Affirmative actions: an analysis
- 1. 1 Affirmative Actions: An analysis Affirmative Actions: An analysis Student Name University dd.mm.yyyy
- 2. 2 Affirmative Actions: An analysis Affirmative Actions: An analysis Contents Introduction...............................................................................................................................................2 Affirmative action- Meaning and Action:.................................................................................................3 Need for affirmative action programs.......................................................................................................3 What type of discrimination are eliminated by affirmative programs? ....................................................4 Why discrimination is morally wrong?.....................................................................................................5 Is it possible to have affirmative action without preferential treatment?..................................................5 Better ways of fighting discrimination?....................................................................................................6 Reverse discrimination..............................................................................................................................6 Response to the question „Was I entitled or should I apologize” .............................................................7 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................7 References.................................................................................................................................................8 Introduction In the present times affirmative action is a term which has been considered to hold a lot of importance in the world. There are different views of the people when it comes to the affirmative action and its implementation in a nation. While some people are too positive about affirmative action, others have a negative view with respect to the same. In this research paper, the discussion will be done on the affirmative action programs, its effectiveness, the types of discrimination such programs tries to eliminate. Further there will be discussion on the moral impacts of discrimination. It will be analyzed if it is justified to use affirmative programs where preferential treatment is done. Also, it would be discussed if there are better ways to fight against
- 3. 3 Affirmative Actions: An analysis discrimination. Pros and Cons with respect to discrimination will be another topic of discrimination. The article “Was I entitled or should I apologize” will be used for discussion. Affirmative action- Meaning and Action: Affirmative action can be defined as the policy which has been created in order to favor the groups who has faced discrimination in any culture. In general, the discrimination of these people is done during the historical times (Garrison & Modigliani, 1994). But, in order to listen to their plight and to bridge the inequality which exist between them and the others, they are supported in a number of social activities such as education, job and other social services in order to provide a better access to education, employment and other things (Niederle et al, 2013). Some of the affirmative actions may include, the process of mentoring and targeting the minors for the process of recruitment. It is done in order to provide the better job opportunities to the people (Blanchard & Crosby, 2012). Another example includes the use of Affirmative actions during the times of admissions in college. From a long time, it has been observed that the college has been providing quotas for the people. Need for affirmative action programs Affirmative action programs are required in order to provide equal opportunity to all the people, to ensure that the barriers between the affirmative actions are broken down, and to ensure that each and every person get the equal break (Hinrichs, 2012). According to the data analysis, in the National Asian and Pacific American region, it was found that the white men consists of only 48 % of the college educated workplace. Also, they occupy around 90 % of the total jobs in the field of media, around 96 % of the CEO positions and 86 % of the top positions in the firms (Kojima, 2012). It is because of affirmative actions that discrimination in the society has been decreased.
- 4. 4 Affirmative Actions: An analysis The importance of affirmative action programs is that it for relieving the world from the social ills in order to match the needs of the minority. Bringing up the students whose ancestors were differentiated in admission process is one such example. What type of discrimination are eliminated by affirmative programs? Affirmative actions has been implemented in order to ensure that the discrimination is minimum. It helps the minorities in each and every context. In the society there exists a large number of discrimination on different contexts which had led to a large number of structural problems for the people. Psychological and Social factors are the one which can be eliminated by affirmative programs. The reservation of jobs for women employees in government institutions. Because of the reservation for women candidates in job, they will be able to work in a great environment where their talent will be recognized by many (Jetten et al, 2012). This will help to eliminate discrimination against the women. Another discrimination which can be eliminated with the help of affirmative programs is the racial discrimination. Discrimination of the people on the basis of their color is a major problems in a number of nations in the world. It is the problem in which the people who are not white are considered to be equal (Balafoutas et al, 2012). They have to face opposition from whites. Racial discrimination had been a major problem in a number of nations in the world. By supporting the people, racial discrimination can be eliminated. When the blacks will be working with the whites, the discrimination will be eliminated (Leslie et al, 2014). Similarly, the discrimination in college admission will be done by having reservations for them.
- 5. 5 Affirmative Actions: An analysis Why discrimination is morally wrong? There are a large number of political and legal discussions where it is considered that discrimination is morally wrong and should be prohibited. Because of discrimination some of the people have to suffer in a number of contexts (Health, 2014). They are hurt, manipulated and denied. This is an in-human act which has a disproportionately disadvantageous effect on the people who belong to different types of salient groups. The primary motive of discrimination of the people is because of the motive that they are morally tainted. By considering the members of certain race as morally inferior to the others is something which is wrong. When a group is discriminated, they feel alienated, disconnected and hurt. Because of this they face a number of issues such as lack of self-esteem, depression and antisocial behavior. Is it possible to have affirmative action without preferential treatment? Affirmative action programs have been aimed to ensure that the people who have been discriminated in the past should get proper access to jobs, education and a number of other things. But it is not possible to have affirmative action without preferential treatments. There are a number of instances where affirmative actions has led to preferential treatment. Selection of the unqualified candidate who belongs to a minority is an instance of preferential treatment during an affirmative action (Susskind et a, 2014). Another preferential treatment is the selection of the students is done when the female or a minority candidate is selected over candidates who have a better record. Thus, while implementing affirmative actions, there is a preferential treatment for minorities. So, affirmative actions is not possible without preferential treatment.
- 6. 6 Affirmative Actions: An analysis Better ways of fighting discrimination? Affirmative action may aim to eliminate discrimination from the society. But, on the contrary it also gives birth to reverse discrimination. The people who belong to majority begin to develop a feeling of hatred against the minorities. In the present globalized world the situations are different. In order to fight with discrimination, the people belonging to the majorities should be motivated. They should be asked to treat the individuals belonging to minors in an equal manner. Additionally, affirmation should be not done by giving preference to a candidate of minor class who is not deserving. There are a number of incidents when the non-deserving candidate is selected over the deserving one just because of affirmation. In the present world, discrimination can‟t be resolved by reservation (Osuagwu, 2014). Instead, it needs to have a better approach. Some of the better ways include the education for poor people instead of minorities. Over the time, the social constructs have changed. There are a number of instance where a person from minority gets equal opportunities to the one from majority and have access to all the modes of education. Still, he is preferred because of affirmative actions. There should be preferences for the people who are disabled. Reverse discrimination Affirmative actions has been created in order to provide equal opportunities to all the people. But, in reality it leads to opposite actions. There are a number of students who may have scored well but are failing to get into colleges because of the affirmative action programs. A student who had work had throughout his life in order to get good college and job, can‟t get the admission at the end because of discrimination.
- 7. 7 Affirmative Actions: An analysis There are a number of opponents of affirmative actions who states that this policy is not justified. It is something which not only gives birth to unfair treatment in a number of fields such as higher education and employment, but it even does not punishes the people who have done crime (Goldman, 2015). The reasons for implementation of affirmative actions is to make up for something which is wrong. The people who exist in present times were not the one who followed discrimination in the past. It leads to an unfair sufferings for the people who belongs to majorities. Response to the question „Was I entitled or should I apologize” Affirmative actions is something which has faced a lot of argument in the world. According to the article „was I entitled or should I apologize‟, affirmative actions does not benefits what it is aimed for. Instead, it is beneficial for the people of middle class, wealthy and foreign born people, it stigmatizes its beneficiaries and has not made anything better (Tsai, 2012). The article also states that the beneficiaries of affirmative action, are not in the best of their condition. The article tries to explain that affirmative actions is not good for the society. The answer to the question is that it is true that affirmative actions are not useful for the society and in no way, responding to the cause for which they have been designed. Conclusion Affirmative actions has been designed in order to eliminate discrimination in the world. But, it has acted upon the society in the negative manner. In this report, the discussion has been focused on the affirmative actions and the impact on the same. In addition to this, the discrimination and preferential treatment in affirmative action programs has been discussed.
- 8. 8 Affirmative Actions: An analysis References Garrison, W. A., & Modigliani, A. (1994). The changing culture of affirmative action. Equal employment opportunity: labor market discrimination and public policy, 373. Niederle, M., Segal, C., & Vesterlund, L. (2013). How costly is diversity? Affirmative action in light of gender differences in competitiveness.Management Science, 59(1), 1-16. Blanchard, F. A., & Crosby, F. (2012). Affirmative action in perspective. Springer Science & Business Media. Hinrichs, P. (2012). The effects of affirmative action bans on college enrollment, educational attainment, and the demographic composition of universities. Review of Economics and Statistics, 94(3), 712-722. Kojima, F. (2012). School choice: Impossibilities for affirmative action.Games and Economic Behavior, 75(2), 685-693. Tsai, J. H. C., & Thompson, E. A. (2013). Impact of social discrimination, job concerns, and social support on filipino immigrant worker mental health and substance use. American journal of industrial medicine, 56(9), 1082-1094. Jetten, J., Haslam, C., & Alexander, S. H. (Eds.). (2012). The social cure: Identity, health and well-being. Psychology Press.
- 9. 9 Affirmative Actions: An analysis Balafoutas, L., & Sutter, M. (2012). Affirmative action policies promote women and do not harm efficiency in the laboratory. Science, 335(6068), 579-582. Leslie, L. M., Mayer, D. M., & Kravitz, D. A. (2014). The stigma of affirmative action: a stereotyping-based theory and meta-analytic test of the consequences for performance. Academy of Management Journal, 57(4), 964-989. Heath, A. (2014). Affirmative action policies to remedy ethnic minority disadvantage in the labour market. Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Research Paper No. Susskind, A. M., Brymer, R. A., Kim, W. G., Lee, H. Y., & Way, S. A. (2014). Attitudes and perceptions toward affirmative action programs: An application of institutional theory. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 41, 38-48. Goldman, A. H. (2015). Justice and reverse discrimination. Princeton University Press.