...Affirmative Action: Is it still needed in Today’s World? Table of Contents Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………………….3 What is Affirmative Action ………………………………………………………………….. 3-4 History of Affirmative Action ………………………………………………………………...4-6 Legal History of Affirmative Action ………………………………………………………….6-8 The People for Affirmative Action ……………………………………………………………8-9 The People against Affirmative Action ……………………………………………………...10 The Benefits of Affirmative Action ………………………………………………………….10-12 The Cons of Affirmative Action ……………………………………………………………..12-14 Conclusion (My Opinion) ……………………………………………………………………14-15 References ……………………………………………………………………………………16 Abstract Affirmative action has been the topic of some debate because people wonder if it has outlived its usefulness. It is a very controversial topic. This paper will address this issue, is affirmative action still needed in today’s world? This paper will tell what affirmative action is, the history, the legal history of it, the people for it, the people against it, the benefits of affirmative action, the cons of affirmative action, and finally how I feel about affirmative action What is Affirmative Action? Affirmative action is only applied to those who have 15 or more employees, or a government contract of fifty or more employees or a contract over $50,000. The following summary describes affirmative action: Born of the civil rights movement three decades...
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...Affirmative Action Toni Smith Axia College of University of Phoenix Good morning, I am pleased that you all have agreed to meet with our group to discuss why we think it is important to introduce and implement affirmative action into our swiftly rising corporation. It is apparent that our company has been on the rise within the past year, as well as hired many people from various walks of life and of female gender. We believe that by implementing affirmative action into our company it will open the doors for us to do business globally with different companies. INSPIRE TECHNOLOGIES have always supported affirmative action and what it stands for, but if you ask the opinion of others on this issue they may feel that affirmative action is a form of discrimination that provides protection to minorities even if they are not qualified. But that could not be more incorrect according to (Bohlander and Snell, 2007) the policy “requires employers to analyze their workforce and develop a plan of action to correct areas of past discrimination.” We feel that if the mangers express a positive attitude, and help implement this policy to line staff it will make a more positive transition. By “establishing a voluntary affirmative action policy could possibly prevent future court ordered actions with strict quotas and time requirements to correct past discrimination (Bolander and Snell, 2007).” We are recommending the implementation of affirmative action because we believe that in doing so...
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...Critique of ADA and Affirmative Action Diane Beleau Cultural Diversity and Special Populations/BSHS422 15 April 2013 Shonette “Shirley” Wilson In this paper I will discuss the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was established to assist individuals with Disabilities from being discriminated against, and Affirmative Action, whose policies were implemented to have fair treatment of all races, color, religions, or national origins. The Stanford Encyclopaedia states, “Affirmative action” means positive steps taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education, and business from which they have been historically excluded. When those steps involve preferential selection—selection on the basis of race, gender, or ethnicity—affirmative action generates intense controversy” (Fullinwider, 2011). In 1972, affirmative action became an inflammatory public issue. True enough, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 already had made something called “affirmative action” a remedy federal courts could impose on violators of the Act. Likewise, after 1965 federal contractors had been subject to President Lyndon Johnson’s Executive Order 11246, requiring them to take “affirmative action” to make sure they were not discriminating. But what did this 1965 mandate amount to? The Executive Order assigned to the Secretary of Labor the job of specifying rules of implementation. In the meantime, as the federal courts were enforcing the Civil Rights Act against discriminating...
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...Introduction Affirmative action is the act of promoting equal opportunities for al ("Diversity & Inclusion", n.d.). This paper will examine the components of Affirmative action as it relates to the public and private sector employers, and the many ways that it interacts with Title VII requirements of Equal Employment Opportunity. This paper will address the following questions: (1) what employers are subject to affirmative action plans and why? (2) What do the plans require employers to do? (3) What happens if employers do not meet the goals of the affirmative action plan? In 1941, the federal government tried to remove any and all forms of discrimination in the hiring process within the defense industry and ultimately within the whole federal employment. After President John F. Kennedy signed the 1961 Executive Order number 10925, it required federal contractors to take affirmative action to certify that applicants are employed and that employees are taken care of, without regard to one’s race, faith, color, or national origins. While Lyndon B. Johnson’s was the president back in 1967, 1965 Executive Order 11246 was lengthened to include women. Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act does not permit discrimination in any way based on color, faith, race, sex, or gender in employment, relocation, or advancement decisions but did not comprise employers compliance with affirmative action plans. Law court may order an employer...
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...Critique of ADA and Affirmative Action BSHS/422 Critique of ADA and Affirmative Action Paper Discrimination in the workplace has been an issue for as long as I can remember. Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids employers from discriminating against individuals because of their race, sex, age, and/or disability, many employers still exhibited this type of behavior during the hiring process. President Lyndon B. Johnson enacted an executive order that required government employers to not use hiring practices that exhibited discrimination in 1965. The American Disabilities Act (ADA) was put into place years later to protect those with disabilities. All of these were efforts to promote equality in the workplace, among other places; although the laws may protect certain individuals from discrimination, others may be discriminated against as a result. The paper’s intent is to provide insight regarding my feelings towards the American Disabilities Act (ADA) and Affirmative Action. What is sometimes meant for good can also result in something bad. American Disabilities Act (ADA) President George H.W. Bush signed the American Disabilities Act (also referred to as ADA) in 1990. The ADA intended purpose was to protect those with disabilities from discrimination in transportation, employment, communication, and different cultural opportunities. Under this law, employers are forbid to discriminate in many different areas such as hiring, lay-offs, and job assignments because...
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...“Affirmative action” means positive steps taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education, and business from which they have been historically excluded. When those steps involve preferential selection—selection on the basis of race, gender, or ethnicity—affirmative action generates intense controversy. Definition of Diversity The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual. Back to Diversity Initiatives Home Page Pros to Affirmative action: The Pro-Affirmative Action Side: It is a Fair and Necessary Program Proponents of Affirmative Action say that it is necessary to ensure that minorities have a fair opportunity in employment and education. The American Civil Liberties Union Briefing Paper #17 lists a number of reasons why Affirmative Action remains vital; among the statistics shared: Read more at Suite101: The Pros and Cons of Affirmative...
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...EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN WOMEN SPORTS March, 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page i Table of Contents …..……………………………………………………………………2 Section I. Introduction 3 Section II. Review of Literature 4 Equal Employment Opportunity Laws 4 Affirmative Action 6 Effects of EEO and AA on Women Sports 7 Effects on EEO and AA on women playing sports 7 Effects of EEO and AA on women coaching sports 9 Effects of EEO and AA on women in administration………………...11 Section III. Summary and Conclusions 14 References ............... 17 INTRODUCTION Women in sports have indeed come a long way. Years ago it was socially unacceptable for women to do anything other than cook and clean. Men dominated the work place and the sports industry. But eventually women got fed up with being treated less significant than their male counterparts and began protesting. Not until the mid-1950s and early 1960s did nondiscriminatory employment become a strong social concern (Bohlander & Snell, 2004). While women were just beginning to make a name for themselves, the government began regulating Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) by passing a series of laws, in an attempt to correct social problems of interest to particular groups of workers, including women. EEO laws have made a major impact on women in all industries, but especially on women in sports. While EEO laws focused on non-discrimination, affirmative action went beyond providing equal...
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...The query of whether organizations should utilize affirmative action plans to hire individuals is critical, because equal hiring practices require affirmative action plans. In this paper, I argue that within the current public perceptions or misinterpretations of affirmative action, and the question of what should be considered equal hiring policies, there is no simple answer to this controversial issue. Due to the weaknesses of the arguments against affirmative action plans, I will argue that employers should utilize affirmative action plans more often, given that it provides results in terms of higher diversity in the workplace. Before I begin, I need to define what I mean when I reference these terms. An organization will be regarded as...
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...Affirmative action, as defined by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, means positive steps taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education, and business from which they have been historically excluded. In this paper I will discuss the history of affirmative action and its effects on education in our society, and whether a program such as affirmative action is still necessary today. I will argue why affirmative action is necessary for minorities to gain equal opportunities educationally and how affirmative action helps to mend the wounds that past discrimination has inflicted upon minorities. Affirmative action requires that supervisors in charge of economic and educational opportunities take into consideration a candidate’s sex, disabilities, and ethnic background when accepting positions, especially if the candidate’s ethnic affiliation has had a history of racial discrimination. These minority groups are entitled to special considerations, typically viewed as payments made by the government to settle past discrimination. The effects of affirmative action have been well seen in educational systems where educators have long been pressured into giving preference to minorities even if they have lesser qualifications, to help write off past discrimination. Affirmative action was established on the basis that because of the past discrimination of races, our nation was unable to flourish into what it should have become, a...
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...Eddiana Hernandez MGMT 463-61 Prof. Palmiere Final Paper Affirmative Action: Exploring a Common Ground The term affirmative action was introduced by President Kennedy during the Cold War and around the Civil Rights Movement it was then expanded by President Johnson. Affirmative action programs were created in an attempt to make sure that all groups within a society are given the same opportunity to succeed in the workplace and higher education. It has always been a controversial topic because of the guidelines surrounding it and the alleged double standard it creates since it protects some groups and leaves others out of the “iron umbrella”. Usually Caucasian males are against the action and most of the time demand reform or abolition of such programs. And that is because Caucasian and Asian males are not protected under the act. Affirmative action is one of those programs I believe have a double standard and therefore I have decided to look at it from both perspectives giving it a glance from a compromising way from both opponents and advocates of the act. Over the years it has given people opportunities that otherwise would have not been possible for the person who is part of a minority group but it had also affected the other areas in our society. The issue I have with the act is that is been used as the solely deciding factor to give someone a chance. For example, an African America high school graduate should not be getting into college just for simple fact of being...
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...Abstract Using research references written by Dawn D. Bennett-Alexander, Laura P. Hartman, Raina Kelley, Brian Lilley and Jonathan Stempel, I examined the results of their findings in relation to my project. Based on their information, I determined affirmative action is still an instrumental tool in balancing the work force in the United States. There are still jobs that are out of reach for certain minority groups. As long as this imbalance exists so does the need for affirmative action. Do We Need Affirmative Action? Is affirmative action still needed in today’s society? Some people do not think so; others do. I believe affirmative action is still necessary as long as a minority group of people (Blacks, Hispanics, Women, etc.) attempting to acquire jobs in certain markets believes they are not getting those jobs because they are being discriminated against by the majority group that holds them. I will attempt to present some sources to reinforce my conclusion. I will discuss the original purpose of affirmative action and present some cases being discussed or ruled on in present day courts. I hope to show that affirmative action expands opportunity by promoting inclusion of underrepresented minorities in all areas of the job market and it is not intended to take jobs away from those in the majority. Its Purpose I’ve been in the military since 1987. The military has a zero tolerance rule for any type of discrimination and it’s strictly enforced from the top...
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...How Affirmative Action Ban Affect College Admission? Abstract: In this research paper I examined the effects of affirmative action ban on the university enrollment stage. The importance of this topic is that it is very contentious social issue today. In this paper I mentioned some of the experiences of African American activist Ward Connerly, examples of his movement and his opponent approach towards affirmative action. The research finds that affirmative action bans decrease the enrollment in selective universities. However, affirmative action debate will continue in the United States. From research discussions I find that affirmative action carries out emotional reaction, because the concern is the inequality in education. However throughout the research I found some confusions and mixed proofs for that concern. Affirmative action in college admission is one of today’s most argumentative social policy issues. The supporters of affirmative action view it as a just response to past or present discrimination, stress the social benefits of producing minority role models and leaders, and claim that there are educational benefits to diversity. At the same time its opponents contend that it is an impediment to achieving a race-blind society and may even be harmful to those it is intended to directly benefit. The issue has been in headlines as affirmative action in college admissions has been limited in recent years by court decisions...
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...Critique of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Affirmative Action Amaris Joy, Yahoo Contributor Network Jul 11, 2011 "Share your voice on Yahoo websites. Start Here." * ------------------------------------------------- More: * ------------------------------------------------- Americans with Disabilities Act * ------------------------------------------------- Americans with Disabilities Flag Close Post a comment Incidents of discrimination and matters of civil liberties often instigate changes in laws, statutes, and public policies. This paper will address the history of the American with Disabilities Act and Affirmative Action along with the pros and cons associated with each act. Americans with Disabilities Act The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed into law in 1990 and prohibits employers and universities from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. The act also requires institutions to make reasonable accommodations at the request of the disabled employee or student. Requests that place "undue hardship" on institutions are exempt from the law; institutions are not legally required to comply. The law states that individuals must inform the institution of all possible means of accommodation; the institution may choose the most convenient and financially feasible option (The U.S. Equal, 2008). Pros of Americans with Disabilities Act The ADA permits disabled individuals to receive an education and obtain employment thereby...
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...Running head: AFFIRMATIVE ACTION Affirmative Action Paper Cesar Petit-Dieu University of Phoenix MGT/434 May 4, 2010 Instructor: Eleanor T. Lawrence, DBA & PsyD Affirmative Action Paper This Paper explain the fundamentals of Affirmative Action as it applies to public sector and private sector employers, and how it interacts with Title VII requirements of Equal Employment Opportunity. It addresses the following: a. What employers are subject to affirmative action plans and why? b. What do the plans require employers to do? c. What happens if employers do not meet the goals of the affirmative action plan? Affirmative Action Programs Voluntary Affirmative Action Plan Implementation Affirmative action programs are intended to positively structure the behavior of both private sector and public sector employees. Some laws may apply to just private employers, while others may apply to educational institutions, employment agencies and public sector employees. Still, the laws do take into account how many employees are working at a company, and how many employees are in each location. Even so, companies of every size should make an ethical effort to avoid discrimination. “An affirmative action plan consists of statistical analysis of the employer's under utilization of individuals from certain protected classes and includes the steps that will be taken to improve their representation in...
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...Legal, Safety, and Regulatory Requirements Paper Alexis Shealey HCS/341 January 30, 2012 Matt Dennis Legal, Safety, and Regulatory Requirements Paper In this paper the writer will explain examination of legal, safety, and regulatory requirements on human resource process, explanation of why the student does or does not agree with this statement “Common sense and compassion in the workplace has been replaced by litigation”, and the focuses on employee-related regulations such as U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and Department of Homeland Security. The human resource department in every organization is responsible for ensuring that the organization follows all legal, safety, and regulatory requirements when dealing with the employees of the organization as well as the organization serves. Throughout the process a main priority law are intended to bring harmonious working relationships between parties at the workplace. Human resource experts and managers have implemented strategies to comply with the federal regulations to supervise employee health and safety in the workplace. Laws and regulations at the federal, state, and local levels show companies conduct staffing. Three sensitive areas of legal concerns that managers must comply with are equal opportunity, affirmative action, and sexual harassment. Individual are protected from illegal discrimination which occur when people who share...
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