Can someone tell me what is the racial and gender makeup of the planning profession? I want to know if this is a diverse field.
If that is not possible, based on your (current) experiences in grad school, was the incoming class predominately male? white? If so, by what percentage?
If you are wondering if you can get a job if you are black, asian, caucasian, gay, hispanic, mormon, jewish, or a pastafarian the answer is yes. You can get a job almost anywhere in the US and not have to worry about fitting in. Planners are considered the office oddballs almost everywhere. Your focus on pedestrian connectivity will freak more people out than your insistance upon being called Loretta six months before your Gender Reassignment Surgery.
But are you going to want a job where their is a plurality of monochromatic locals? If you're not Catholic it sounds like Buffalo NY migh be a hard assignment. If you're not gay or a "progressive" it sounds like San Francisco might be a hell hole to work in. Now, are you likely to get a job if you wear a Rush Limbaugh tie to an interview in Berekely, or you are flamboyantly gay and you are interviewing in Dodge City, Kansas, maybe, but not likely.
PS - All US civil engineers are straight, christian, white, former military, republican males with crew cuts. Its some sort of law,
I guess I'd better start running before the police catch me!Originally posted by el Guapo
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PS - All US civil engineers are straight, christian, white, former military, republican males with crew cuts. Its some sort of law,
I think planning is very diverse compared to other professions.
APA has just launched a Diversity Portal at their website, which may give you some insight on the gender and racial makeup of this profession.
"A witty woman is a treasure, a witty beauty is a power!"
I work in the interior Northwest U.S.A. Planners here are predominately white, as is the general population. Probably more male planners but a lot of female planners. I expect that in the coming years, we will see more black, Hispanic and Oriental planners, as they move into the area. I find it very interesting that it is really only in the last five years or so that we are seeing more black people in Montana. Makes no difference to the people here what color your skin is. They just don't want you to be from California.
"I am very good at reading women, but I get into trouble for using the Braille method."
~ Otterpop ~
Everywhere I have worked has been predominately white females as planners.
The make up of my office is as follows
1 person of Jamaican descent
1 person of Korean descent
1 person of Chinese descent
1 person of Japanese descent
2 people of Armenian descent
1 person of Jewish descent
1 person of Ukranian descent
About 7 WASPs
About 12 people of Italian descent
As for sex, it is about 60:40 women:men
Too lazy to beat myself up for being to lazy to beat myself up for being too lazy to... well you get the point....
I think it depends what part of the country you work in. Here in the upper midwest I've only run into white planners, mostly men. But, according to my brother who does GIS down in Texas, most of the municipal planning staff he deals with are men from India and the middle east. In school most of the other students in my major were white, with a few international students mostly from Korea or India, and the gender makeup was about half and half.
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