The Sociology of Discrimination: Racial Discrimination in Employment, Housing, Credit, and Consumer Markets

Pager, Devah; Shepherd, Hana

doi:10.1146/annurev.soc.33.040406.131740

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The Sociology of Discrimination: Racial Discrimination in Employment, Housing, Credit, and Consumer Markets

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Pager, Devah, Shepherd, Hana·2008·Annual Review of Sociology

DOI 10.1146/annurev.soc.33.040406.131740

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Abstract

Persistent racial inequality in employment, housing, and a wide range of other social domains has renewed interest in the possible role of discrimination. And yet, unlike in the pre–civil rights era, when racial prejudice and discrimination were overt and widespread, today discrimination is less readily identifiable, posing problems for social scientific conceptualization and measurement. This article reviews the relevant literature on discrimination, with an emphasis on racial discrimination in employment, housing, credit markets, and consumer interactions. We begin by defining discrimination and discussing relevant methods of measurement. We then provide an overview of major findings from studies of discrimination in each of the four domains; and, finally, we turn to a discussion of the individual, organizational, and structural mechanisms that may underlie contemporary forms of discrimination. This discussion seeks to orient readers to some of the key debates in the study of discrimination and to provide a roadmap for those interested in building upon this long and important line of research.

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Authors: Pager, D., & Shepherd, H.
Venue: Annual Review of Sociology
Publisher: Annual Reviews
Published: 2008-08-01
Volume: 34
Issue: 1
Pages: 181-209
ISSN: 0360-0572 (ISSN-L)
1545-2115
DOI: 10.1146/annurev.soc.33.040406.131740
OpenAlex: W2109862115
Cited by: 2,064
References: 10
FWCI: 22.21
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green

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The Sociology of Discrimination: Racial Discrimination in Employment, Housing, Credit, and Consumer Markets

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