BUSINESS ETHICS

MODULE 6

M6 - ORIGINAL ASSIGNMENT

Question:
For over two hundred years, white males have been the most powerful group in the United States. Through economic exclusions, enforced by laws and reinforced by deep cultural attitudes, there has existed, in effect, a preferential hiring program for white males. In light of that historical reality and the dynamics that remain in our culture, evaluate the contemporary strategy of affirmative action for minorities to bring about more fairness in hiring and promotion practices. Draw heavily from the assigned readings and then explain and defend your arguments concerning affirmative action and "reverse discrimination."

The fact that we are still talking about job discrimination, in the 21 century is really a sad thing. We have made amazing strides in all fields of science and medicine, we have the capability of having AI (artificial intelligence) and the ability to reach out and touch someone across continents in a matter of seconds via the internet. Yet, as a human race we have done very poorly in treating our fellow human with the dignity and respect we expect to be treated ourselves in return. If we were to do as Kant said, to treat “their ends as our end," we would all be treating each other impartially, (Shaw and Barry, 2013, pg. 90). But, since we are not, we are still having this dialogue.

Affirmative action was brought upon by necessity. It was adopted in order to shift the balance toward neutrality in such things as hiring practice, admission standards and housing. There was a need to ensure more adequate representation for underrepresented groups, such as racial, ethnic, cultural and general minorities. Unfortunately “studies reveal the persistence of discrimination in American life, and statistical evidence shows wide economic disparities between whites and racial minorities”