{"product_id":"the-black-ceiling-9780226828725","title":"The Black Ceiling","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA revelatory assessment of workplace inequality in high-status jobs that focuses on a new explanation for a pernicious problem: racial discomfort.     America's elite law firms, investment banks, and management consulting firms are known for grueling hours, low odds of promotion, and personnel practices that push out any employees who don't advance. While most people who begin their careers in these institutions leave within several years, work there is especially difficult for Black professionals, who exit more quickly and receive far fewer promotions than their White counterparts, hitting a Black ceiling.  Sociologist and law professor Kevin Woodson knows firsthand what life at a top law firm feels like as a Black man. Examining the experiences of more than one hundred Black professionals at prestigious firms, Woodson discovers that their biggest obstacle in the workplace isn't explicit bias but racial discomfort, or the unease Black employees feel in workplaces that are steeped in W\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“In this well-researched book, Woodson identifies a significant and widespread consequence of the country’s racial divide. Mandatory reading for both junior professionals and senior management alike.” * Kirkus Reviews *\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Black Ceiling\u003c\/i\u003e is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding barriers to success for Black professionals working at predominantly White firms in law, consulting, and finance. Woodson shows how racial discomfort sometimes shadows Black professionals’ experiences, through social alienation and stigma anxiety. In doing so, Woodson goes beyond explanations that rely solely on instances of racial discrimination to explain how social, cultural, and psychological processes also shape work experiences. Woodson also identifies the route to more positive experiences at work for Black professionals. The book is a compelling read and is sure to become an instant classic!” -- Natasha Warikoo, author of Race at the Top: Asian Americans and Whites in Pursuit of the American Dream in Suburban Schools\u003cbr\u003e“Woodson delivers an amazingly nuanced and balanced portrait of life as a Black professional working in the high-powered service industries. I frequently saw myself in his descriptions and marveled at his ability to articulate the experiences of Black professionals across the spectrum. While Woodson’s assertions will be familiar to almost every Black professional, it is his gift for explaining the complex factors that lead to his conclusions that makes this book stand out as a must-read. Woodson also offers concrete, practical solutions to the issues he raises that are sometimes counterintuitive but always insightful.”  -- Ronald Machen, chair of WilmerHale’s Litigation and Controversy Department and former US Attorney for the District of Columbia\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Black Ceiling\u003c\/i\u003e provides a desperately needed and beautifully written account of the lives of Black professionals in top law firms, investment banks, and consulting firms. Woodson powerfully shows how, despite these firms’ publicly stated commitments to increasing racial diversity, inside their doors familiarity with White, upper-middle-class culture serves as vital currency for accessing plum assignments, necessary on-the-job training, favorable performance evaluations, close relationships with partners, and ultimately promotions. The book should be mandatory reading for employees in elite professional service firms and the students they recruit.” -- Lauren A. Rivera, author of Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Black Ceiling\u003c\/i\u003e is terrific, both in its observations and in its selection of themes. The solutions Woodson puts forward are eminently sensible.” -- Devon W. Carbado, author of Unreasonable: Black Lives, Police Power, and the Fourth Amendment\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction: Beyond Bias\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 1: Institutional Discrimination at Elite Firms\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 2: The Dangers of Dodging Discrimination\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 3: White Culture and Black Professionals\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 4: Why Some Black Professionals Thrive\u003cbr\u003e Conclusion: A New Understanding of Inequality at Elite Firms\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Acknowledgments\u003cbr\u003e Appendix A: Data and Methods\u003cbr\u003e Appendix B: List of Respondents\u003cbr\u003e Notes\u003cbr\u003e References\u003cbr\u003e  ","brand":"The University of Chicago Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49400136335703,"sku":"9780226828725","price":19.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780226828725.jpg?v=1730469846","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-black-ceiling-9780226828725","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}