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GENDER AND RACE IN THE WORKPLACE Understanding Perception and the Dynamics of
Intersectionality
n Gethsemane Moss, Ed.D. Over the years, research scholars have conducted research and coined phrases and terms to help readers understand the human experience, which can trigger responses that unearth emotions such as sadness, anger, pain, or joy. Sometimes, instead of embracing a new
takes years. A study must pass through trustworthiness, which includes validity, credibility, and dependability. The researcher gets grilled by their universities and the Institutional Review Board and must go through additional coursework and testing to ensure the safety of humans and institutions who participate in the research process.
texture. California Senate Bill 188, the CROWN Act, was unanimously passed and signed into law on July 3, 2019, and expanded the definition of race in the Fair Employment and Housing Act and state Education Code to ensure protection in workplaces and K-12 public and charter schools. Findings from The Lived Experiences
“If we aren’t intersectional, some of us, the most vulnerable, are going to fall through the cracks.” — Kimberlé Crenshaw
learning opportunity, further division and lack of understanding are met at the intersection of unknowingness and the possibility of creating a future of promise, awareness, and compassion for our neighbor's experience and hope for something better shatters. Understanding another's perception has the potential to add value to life. There is an opportunity to learn from the stringent work of research scholars. Researchers go through an extensive, rigorous process of collecting and analyzing data, whether for sociology, medicine, or psychology, by exploring and investigating issues. A researcher then makes recommendations for policy and system changes as well as suggestions for further research. The process of collecting, interpreting, analyzing, and writing up data findings 22 • Benicia Magazine
Researchers are cross-examined on biases to ensure that the results are not based on subjective opinion, but are factual. With all of the scholarly research that exists, researchers still need to research groups we don't often learn about, particularly women. Research on the experiences of women has allowed the world to understand their experiences in the workplace. Findings have helped create policy and laws that assist thoughtful leaders of organizations in including positive experiences for all employees. Results from the C.R.O.W.N. (Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) Research Study (2019) revealed that African American women faced overburdening by workplace policies and practices linked to personal grooming such as hairstyles and hair
of African American Women Superintendents in California K-12 Public Schools research revealed that psychological stress is associated with various mental health issues because of the personal nature of interactions often encountered in the workspace. Stress from daily negative experiences that may be due to race and gender may result in health-related issues such as hypertension, breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes, depression, anger, and anxiety. This study revealed that African American women faced greater workplace scrutinization, micromanagement, and higher standards for work performance. Also, they faced more significant consequences in their work settings. This research showed that being held to a higher standard happens as early as elementary school settings
