Benchmarks and Barriers: African American Experiences in the Corporate Bay Area's New Economy Sector of the 1990s

摘要

Macroeconomic transformations of the late 1990s resulted in a new economy full of employment opportunities and financial rewards leading many to assume that race was less significant and anyone with adequate skills and knowledge could prosper. This research uses interviews with new economy employees in the San Francisco region to understand why during the economic boom period, rewards between highly qualified blacks and whites remained differentiated particularly in the most promising economic sectors. I argue that structural economic changes have resulted in new rules for achievement that intersect with traditional pipeline barriers in a way that produces unequal outcomes for African Americans. This article highlights the importance of understanding the social implications of regional growth patterns.