invited talk: the ghosts of mad men
DESCRIPTION
This talk is based on my dissertation work on race inequality inside the U.S. advertising industry. I presented it during a panel on Diversity & Inclusion Gaps in Advertising & Media Supply Chains at the Sustainability Summit in New York City on October 9th, 2012. The summit emphasized Corporate Social Responsibility compliance on environmental and diversity commitments through the implementation of GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) standards. This deck has an audio file attached and is thus slidecast capable. I've also posted a video version here: https://vimeo.com/51123464TRANSCRIPT
THE GHOSTS OF MAD MEN
SUSTAINABILITY SUMMITSENTRY CENTERNYC
THE GHOSTS CHRISTOPHER BOULTON, PHD
OF MAD MEN
PRESENTED AT THE SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT (NYC • 10/9/12)
THE NEW YORK TIMESMAY 26, 1966
"IT STILL HAS NOT CHANGED. I DEFY ANY OF THESE COMPANIES OUTSIDE OF THEIR CORPORATE RETREAT PHOTOS TO SHOW ME PEOPLE OF COLOR IN POSITIONS OF POWER. AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT THERE, WHO HAVE POSITIONS OF POWER, WHO ARE OF COLOR, I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH AND NONE OF THEM THINK THERE SHOULD BE MORE BLACK FACES IN THAT OFFICE."
MATTHEW WEINER, MAD MEN CREATOR
LABOR DEPARTMENT’S BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS (REPORT 1036)
2011 LABOR FORCE: RACE AND ETHNICITY
0
1 0
2 0
A s i a n s B l a c k s L a t i n o s
Advertising Population
0
5 0
1 0 0
A s i a n s B l a c k s L a t i n o s Wh i t e s
Advertising Population
BENDICK & EGAN (2008) TABLE 7 (P. 37)
UNDER-HIRED
UNDERUTILIZED
UNDERPAID
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BLACKS IN ADVERTISING:
“ Y O U R W E B S I T E S TAT E S A S T R O N G COMMITMENT TO SUPPLIER DIVERSITY….SINCE YOU HAVE MADE THIS COMMITMENT PUBLICLY, [AND] NOW THAT WE HAVE BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION THE GROSS FAILURES OF YOUR ADVERTISING SUPPLIERS TO LIVE UP TO YOUR STANDARDS, WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT YOU WILL BE ADDRESSING IT AS FORCEFULLY AND EFFECTIVELY AS ITS IMPORTANCE TO YOUR FIRM AND NATION REQUIRES.”
NAACP LETTER TO P&G
COLORBLIND RACISM
“IN THIS BUSINESS I ESSENTIALLY HIRE A BUNCH OF WHITE, MIDDLE-CLASS KIDS, PAY THEM ENORMOUS SUMS OF MONEY TO DO WHAT? TO CREATE MESSAGES TO THE INNER CITY, TO KIDS WHO CREATE THE CULTURE THE WHITE KIDS ARE TRYING LIKE HELL TO EMULATE, BUT IF YOU GO INTO THE INNER CITY, ODDS ARE THESE KIDS AREN’T EVEN GOING TO SEE ADVERTISING AS A POSSIBILITY, AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM...I MEAN LOOK AT THIS ROOM: HOW MANY BLACK FACES DO YOU SEE HERE?” DAN WIEDEN, W+K
INTERNS: THE DIVERSITY PIPELINE
PHD FIELDWORKNEW YORK CITY SUMMER 2010
58 INTERNS @ 19 AGENCIES:
MUST-HIRES OUTNUMBERED MAIP BY A RATIO OF MORE THAN 2:1.
OUT OF 75 INTERNS AT MY 3 AGENCIES:24 = MUST-HIRES (32%) 9 = MAIP (12%)
ALL 24 MUST-HIRES WERE WHITE.MOST OPPOSE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.
MUST-HIRES ARE SECRET FORMS OFWHITE OPPORTUNITY HOARDING
FINDINGS: INTERNS
FINDINGS: HR PRACTITIONERS
TEAM-BASED HIRES BASED ON CHEMISTRY/FITINFORMAL HIRING PRACTICES
REFERRALS THROUGH STAFF SOCIAL NETWORKS
"TRADITIONALLY IT IS STILL VERY MUCH MAD MEN…I MEAN LOOK AROUND YOU."
RACE CLOAKS CLASS
COLORBLIND RACISM
SOME POSSIBLE WAYS FORWARD:
7. ADMIT GENERAL MARKET = WHITE
2. DISCLOSE AND STOP MUST-HIRING3. EMPOWER HR (ENTRY-LEVEL HIRES)4. RAISE ENTRY-LEVEL WAGES 5. BUILD CROSS-RACIAL MENTORSHIPS6. EXPLAIN MAIP (IN THE PRESENT)
1. GRI FOR AD/MEDIA SUPPLY CHAINS
THANK YOU
DR. CHRISTOPHER BOULTONUNIVERSITY OF TAMPA
WWW.CHRISBOULTON.ORG