences regarding

1 Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Georgia. Received his B.S. from Tem- ple University, M.A. from University of Pennsylvania, Ed.D. from George Peabody College for Teachers. Major research interests include interests and attitudes of adolescents regard- ing the current scene.

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0047-2891 /78 /0900-0295505 .00 /0 �9 1978 Plenum Publishing Corporation

296 Schab

Table I a

Yes No Uncertain

BM BF BM BF BM BF

1. I would prefer to work for myself. 2. I want a job where I can decide how to

do it myself. 3. I want a job where I can take off any

time I want. 4. If my job gets boring I will quit. 5. I want to go in business for myself. 6. If I could I wouldn't work at all.

66 b 56 22 b 14 12 b 30

62 b 50 26 30 12 20

52 b 30 36 42 12 b 28 28 24 44 b 54 28 22 64 56 20 22 16 22 34 28 56 54 10 18

aAll figuresare percentages. BM = Black males (college prep, N = 150); BF = Black females b ( college prep, N = 152).

Percentage difference between male and female responses is significant at the 0.01 level.

certain work conditions, pay, and other occupational factors, all pertinent to the anticipated future of these subjects in our world of work.

Americans have treasured their independence for generations (Work in America, 1973). Table I reveals the attitudes of these Black adolescents of better than average educational achievement toward self-determination in the world o f work they would enter shortly. Two-thirds of the males wanted this freedom. About half of the females agreed, but the difference was statistically significant. The females were not as optimistic. Why not? Perhaps they were aware of the struggle their White peers have been waging in the same direction with less than notable success and thus could not realistically hope for what White females have not been able to accomplish either. Another statistical difference appeared in their tolerance of boredom. These Black female honor students believed they could tolerate it better (perhaps from prior experience in part-time work) than did their gifted Black male schoolmates (who probably had had less frequent work opportunities). A pessimistic note was evident in the response to the last item in Table I, where a third o f the males completely rejected the need for work if it could be avoided. Again, the negative response could be accounted for by the contrast between the plight o f even the educated Blacks in our culture and the visible "success" o f poorly educated street hustlers with no regular employment.

Work on an assembly line, unlikely as it probably would be for these col- lege bound adolescents, might be necessary for those faced with a shortage of funds. Table II shows that more males than females would accept such work. A majority would seek to avoid monotony , if possible, and a longer weekend (gained by working four 10-hour days) was also more appealing to the males. Although not statistically significant, a difference was found in acceptable supervision since more boys than girls would not mind working for a woman boss. Again, experience in a frequently mother-dominated home may account for this male acquiescence to female control. The black males were more willing to work for

Work Ethic o f Gifted Black Adolescents

Table II a

297

Yes No Uncertain

BM BF BM BF BM BF

1. Would you work on an assembly line? 46 b 36 26 b 2. I want a job where I do only 1 thing. 38 30 54 3. I want to work less than 40 hrs. per week. 38 b 28 52 4. I would prefer a four day (10 hrs. per day)

week. 56b 44 30b 5. Would you work for a woman boss? 74 68 16 6. Would you work for your brother (sister)? 62 58 26 7. Would you work for your parents? 74 66 20 8. Would you join a union if necessary? 64 b 38 16

42 28 20 52 8 b 18 50 10 22

40 14 16 14 10 18 28 6 b 16 28 6 6 20 20 b 42

a All figures are percentages. BM = Black males (college prep, N = 150); BF = Black females b(COllege prep, N = 152).

Percentage difference between male and female responses is significant at the 0.01 level.

a relative, and a large d i f fe rence was f o u n d in t he i r wil l ingness to j o i n a un ion .

Here, again, the d o m i n a n c e o f u n i o n i z a t i o n in male o c c u p a t i o n s m a y be re f lec ted

in the op in ions o f these Black male h o n o r s t u d e n t s w h e n c o m p a r e d w i t h t he i r

female peers .

Tab le III takes a l ook at the work p h i l o s o p h y o f the r e sponden t s . Statis-

t ically s ignif icant sex d i f fe rences were d i scovered in the a t t i t udes t h a t these

ado lescen t s regarded as m o s t i m p o r t a n t . B o t h sexes bel ieved a good j ob was

m o s t desired b y males. S t rong d i sagreement , however , appeared b e t w e e n the

sexes w h e n marr iage was cons idered . The Black females re jec ted its p r i m a r y

Table I l l a

Yes No Uncertain

BM BF BM BF BM BF

1. For men, a good job is important. 94 b 80 4 10 2 10 2. For women, marriage is most important. 46 b 28 24 b 48 30 24 3. Hard work will bring job success. 64 58 20 22 16 20 4. What you know influences job success. 76 80 12 8 12 12 5. Who you know influences job success. 22 24 58 58 20 18 6. The best students will get the best jobs. 34 b 44 48 b 34 18 22 7. The more training the better the job. 70 b 80 16 8 14 12 8. Men should be chosen ahead of women. 34 b 16 46 b 66 20 18 9. Will you be satisfied to equal your father's

success? 68 b 52 24 b 38 8 10 10. All should start at the bottom and work

up. 46 b 56 28 32 26 b 12 11. Everybody needs to work. 82 b 58 l0 b 26 8 16

aAll figures are percentages. BM = Black males (college prep, N = 150); BF = Black females b(COllege prep, N = 152).

Percentage difference between male and female responses is significant at the 0.01 level.

298 Schab

Table IV a

Yes No Uncertain

BM BF BM BF BM BF

1. The pay is more important than the job. 36 28 42b 56 22 16 2. Pay should increase with the employer's

profits. 66 68 14 12 20 20 3. Men should be paid more than women. 34 b 16 46 b 66 20 18 4. If the pay is high enough, I wouldn't mind

bad hours, noise, dirt or boredom. 52 b 42 34 b 46 14 12

aAll figures are percentages. BM = Black males (college prep, N = 150); BF = Black fe- males (college prep, N = 152).

bpercentage difference between male and female responses is significant at the 0.01 level.

importance to women, although about a quarter were uncertain on this score. Girls were more optimistic about the value o f school achievement and a greater amount o f training in future job success. Two-thirds of the girls dissented, while a third o f the boys accepted the selection of men over women in compet i t ion for the same job. Equaling their fathers ' success was a proper goal for two- thirds o f the males, and about half of the girls also agreed. Starting at the bot- tom was less acceptable to the males, who also believed more in the need of everyone to work than did the gifted females. Similarity of opinion was noted regarding hard work as a necessary ingredient to job success and the rejection o f the influence of familiarity with the boss as another success factor.

Questions regarding rewards for work were in the last sections covered by the questionnaire. While gifted Black male and female students both regard- ed the job as more important than the pay (i tem I) , the males were significantly less convinced than were their female peers. A similar result was observed in the responses to the proposal that men be paid more than women. A contradict ion was noted in the responses to the last question. Whereas both sexes felt the job to be more important than the financial returns in item 1, a reversal occurred in item 4 ;52% of the males now claimed they would overlook bad work conditions i f the pay was high enough (34% the males would not). Of the girls, 46% would not put up with such negative circumstances, while 42% would.

In summarizing the responses of these gifted Black high school students, it was discovered that out of the 87 responses possible (29 questions or state- ments, each with three possible answers) 36 showed statistically significant dif- ferences between the sexes. However, most o f these differences were in the strength o f the response rather than the direction. In only 10 instances were the differences on opposite sides of the 50th percentile. Uncertainty of opinion was registered most frequently by the females (the largest amount being 42%, in the mat ter of joining a union). The males (30%) were most uncertain about the im- portance o f marriage to women.

Work Ethic of Gifted Black Adolescents 299

What, then, have our southern Black gifted high school students from less affluent homes told us about their work ethic? Independence and freedom in decision-making, interesting work, and self-employment are desired. Working for women or relatives would be acceptable. More training and good school achievement are deemed important, as is the need for all to be able to work. Al- though the fear of racial discrimination could not be discounted in some of the responses, the general the opinions and attitudes of these students as they looked to the future were pretty much in keeping with the so-called Protestant work ethic under which our society wants them to live.

R E F E R E N C E S

Fein, M. (1974). Job enrichment is not enough. Atlanta Econ. Rev. 24(3): 29. Smith, J. (1977). Why are so many workers unhappy? Temple Rev., Fall, p. 6. Work in America; Report of a Special Task Force to the Secretary of H.E.W., December

1972 (1973). M.I.T. Press, Cambridge, Mass.