Black Women in Oil and Gas: Do Set-Aside Programs Work?
This paper examines whether set-aside and inclusion programs genuinely assist Black women seeking careers in white male–dominated industries, with a focus on the oil and gas sector. Drawing on personal experience as a Black immigrant woman navigating the industry, the author applies rational policymaking theory to evaluate how effectively these programs achieve their stated goals. The paper reviews the background of set-aside initiatives, their legal basis in the Equal Protection clause, and a framework of eight rational policymaking criteria. It also discusses the advantages and limitations of the rational model and concludes by pointing toward the strategic planning framework as a more holistic alternative for addressing persistent racial and gender inequality in industry.
- Introduction: Research question on set-aside program effectiveness
- Personal Background and the Oil and Gas Industry: First-hand experience of racial barriers in oil and gas
- Rational Policymaking Theory and Social Policy: Overview of rational model applied to set-aside policy
- A Framework for Evaluating Set-Aside Programs: Eight-criterion framework for rational policy evaluation
- Pros and Cons of the Rational Policymaking Model: Strengths and limitations of the rational model
- Conclusion: Strategic planning framework proposed as better alternative
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper's first-person narrative grounds abstract policy theory in lived experience, giving analytical claims immediate credibility and emotional resonance.
- The author clearly connects personal observation to published scholarship (Williams, Kilanski & Muller; Miller), demonstrating that individual experience aligns with peer-reviewed findings.
- The structured eight-point rational policymaking framework shows the author can translate theoretical models into concrete evaluative criteria.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper effectively uses applied policy analysis: it takes an established theoretical model (rational policymaking) and systematically applies it to a real-world problem, producing actionable criteria rather than remaining at a purely descriptive level. This moves the argument from anecdote to structured critique.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a reflective introduction establishing the author's positionality and research question. A personal background section grounds the issue in direct industry experience. The theoretical section introduces rational policymaking and the legal basis for set-aside programs. A detailed eight-criterion framework follows, serving as the analytical core. A brief pros-and-cons section evaluates the model's limitations. The conclusion pivots toward the strategic planning framework as a preferred alternative, closing the analytical arc.
Introduction
When you spend your whole life being marginalized and excluded, you can develop what is commonly called a chip on your shoulder — resentment, frustration. I will not say that this has happened to me, but neither will I say that it has not. Taking a hard look at oneself is as difficult and challenging as it is to look honestly at others — without prejudice, bias, or judgment. As part of the contemporary orientation toward social justice, so-called social policymaking advocates like to think they are taking the side of the marginalized, the forgotten, the repressed and oppressed minorities. Individuals like myself who have tried to find equality discover that principles and ideals are fine to discuss, but in the real world, human beings act on motives separate and distinct from the ideals we all presumably share.
I seek to represent the so-called "beneficiaries" of the public policies that pertain to diversity and inclusion. Inclusion and set-aside initiatives are not independent of, or different from, affirmative action. Within the construction and extraction sectors, for instance, such programs form part of positive action strategies. This paper aims to explore the topic of inclusion and set-aside initiatives for Black women, with a goal of gauging how successful they have been in achieving their purpose. To that end, the paper provides background, examines the rationale behind inclusion and set-aside initiatives, and assesses their advantages and drawbacks before arriving at a conclusion.
References
Clemons, R., & McBeth, M. (2001). Public policy praxis: A case approach for understanding policy and analysis.
Miller, G. (2004). Frontier masculinity in the oil industry: The experience of women engineers. Gender, Work & Organization, 11(1), 47–73.
Williams, C., Kilanski, K., & Muller, C. (2014). Corporate diversity programs and gender inequality in the oil and gas industry. Work and Occupations, 41(4), 440–476.
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