Systemically rooted disparities operate within each of these contextual dimensions—
information, networks, cognitive frames, and ground rules. These ‘‘second generation’’
dynamics are challenging to address because they are hard to see at the level of
the individual transaction (Sturm, 2001). They occur in many different locations and
involve many different actors spread across the span of careers. In the academic arena,
for example, these differences arise in a wide range of decisions that shape the trajectory
of a faculty member’s advancement: defining the applicant pool, evaluating candidates,
providing mentorship, building research teams, constructing informal professional networks,
inviting speakers, assigning teaching and committee responsibilities, negotiating
salaries, allocating resources, and selecting departmental and university leadership. Only
by looking at patterns across multiple interactions in different settings is it possible to
locate systemic inequality embedded within institutional environments and reproduced
within individual negotiations.