...Affirmative Action or Affirmative Discrimination Affirmative action refers to an attempt at equality in the society. It claims that each person receive equal opportunities in the classroom as well as the work force. Not only would this would be subjected to minorities but to women as well. Every sector in America should be equal and unprejudiced - or so proponents say. However, adopting affirmative action would force many employers to replace hard-working employees with those less qualified simply as a consequence of their gender or ethnic background (Sterba, 2003). We can analyze this concept from the perspective of two opponents as “Arguments for ‘Affirmative Action is Reverse Discrimination’” and “Arguments against ‘Affirmative Action is Reverse Discrimination’”. First of all, with reference to “Arguments for ‘Affirmative Action is Reverse Discrimination’”, the fact of affirmative action is that it attempts to end discrimination with discrimination, that is, reverse discrimination. The purpose of affirmative action is to correct the past discrimination based on race, sex, religion, etc. But the way that affirmative action taken to achieve this is to sacrifice the rights of others, which leads to reverse discrimination: as we are all members of some minority or majority groups, helping one group would certainly disadvantage others. For example, in USA, under affirmative action, a company might prefer to hire the minority like women or colored people instead of white...
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...Many have argued over the years that affirmative action in schools or the workforce is necessary for the fusion and equality of our culture. In the book, Taking Sides, two different authors discuss each view of either side of the issue. Affirmative Action began as a government policy to aid in ending racial discrimination and promote equal opportunities to minorities. Both Robert Staples and Roger Clegg have a solid view of where they stand on the issue of affirmative action. Staples agrees that affirmative action is necessary to achieve racial equality. He does not believe that the United States has reached the point of being a color-blind society. Staples sees racism still being present in our modern society. Staples argues that the argument against affirmative action is only a plot to keep the white men at their privileged status at the expense of the minorities. Staples points out affirmative action is not a program used exclusively by blacks. White women are often the primary beneficiaries. Also, he recognizes that minorities, specifically blacks, are still being treated unfairly and unequally. Staples argues that there is no clear definition for Affirmative Action. It tends to be interpreted differently by many people. It has been estimated that five million people of color have gotten their jobs due to affirmative action. His stance on the issue of affirmative action is that it is the fairest way to include everyone to an equal opportunity, whether it is in the schools...
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...According to the Miriam-Webster dictionary, affirmative action is defined as “an active effort to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of minority groups and women” (Miriam). Many people feel that affirmative action is necessary to either counteract injustices or ensure the advancement of certain minorities. There are four justifications generally pointed out by affirmative action exponents. These are racism, poverty, diversity, and the problem of underrepresentation. Supporters point out that many blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans live in substandard housing, go to substandard schools, and live in crime ridden neighborhoods. They also claim that they are targets of daily racism, hindering their chances for advancement. Proponents point to small numbers of these minorities in certain desirable jobs (i.e. CEOs of corporations and high elected office) as evidence of underrepresentation of minorities and a need for diversity both in the workplace and in higher education. There are a number of different levels of affirmative action, including quotas, preferences, and outreach, in lessening order of severity. Quotas, also called “set asides”, deal with having a definite amount of jobs or college spots reserved for a particular group. For example, if a university admits 1000 students every year and sets aside 150 seats that are open to blacks only, this is considered a quota. A perfect illustration of a quota would be the 1977 Supreme Court case...
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...Affirmative Action in the Workplace Negative and Positive Rebecca Mikell Human Resources BUS362 Affirmative action in this time and place is a very hard area to keep in place when it comes to keeping jobs even at work for the employees. Sometimes this type of equality in the working world can be good and sometimes it can be bad, but it depends on how it is used that really makes how a person can feel when it comes to this type of treatment of employees no matter what color or sex a person is during this time period. If you take a look at what might be good about this type of action where I work five days a week, you would say that it is better on the day shift than on the night shift that is for sure, because on the night shift this is very unevenly played out as far as equality. In this day and time, affirmative action is a continuous issue in the working world. It was put into place to encourage diversity and reduce discrimination based on ethnic background and skin color. (What are the Pros and Cons of Affirmative Action) Affirmative action is used basically to show that people with ethnic backgrounds are capable of doing the same job as another person of a different color or that a woman is capable of doing the same job as a man. These days, sometimes both statements are true but not in all cases all the time. I’m sure a woman believes that she can do a job better than a man, and sometimes I am one of those people , but there are some positions that companies...
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...Affirmative action was part of executive order 11246 which supports Title VII of the civil rights act of 1964 that renders discrimination illegal employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Affirmative action involves the employer brining qualified women and minorities into a workplace from which it has been determined that they are excluded in order to make the workplace more reflective of the population from which employees are drawn (Bennett-Alexander & Hartman, 2007). Affirmative action is not only in place to just end discrimination but to actively seeking individuals for employment and promoting individuals within an organization who represent specific minority groups and/or women. The Rights of White males are also protected if there is evidence of discrimination. For example, if a company institutes an affirmative action plan to correct an imbalance in their work force between men and women; once that imbalance has been corrected the plan should be discontinued. If not and the practice continues an employee who is a white male and is qualified for a position but is passed over by a female who is not as qualified as he is would have grounds for sex discrimination under Title VII. Affirmative Action is not in place to institute quotas, quotas are prohibited. Affirmative action is in place to make sure that qualified woman or minorities are given equal opportunity for employment in whatever position they are applying or being...
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...ADA and Affirmative Action Critique The purpose of this paper is to examine the positives and negatives of the American’s with Disabilities’ Act (ADA), and Affirmative Action. The impact of the ADA and Affirmative Action will be discussed as to how it relates to those American’s living with disabilities. This paper will also examine how the American’s with Disabilities’ Act and Affirmative Action may impact companies adhering to certain regulations, as well as the costs. This paper will also give my personal views pertaining to the ADA and Affirmative Action. Affirmative Action Affirmative Action is a valuable government policy in which “organizations will seek to overcome the effects of past discrimination against groups such as women and minorities, disabled persons, and veterans,” (The Universtity Of Iowa, 2004, p. 1). John F. Kennedy was one of the first users of the phrase “affirmative action” when he used it in his Executive Order 10925. This basically stated that companies were to hire applicants of all backgrounds, those with disabilities, and that these employees were to be treated just like everyone else. American’s With Disabilities’ Act It was in 1990 that the American’s With Disabilities Act was signed by President George Bush. The reasoning for the ADA was “to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities,” (Atkinson, 2004, p. 42). Persons with disabilities were often...
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...Affirmative Action: Bigger than Diversity Is affirmative action bigger than diversity? This is the question that comes to my mind since there has been much debate on whether or not Affirmative action laws are still needed. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in October on Fisher v. University of Texas, a case that could overturn or uphold the 2003 Grutter v. Bollinger ruling that found affirmative-action policies to be constitutional. (Nhan, 2012) Of course it’s still needed and it’s constitutional since it reinforces the Constitution that is based on all men being created equal. And without this reinforce able law I don’t believe that the Constitution will hold true. And if Affirmative action was not still needed then why is there so much debate about it. Affirmative action has gone way beyond diversity, it’s all about power. This leads me to my first point when affirmative action was put in place white America lost their control and now they are trying to do whatever it takes to get that control back. One of the biggest blows to this countries ego was when the first black president was put into office, this really struck nerve. Finally, getting rid of affirmative action is just another way to shake up the confidence of minorities and women so that they break them down to where society feels they should be. This is just a fraction of why I feel affirmative action is still needed and society is just playing the part until someone makes the under minding decision...
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...Affirmative Action Affirmative action is wrong and will not help solve the problems minorities face. The reason it is wrong is because it's discrimination. It has no place in today's society in today's society because it does more bad than good. In addition to that most people don't enjoy the presence of affirmative action. Also, it appears that affirmative action can actually be detrimental to employees health. First of all, affirmative action is discrimination, there is no hiding it. When an employer hires anyone because he or she is a minority, even if someone else if more qualified to do the job, it is discrimination. Just because it is reverse discrimination, when whites are discriminated against and minorities are being discriminated for, doesn't make it right. Affirmative action legalizes discrimination (Steele 1990, 39). "I thought discrimination was illegal in this country (Buchanan 1995, 1)." Also, if this discrimination continues racism in the United States may become worse. Imagine what you would feel like if you couldn't get a job just because you are a white man and not a hispanic man. The racism will become worse because of it, and that is the very thing it is trying to prevent. It is possible that because of affirmative action, racism will grow and continue to grow until we history repeats itself and we end up living under Jim Crow laws again. That is an extr! eme possibility to end up under Jim Crow laws again, but it is a definite possibility...
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...My Case Against Affirmative Action In 1965 President Johnson, using executive action, introduced affirmative action as a way to redress past discrimination and racial bias. Although his action applied to government contractors, with the passage of Title VII colleges began implementing their own affirmative action programs and started admitting more minority students. In my opinion, affirmative action is not only discriminatory in its own right, but should be abolished by the courts that have seen so far to uphold it. Affirmative action, though started with good intentions, has now dissolved into a policy that gives minorities’ unfair advantage and encourages “reverse racism” instead of discouraging it. It admits lesser qualified minority students into post-secondary institutions while passing over more qualified students. As David Sacks and Peter Thiel say in their paper The Case Against Affirmative Action, “If, after 25 years, affirmative action has not succeeded in ending discrimination, perhaps it is time to try something else.” Affirmative action, in addition to hurting the minorities it supposedly is meant to help by placing unprepared students into colleges they are not ready for, all serves to promote racism. Anytime someone is placed above someone else based on race, that’s racism, be it a white student accepted ahead of a black student or vice versa. Today, especially in light of what we see in Missouri, Staten Island, and other cities, racism is seen as white...
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...185 years of denying equal social and economic opportunities to minorities and women, America’s leaders chose to act. The actions of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson brought forward a plan called affirmative action: to address the under-representation of qualified minorities and women in higher education and the workplace. With a foundation that contains discrimination in its core, affirmative action did not come without controversy. It has been the central topic of notable Supreme Court cases such as University of California Regents v. Bakke, Grutter v. Bollinger, and Fisher v. University of Texas. Many who oppose affirmative action argue that race-conscious programs lead to reverse discrimination and group preferences over individual merit. Through arguments, data and research, it will be shown that affirmative action is indeed an effective remedy for addressing racial inequality in higher education and other institutions. Without it in this current time, large negative effects would be felt throughout higher education and higher education. Affirmative action’s origins stem from an executive order that John F. Kennedy wrote in regards to the hiring practices of employers. It stated “...will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, or national origin. The Contractor will take affirmative action, to...
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...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 African American...
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...It has come to my attention that there are no affirmative action policies in place within your company. With today’s workforce becoming increasingly diverse through a wide variety of ways, it is important to follow Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws and values. Already accomplishing a steady progression, EEO can be taken a step further in the right direction. Affirmative action is that step. Affirmative action supports minority representation in the workforce and does not support reverse discrimination as some may say (Bohlander & Snell, 2006). Not only is affirmative action in compliance with EEO laws, but it is also just plain good for business. For this reason, I urge this company’s board of directors to implement affirmative action policies. Affirmative action has much to do with forming a balanced workforce (Bohlander & Snell, 2006). Diversity is the key to that balance. By analyzing your workforce to see how diverse it actually is, you can produce a strategy to correct areas of past discrimination (Bohlander & Snell, 2006). Previous discrimination not only in this company, but throughout the entire United States, can be offset by forming an action plan now and for the future (Messerli, 2010). Implementing affirmative action policies now can ensure a less discriminatory future for protected classes. As previously stated, diversity is the key. Companies who put time and effort into recruiting, selecting, training, and promoting members of protected classes have the...
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...“Affirmative action” means positive steps taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education, and culture from which they have been historically excluded (Fullinwider, R. (2013). Affirmative Action. In The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2013/entries/affirmative-action/). In the private sector the affirmative action policies are voluntary and enforced internally, while government mandated policies can be enforced through the courts. Many programs that enforce affirmative action were chosen because of their supposed benefits to the individual, institution or to society. The amount of consideration given to minorities can vary; some employer and schools may give a small amount of weight while other may give a great amount of weight. A low level of affirmative action could be as easy as increasing the number of applicants for jobs or education, while this may bring in more minorities it offers no guarantees that the applicants will be chosen. A step up from the previous action plan would be to give slight preferences to minorities; it would be used as a tiebreaker between two equal applicants, with the job or admission going to the minority. And the plan that most of us are familiar and which is the most aggressive is when a certain number of minorities are chosen regardless of qualifications. This basically means that non-minorities can lose jobs and college admission...
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...Affirmative action is discriminatory and can result in someone not accomplishing their aspiration or dream. With the use of affirmative action, or preferential treatment, one race or gender may have more of an advantage then someone else because of their skin color. Jack Kemp once said, “Affirmative action based on quotas is wrong - wrong because it is antithetical to the genius of the American idea: individual liberty”. Everyone should be treated equal in all scenarios and the most qualified should be chosen. Affirmative action and preferential treatment limit the educational opportunities and social progression in aspects of life such as jobs. All people in consideration, “should be treated as equals unless there are morally relevant reasons for treating them different” (Andre). Factors should be based on the person’s skill and qualifications for the job or acceptance into a school. But, research has shown that minorities have had increases of up to 310 points in their SAT score just because of the race or gender of that person (Affirmative). In these places, race should not be brought up. It should just be based on what they have done and what attributes they will bring. Since the scores might be inflated, it leads to an increase in the inability of them to succeed which then leads to a higher dropout rate. African Americans had a dropout percentage of forty-five percent compared to seventy-three percent by white students in the same year (Andre, Claire). It also was designed...
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...Jermaine R. McCrossin Intro to Criminal Justice Professor Odem Final Should Affirmative Action be used to eliminate injustice? I believe that Affirmative Action can be used to eliminate injustices; it all depends on how it’s used. First to speak about Affirmative Action I’d like to explain what it is, how it came about, what it’s like in other parts of the world, and how “Affirmative Action” is viewed today in society. Lastly, I’d like to explain my point of view and how I came to it. Affirmative Action refers to policies that take factors including race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group in areas of employment, education, and business usually justified as countering the effects of a history of discrimination. Affirmative action is intended to promote equal opportunity. It is often instituted in government and educational settings to ensure that minority groups within a society are included in all programs. The justification for affirmative action is that it helps to compensate for past discrimination, persecution or exploitation by the ruling class of a culture, and to address existing discrimination. The term "affirmative action" was first used in the United States. It first appeared in Executive Order 10925, which was signed by President John F. Kennedy on March 6, 1961, and it required government contractors to "not discriminate against any employee or applicant for...
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