Perceptions of Employment Discrimination in the Public Sector

Abstract

D scrimination in employment has been the focus of much concern in recent years. Remedies for discrimination have rested on uncertain grounds because the nature of discrimination has been only partially explored. Discrimination is most usefully viewed from two perspectives. First there is the discrimination seen to exist by an observer (who is usually a non-participant) based on some pre-existing criteria (perhaps objectively derived) of what constitutes discrimination, This external or objectively defined discrimination has been the focus of most research on discrimination.' This research has, in turn, been of primary importance in efforts to alleviate discrimination both through court actions and remedies by legislation.2 A quite different perspective is provided by examining perceptions of discrimination. Subjective discrimination is said to exist when an individual or gropu, on the basis of their own subjective perceptions, define their situation as discriminatory. Social psychologists have long been concerned with the nature of person percept tion, and subjective discrimination is an example of one kind of person perception.3 The existence of subjective discrimination is dependent upon the individual's perceptions of others' assessments of them. When practical, legal, and moral remedies are sought for discrimination, the nature of subjective discrimination must be more fully understood. Clearly, objective and subjective discrimination deal with the same phenornena from different points of reference. It seems likely that the two are related, but the relationship is likely to be imperfect. It also seems likely that the strength of the relationship between subjective and objective discrimination will vary from person to person depending upon the nature of an individual's perceptual biases and the objective criteria employed. If it is fair to assume that objective and subjective discrimination are imperfectly related and that the relationship varies among individuals, then any remedy for discrimination which taakes account only of objective discrimination must by its nature be deficient. The rationale for exploring subjective discrimination can also be seen clearly by considering its possible