Visible body modification in hiring practices
Date
2009Author
Aspen, Stephanie.
Barrett, Melita
Advisor(s)
Wolfgram, Susan M.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Due to increasing competition for jobs, employers are able to select from a large pool of candidates. A tattooed person may experience negative social consequences, including negative perceptions because of tattoos and piercings (Resenhoeft, Villa, & Wiseman, 2008). The research question was, "What are the attitudes of human service professionals regarding body modification in hiring practices" The authors hypothesized professional attitudes would
adversely affect the ability of a person with visible body modification (VBM) to find employment.
The site of the nonrandom pilot study was in a small Midwestern town. Participants were N = 16
professionals in the human services professions. Survey data was statistically analyzed using
frequencies, mean comparisons, and a reliability analysis, but findings did not support the
hypothesis. Human service professionals responded that within parameters, individuals with
VBM would not be discriminated against. Family study practitioners need to increase awareness
that commonly held stereotypes are inaccurate. It is recommended that future research include a
larger and more diverse sample to generalize to the attitudes of professionals in other fields.
Permanent Link
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/53198Type
Article