DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008

TIME: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

LOCATION: UNLV Student Union 209

DETAILS: Free and open to the public

Christie D. Batson, assistant professor of sociology, will discuss her latest research on the economic and occupational trends of Hispanic women who work in the Southern Nevada hospitality industry and the relationship between this industry and the growing immigrant population. This is the first presentation of the Fall 2008 Gender Research series sponsored by the Women's Research Institute of Nevada.

Using census data from 1980 to 2000, Batson's research details the job outlook differences between foreign-born Hispanic women and native-born Hispanic women. She has found that foreign-born women are more likely to be working in the hospitality industry as housekeepers than their native-born counterparts. Her findings also suggest that the likelihood of job mobility and salary increases depends on how many years a Hispanic woman has resided in the United States or whether the woman was born in this country.

With her ongoing research on this subject, Batson hopes to show the importance of these jobs to Hispanic women and the hospitality industry. She hopes to highlight the value of these jobs which often go unnoticed and are underappreciated.

For more information, call 702-895-4931.