Semi-Structured Interviews with African-Nova Scotians Investigating their Experiences in the Workplace
Introduction and Methodology The following research, carried out by Jassin States-Mclean, a undergraduate student at St. Mary’s University under the supervision of Professor Stephen Schneider of the Criminology Department, is an intimate exploration of the lived work experiences of 11 members of the workforce in Halifax who identify as Black and African Nova Scotian. The exploration complements the much larger examination of how businesses accommodate diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the workforce in Halifax and surrounding regions. The number of participants is small, but the information gleaned casts further light on how respondents navigate their way through the terrain of being hired in the first place and then seeking to remain where origins and colour may play a role, some positive and others negative. The purpose of this research is to provide a more in-depth exploration of workplace experiences by those of African descent. This is part of the broader theme of the Amplifying Voices project which is to explore the extent to which businesses accommodate “equity groups” (groups of people who have traditionally been discriminated against in society generally and the workplace specifically). Particular attention is paid to the perceptions of the interview participants regarding the extent to which they believe they have been discriminated against due to their ethnocultural heritage.
Halifax and who are known to the principal researcher (Jassin States-Mclean, who self-identifies as African Nova Scotian). Eleven people were interviewed for this research. The following five questions were asked of each research participant: 1. Do you believe your race was a factor in whether you were hired (or not hired) for a job? 2. Do you believe your race was a factor in whether you were fired from a job? 3. Do you believe your race was a factor in whether you were treated fairly in the workplace? 4. Do you believe your race was a factor in whether you were paid fairly by any of your employers? 5. Do you believe your race was a factor in whether you were promoted (or not promoted) by any employers? For each question, respondents were asked to answer yes, no, perhaps, or don’t know and also to elaborate on their answer, including providing specific examples from their personal experiences if they could think of any.
The research entailed structured interviews with individuals who identified as African-Nova Scotians who have been employed in the public, private, or non-profit sector in
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