Engaging Marginalized Voices: How Research and Theory Can Further Our Understanding of the Workplace Experiences of a Stigmatized Co-Cultural Group

• In Event: Organizations, Work, and the Social Construction of Socio-Economic Class

Abstract

Communication research in organizations tends to exclude the experiences of traditionally marginalized voices (Orbe, 2000). Historically, individuals at the bottom of organizational hierarchies (racial/ethnic minorities, white women and people of lower socioeconomic status) represent these marginalized voices. This paper highlights a body of theory and research that can elucidate our understanding of the work experience of a specific marginalized group. The group this paper addresses is first generation Latino immigrant service workers.
In 1970 there were approximately nine million Latinos in the United States. By the year 2050 there will be approximately 130 million Latinos living in the United States. Illegal immigration and high school dropout rates may be a reason why many Latinos wind up working in lower level jobs (janitorial, housekeeping, food service, etc.). This trend is reflected in the number of Latinos working in service positions in organizations across the United States.
In 2006 the percentage of Latino females in service occupations surpassed the number of native born Americans by ten percent, 30% and 20 % respectively (U.S. Census Bureau). In that same year, the percentage of male Latino service workers was seven percent greater than native born Americans, 20% and 13% respectively (U.S. Census Bureau). For these reasons, I believe, there is a need for organizational communication scholars to examine the communicative experiences of Latinos and specifically those at the bottom of social and organizational hierarchies.
References
Orbe, M. P. (2000). Centralizing diverse racial/ethnic voices in scholarly research: The value of phenomenal inquiry. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 24, 603-621.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2006). Projections of the Population by Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin for the United States: 2010 to 2050. Statistical Abstracts of the United States: 2006. Table 4.

Author

• Wilfredo Alvarez, University of Colorado, Boulder