This essay examines the social structures and norms that can make workplaces more and less inclusive for women of colour who deal with two identity categories. Social structures and norms are informal rules influencing people on how to act towards groups, introducing exclusion/discrimination into the workplace (Shore, Cleveland, Sanchez, 2018, p. 176). Identified groups are reference formations separating people, categorizing them within a stereotype and assuming them in similarity, initiating intersectional inequalities (Huang, 2021, p. 125). Women of colour become subjugated to two intersectional inequalities for their gender and their ethnicity/race (Romero 2018, p. 11). The social structures and norms that can make workplaces more and less inclusive align with the structure and norms of the located society (Shore, Cleveland, Sanchez, 2018, p. 176). This is because work groups are influenced by the social structure of society and adopt a similar formation to the societal reference grouping (Stephen 1974, p. 219).    
This essay demonstrates the everyday discriminatory treatment in the workforce towards women of colour due to the intersectional inequalities they face. Additionally, it explains how the formation of the two-fold identity categories influences women of colour in the workforce economically and in power (Shore, Cleveland, Sanchez, 2018, p. 176). However, this essay does not forget to mention how constitutions become placed to enforce inclusion in the workplace, leaving the consideration of work groups inferior to the formal rules in the workplace (Stephen 1974, p. 216).
The first section of this essay analyses the informal ways the social structures and norms can make workplaces less inclusive for women of colour by elaborating on the subtle and direct casual ways discrimination shows itself. The second sector of this essay informs on how the social structures and norms in a society influencing discriminatory groups place women of colour beneath white men, men of colour, and white women in ascending financially and in status. The third partition of this essay mentions the regulations placed, promoting workplace inclusion to erode such inequalities, asserting how social structure can make the workplace more inclusive for women of colour. Overall, this essay argues how social structures and norms can make the workplace both less and more inclusive for women of colour.

In examining the social structures and norms that can make workplaces less inclusive for women of colour, research suggests the aid identity shifting provides in acceptability, suggesting feelings of lesser inclusion (Dickens, Chavez 2017, p. 760). Identity shifting is a practice adopted by women of colour to adapt to a workplace of white supremacy. Modifying conduct, speech, and appearance to fit in and avoid conflicts or discrimination occurs when women of colour do not conform to the social norms of the environment (Dickens, Chavez 2017, pp. 760-762). Women of colour become subjugated to enduring the implications of a blend of sexism and racism in the workplace, having a psychological toll on them. Women, in general, suffer evident obstacles with gender discrimination already, and their race adds to the complications of being a woman of colour (Dickens, Chavez 2017, p. 760). Women of colour have reported their white colleagues establishing discriminatory assumptions of conduction, forcing them to hide aspects of their cultural norms. Speaking in a loud tone or not conversing in what is referred to as proper English due to black lingo criticized by white counterparts, for example, can trigger co-workers that are not of colour to assume aggression and lack of credibility and work ethics (Dickens, Chavez 2017, pp. 761-762). It is unspecified that the colonial-encouraged authoritarian European culture historically continues to influence the United States. Forming stereotypes from historical claims that black community members are aggressive, stubborn, and/or sexually promiscuous affects the welcoming of women of colour in the workplace (Dickens, Chavez 2017, p. 761). The study of the three types of micro-aggression in the workplace (micro-insult, micro-invalidation, and micro-assault) found that African migrant women endure discriminatory acts from both supervisors and clients in the Australian aged care sector (Olasunkanmi-Alimi, Natalier, Mulholland 2023, pp. 88-89). That is not to say this treatment is limited to the aged care sector, as reports indicate it is also taking place in nursing (Olasunkanmi-Alimi, Natalier, Mulholland 2023, p. 89). Australian aged carers and nurses have stated a daily episode of rejection from clients not wanting to be cared for by culturally diverse carers, examining a micro-insult by clients. Micro-insults become displayed by managers by the possibility of their perceived notion that African carers are incapable and inadequately trained. African aged care workers have expressed concerns about their supervisors allocating more exhausting and less desirable work and shifts to them than their peers. A significant display of micro-invalidation is when supervisors react to the reporting of clients’ rejection towards culturally diverse carers by merely re-assigning patients to white nurses and ignoring the display of racism (Olasunkanmi-Alimi, Natalier, Mulholland 2023, p. 90). An example of micro-assault became reported when a client formally stated to the Australian co-worker of a woman of colour, ‘Can you tell this animal to get her hands off me’ (Olasunkanmi-Alimi, Natalier, Mulholland 2023, p. 93). Displays the three types of micro-aggression women of colour face from clients, co-workers, and supervisors, exhausting their well-being and affecting their sense of inclusion in the workplace.     

Secondly, although women’s participation in the workforce since 1980 has risen from 42% to 47% in the United States, 36% to 46% in Australia, 29% to 41% in Chile, 7% to 21% in Egypt, 39% to 48% in France, and 12% to 25% in India. The input of women in employment is disregarded in displays of economic and leadership inequalities, asserting lesser inclusion. Indifferent to attaining the same credentials as men, women are not supported to progress in the supervisory chain of command. Worsening matters, data reports the percentage of female-to-male wages for presentation of similar work is below 100% in all nations (Powell 2018, p. 3). In addition to the adversaries’ women face in the workforce, being of colour exacerbates the inequalities faced. That leaves women of colour poor and residing below all men and white women, contending cheap labour. That cultivates the contention from employers of a two-marginal advantage in hiring women of colour (George, Milli, Tripp 2022, p. 305). Moreover, the organizational network support discriminates against gender and race, inhibiting women of colour in status. Institutional networking greatly assists network members in climbing the ladder of power by opening opportunities and unauthorized guidance, preferring provision to white men and less probable to advise women (Elliot, Smith 2004, p. 368).

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On a positive note, the commencement of analytical research for discrimination of minority groups and intersectional marginal identical categories raises awareness for positive progress towards optimistic transformation towards gender inequality in the workplace by encouraging productive policies (George, Milli, Tripp 2022, p. 304). Although the legality of equal opportunities between males and females in the workplace relies on the societal obligation of obedience, a reformist transformation towards the power of females and males and their conversing at the workplace has begun. Laws prohibiting discrimination of genders have assumed parental republican values in raising children of opposite sexes consciously equal. Recognising the crucial conversions have been made to diminish gender inequalities and will continue to wear away over time, improving workplace inclusion (Powell 2018, p. 2). The expanding diversity within the workplace has propelled the awareness of the cruciality of an inclusivity practised environment. Considering the likelihood of discrimination in diversity management exercises and focusing on women and people of colour, aiding in the intersectional inequalities’ women of colour face. More inclusive customs have endeavoured to initiate an equal approach towards management, incomes, and progressive advancements and opportunities for minority groups like women of colour (Shore, Cleveland, Sanchez, 2018, p. 177) who suffer from two intersectional inequalities.    

To conclude, although women of colour are stereotypically related to aggression from the colonial construct (Olasunkanmi-Alimi, Natalier, Mulholland 2023, p. 88), interestingly, aggression is what is displayed back to women of colour in the workplace, namely micro-aggression. The three types of micro-aggressions performed are micro-invalidation, micro-assaults, and micro-insults. Micro-invalidation is the act of dismissal or deluded responses towards views, emotions, or incidents of women of colour. Micro-assaults are in-your-face behaviours or terminology targeting women of colour, often interpreted as meaningless because of the subtle ways in which they become expressed, such as ignores, rude looks, motions, and attitudes. Micro-insults are blatantly cold and harsh conduction, conveying a direct racist message towards the respondent (Olasunkanmi-Alimi, Natalier, Mulholland 2023, p. 89). Micro-aggression is a feature of colonial influence where races/ethnicities not associated with the West were explicitly the others or non-westerners. Initiating the exclusion women of colour face and discriminatory attributes of backwardness, inferiority, and viciousness, they are suppressed to (Olasunkanmi-Alimi, Natalier, Mulholland 2023, p. 88). Requiring women of colour to feel it is beneficial to shift their identity to suit their environment, indicating a positively appreciated connotation towards the white identity, they play comparable to their own perceived as negatively valued (Dickens, Chavez 2017, p. 761). In short, women of colour suffer from lesser inclusive treatment in the workforce and struggle immensely due to their intersectional inequalities consisting of being female (sexism) and of colour (racism). The dual discriminatory experiences women of colour endure possess blockages and obstacles towards succession in acquiring and maintaining leadership positions (Dickens, Chavez 2017, p. 762). To top it off, sexism alone ensures they equate unequal pay in the workplace (Dickens, Chavez 2017, p. 760). Although inclusion depends on chosen compliance, no matter the authorized constitutions for diversity inclusion, the awareness in the workplace to initiate inclusion has risen. That positively affects the gained concentration in attempts to correct inclusion in the workplace for women of colour, thus promoting more inclusion in the workplace for women of colour dealing with two identity categories subjugated to discrimination (Shore, Cleveland, Sanchez, 2018, p. 177).

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References

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• Dickens Danielle D, Chavez Ernest L, 2017. Navigating The Workplace: The Costs and Benefits of Shifting Identities at Work Among Early Career U.S. Black Women. Vol. 78, Issue 11-12, pages. 760-773.

• Elliott James R, Smith Ryan A, 2004. Race, Gender, and Workplace Power.Vol. 69, No. 3, pages. 365-386.

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• Huang Xianbi, 2021. Subjective Class Identification in Australia: Do Social Networks Matter? Volume 64, Issue 1, Pages 123-143.

• Olasunkanmi-Alimi Temi, Natalier Kristin, Mulholland Monique, 2023. African Migrant Women in the Aged Care Sector: Conceptualising Experiences of Racism, Micro-aggressions and Otherness. Volume 59, Issue 1, pages. 87-103.

• Powell Gary N, 2018. Women and Men in Management, Fifth Edition, SAGE Publications, USA.

• Romero Mary, 2018. Introducing Intersectionality, Polity Press, Cambridge UK.

• Shore Lynn M, Cleveland Jeanette N, Sanchez Diana, 2018. Inclusive workplaces: A review and model. Human Resource Management Review, Volume 28, Issue 2,  Pages 176-189.

• Stephen Hill, 1974. Norms, Groups and Power: The Sociology of Workplace Industrial Relations. Vol.12 (2), pages 213-235.