In Blindspot, the authors discussed how favoring in-group members contributes to discrimination. This could be seen in selecting a family friend for a job application over a better applicant. Instead of someone being picked for their merit or skill, a person is picked for their relationship and similarity to the friend that is hiring. While this is done frequently in the corporate world, it would be unthinkable for doctors to choose certain people for medical treatment over others. This in-group favoritism reveals the discrepancies occurring across different industries.

This reading struck me because I was someone who benefited from this process. During last summer, I did an internship in Arlington, Virginia. Before I had applied, I had known the manager of the company since they had worked with my mom. I still submitted an application and interviewed; however, it is undeniable that I had an advantage compared to other applicants. This reading showed that while this manager showed kindness towards me, he  potentially did not hire someone who could have been better at the job than me. The issue is that this happens everyday across the world. This does not make it right, but it highlights how many of us contribute to in-group discrimination. The class of 2020 at UR most certainly has some individuals who have acquired jobs through personal connections.  In order to find a solution to this problem, we need to reflect deeper about how we are benefiting from in-group favoritism in our daily lives.