| Abstract: | This paper questions the validity of past studies of job satisfaction for minority groups. Past studies relegate the racial issue to the initial determinant of status attainment deficiencies which indirectly influence job satisfaction. On a sample of over 9,000 military men, including almost 1,500 blacks, three questions are examined: (1) Do past findings on job satisfaction apply to the military setting? (2) Are the conditions contributing to job satisfaction for blacks qualitatively different from the conditions contributing to white job satisfaction? (3) What are the implications of the emergence of separatist attitudes among blacks for work experiences in an integrated setting? The black-white differences uncovered are traced from the historical development in race relation in America, pivoting on the intense racial experience of the 1960s. Implications for other minority groups are discussed. |
