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An American Dilemma
1294
tioned, thought that Negroes were about as good as whites on comparable skilled and
semi-skilled work; but there was a large minority who thought they were poorer than
whites, and only a few who believed them to be superior to their white competitors.
The judgments were particularly favorable to the Negro in regard to actual performance
in production; 85 employers thought they were equal to whites, 12 that they were
poorer, and 5 that they were better than whites. A minority of over 30 employers
thought that Negroes were poorer than whites in regard to ability, skill and regularity in
attendance. Least favorable were the judgments on general intelligence; 49 informants
believed Negroes to be inferior to whites, and about the same number believed them
to be equal to whites. It is interesting to find, however, that many employers char-
acterized the problem as “distinctly individual rather than group.”
Such studies, of course, indicate merely employers’ opinions—not the actual per-
formance record of the Negro worker, and still less his potentialities. It can be taken for
granted that many informants voice preconceived ideas rather than findings based on
actual measurements of the workers’ performance; for some of the “experiences” quoted
(Johnson, of, ciL, p. 78, and O’Connor, of, cit,y p. 158) are just familiar stereotypes
about Negroes being particularly good at hot, greasy, dirty or other disagreeable work.
It is a well-known fact that most managers and foremen are likely to make mistakes
about their workers’ actual ability unless they use some kind of numerical measurement
as a basis for their judgment. Such measurements are often made, of course, but It is
questionable how often they are used for the purpose of finding out how the range
of Negro performance records compares with that for white workers. The fact that
Negroes are often segregated in special occupations increases the difficulty of making
sound comparisons of this type.
It seems that additional research work, where these complications were given due
consideration, would be extremely valuable. It would be of great interest, for instance,
to find out how the opinions of those employers who have organized systematic tests
of the abilities of Negro and white workers may differ from those of other employers.
I’he results could be highly significant, even though they, of course, would not measure
the real potentialities of the Negro worker.
It would be profitable, as well, to make some intensive studies of the attitudes of
white workers. The opinion poll technique should make such inquiries fairly easy to
organize. The emphasis should be put on how the attitudes may differ among various
groups of white workers. Classifications according to region, sex, employment condition
(whether unemployed or not), occupational status (unskilled, skilled, clerical worker,
and so on), union and nonunion, craft or industrial union, and so forth would often
give strategically significant results. It might be corroborated, for instance, that white
women are more biased than are white men, as has already been suggested by certain
experiences and findings (O’Connor, of, cit,y p, 157). It could be ascertained to what
extent the rank-and-file membership in the new industrial unions agrees with its leaders
on the policy of treating Negro workers as equals. Still more important would be to find
out about the difference in attitude among workers with various kinds of experiences of
collaboration with Negroes (those in all-white plants; those in establishments where
Negroes are segregated; those who compete with Negroes on equal terms). It would be
necessary, of course, to ask not only whether the informant t/t general is prepared to
let Negroes compete with white workers on equal terms; but also whether he would
accept such competition in his own occufation and in his own workplace.
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