The Problem. The problem is that racism, sexism, and discrimination exist. Critical race theory (CRT) is concerned with equity in terms of a person's complete identity, which may begin with race and include gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and/or some other characteristic. The Solution.CRT advocates radical change in systems and organizations. CRT critiques power structures in an attempt to provide guidance to those who maintain inequitable and racialized structures. Corporate policies and programs should be scrutinized to see how they affect all workers. The assumption that policies and programs are neutral should be abandoned. The acknowledgment of race (including Whiteness as a race) and racism is central. Change should embrace all people and provide equivalent opportunities to all employees. Change means breaking the glass ceiling, erasing salary differentials, and eliminating harassment and discrimination. The Stakeholders. The power structures that support societal-level stakeholders create policy and law. These policies and legal mandates are implemented by Human Resource Development (HRD) practitioners and rarely questioned. Stakeholders include employees, staff, and clients. Individuals at all ranks within organizations, clients, consumers, and suppliers uphold the racism inherent in society by ignoring it or being blind to it. We all have

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The Importance of Work in an Age of Uncertainty: The Eroding Work Experience in America presents insights from Americans who share their experiences related to critical issues concerning work alongside relevant literature describing the psychological impact of work. The author argues for a need to infuse psychological perspectives while including workers' voices into research concerning labor and work issues. These voices are from those on the front lines of rapid workforce changes. Furthermore, he argues that, holistically, Americans will see no advancement toward a "just and dignified approach to working" without including those workers who are most affected (p. 193). The purpose of the text is to extend readers beyond an economic view of numbers and data in articulating work and labor issues through rich narratives from people about their work experiences. The author points to decades of missed opportunities in research that have failed to capture working Americans' voices; sadly, he explains, economics has been the defining force informing public policies concerning work and how society understands it. This point and the central thesis that all workers deserve dignified and accessible employment serve as motivating forces behind this piece.Blustein leverages interview data and his experience as a therapist, career counselor, professor, and researcher in psychology and workforce development to inform the writing and convey Americans' psychological experiences concerning work. The book consists of a preface, nine chapters, notes, and an index. Each chapter begins with an introduction composed of historical or personal frames of reference for the material. Interview vignettes and emerging themes follow this section. The final part of each chapter introduces more recent psychological and sociological research, which aids further insight into work during periods of uncertainty, such as recessions and job eliminations due to technological advances.Chapter 1 embraces the significant role work plays in fulfilling psychological and social needs, while Chapter 2 explores human ambition for survival. Thus, combining the research presented in Chapter 1 and the vignettes in Chapter 2 permits readers to visualize Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Blustein presents stories concerning individuals' struggles for financial security after the Great Recession, which correlates to the hierarchy's safety and physiological needs. Chapter 3 expands the discussion of needs, explaining that being with others is key to an individual's well-being. Blustein also devotes attention to emerging constructs that impede the benefits of working with others, such as automation and harassment.Chapter 4 explores how individuals construct meaning and purpose in life and connect with the greater social good through work. These narratives offer a glimpse into the lives of those experiencing a deep connection to work, the social impacts of work, or those who struggle to find work. Bluestein discusses the experience of individuals' motivation for working in...

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