Affirmative action is probably one of the most misunderstood employment practices that we have discussed so far in class. When I first heard of affirmative action, others described as something beneficial only to African Americans. It appeared to be a quota system where you had to hire a certain number of black people in order to keep the government off your back. Some made it sound like the every black person benefiting from affirmative action were unskilled and undeserving. The main purpose of affirmative action was to reverse the long term effects of past policies that may have had discriminatory effect on individuals now protected by employment law.…
The Argument of Strong Affirmative Action Between Hettinger and Pojman After the era of the Civil Rights Movement swept how people think, Americans and business have tried to find ways in order to help promote diversity and equality into establishments such as the workforce and higher education. One of the ways that America has decided to do this is by promoting affirmative Action. Affirmative action a policy favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination, also know as positive discrimination. We encounter two authors that both seem to have different opinions on the view of affirmative action. Edwin C. Hettinger is on the side calling affirmative action “reverse racism” itself suggests that it is discrimination: discrimination towards…
Affirmative action was originally intended for families who were victimized from slavery and Jim Crow laws in the South. College admissions advisor no longer base their affirmative action givens on the Jim Crow laws which ended in 1965. They base their givens now on race and ethnicity and which being the minority comes into place. However, the process of affirmative action in higher education has been given to people whom families were not discriminated against by society and can damn near pay for college.…
Affirmative Action Term Paper Affirmative Action is defined as “any policy or action aimed at securing [greater equality], that goes beyond simple legal access or passive nondiscrimination, but that does not alter the standards or qualifications for [people].” (DesJardins, 242). This concept has been a product of much debate between advocates for and against Affirmative Actions. The text, Affirmative Action as an Equalizing Opportunity by Luke Charles Harris and Uma Narayan, gives an argument for Affirmative Action which focuses on the idea that Affirmative Action does not involve preferential treatment and instead is a policy that promotes equal opportunity to minority groups in a social, racial and gender based aspect; this is done in order…
Why Affirmative Action is Wrong Jack has just sent in an application to work in electrical engineering, he made the best grades in college, is the most qualified, and has five more years of experience than every other applicant. However, he gets denied because of the required quotas of Affirmative Action. In 1961 President John F. Kennedy used Executive Order number 10925 put Affirmative Action into place. This required contractors to “take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed and employees are treated during employment without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin”.…
Affirmative action is used in a good amount of employment and university systems. In Chandler Smith’s case affirmative action was used to decide who qualified for the five spots left to those who fit the school’s definition of diversity. Chandler being rejected when applying to the spot caused a two sided argument rise on if Chandler deserved to have been accepted or not. One side claims that she did not fit the description they were looking for for diversity and the school is allowed to do such a thing. The other argues Chandler should have been allowed to go because of her economic background and it is a violation to the restrictions surrounding affirmative action.…
Affirmative action was signed by President John F. Kennedy it was first put into play on March 6, 1961 it called to ensure that applicants are employed, and employees are treated during employment, without concern to their race, creed, color, or national origin. Forward to 2016 where it has become a problem within college applications where colleges are now more focused on having a diverse student body rather than the quality of the student themselves. While some colleges believe that affirmative action is helping minorities it can seem condescending applying that minorities cannot achieve their objectives with their abilities or hard work. This implied meaning is similar to the belief that slaveholders argued that slavery was a ‘positive good’ that civilized blacks and raised them in every dimension of life. The arguments for affirmative action and slavery similar in the both argue that it helps to bring out potential in…
Affirmative Action When discussing affirmative action we must first define what the term means. Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines affirmative action as “the practice of improving the educational and job opportunities of members of groups that have not been treated fairly in the past because of their race, sex, etc.” (Merriam-webster). As the definition states, these policies apply to both educational and employment situations and are designed to level the playing field, and make up for past unfairness, but are not supposed to create preferential treatment of one group over another. “Affirmative action goes beyond not discriminating among employees… employers take proactive steps to help reverse the impact of discrimination against…
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IS RACE BASED PREFERENCE One of the most controversial topics in higher education concerns affirmative action. It has been a subject of endless debates among those who are pro affirmative action or against it. Citing the positive and negative effects of this policy. But what is affirmative action? The term affirmative action means ensuring opportunities and access in areas of education and employment to minority groups and or disadvantaged race.…
In result of the 1960's Civil Rights Movement, affirmative action policies were intended to provide equal opportunities for members of minority groups and women in education and employment. In 1961, President Kennedy introduced the term "affirmative action" in an Executive Order that directed government contractors to take “affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin.” Affirmative action policies focus is on employment and education. In institutions of higher education, affirmative action benefits groups that have been underrepresented, such as women and minorities, with admission policies that provide them with equal access to education. The constitutionality of affirmative action programs caused controversy making it the topic one of heated debate.…
In 1961, Affirmative Action was set in place. It was started to help protect minorities, women and now those within the LGBT community. We have had great strides with equality within our country, but there is still a need for this act. According to The Leadership Conference, we still need affirmative action due to the fact “white men make up for 48% of the college-educated workforce but hold over 90% of the top jobs in the news media, 96% of CEO positions, 86% of law firm partnerships, and 85% of tenured college faculty positions” (2001). This helps ensure that all citizens have an equal opportunity at life and are not going to be held back due to their gender, race, or sexual orientation.…
Systemic racism is a real thing that affects minorities in the United States, especially black Americans. Its effects create inequality and oppression. “Systemic racism includes the complex array of anti-black practices, the unjustly gained political- economic power of whites, the continuing economic and other resource inequalities along racial lines, and the white racist ideologies and attitudes created to maintain and rationalize white privilege and power.” (Cole, 2015) Because of its presence in society, it reflects onto how individuals act towards each other in everyday life.…
Affirmative action was established in order to put a treaty to help create a society in which all citizens should be all positioned in a fair and an equal status. This action was implemented in the purpose to reduce discrimination to particular individuals or groups that had limited prospects in the past. So, this particular group will no longer experience discrimination in the work force or in educational institutions in regards of their age, race and gender. However, the execution of this policy raises a moral controversy that becomes more complex. The thesis that will be argued in this paper is that the two opposing views on affirmative action, as embraced by Republicans and Democrats, can be explained by the fact that the former Republican…
Affirmative action policies allow for equal opportunity and throughout history have helped end discrimination in the workforce as well as many different type of organizations. Minorities are given the opportunity to compete for job opportunities and admissions to educational institutions. However, not everyone agrees with these types of policies and believe that this is a form of “reverse discrimination” against white individuals (1). These individuals argue that minorities that include people of color and women are given preference and although the qualifications may be the same amongst all, the minorities will be granted the opportunity simply because of their skin color or gender. In “Affirmative Action and Fairness” Robert Fullinwider discusses how affirmative action is viewed differently…
D’Angelo, Raymond and Herbert Douglas, eds. Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Race and Ethnicity, 7th edition (Dubuque, IA: McGraw-Hill, 2009). “Issue # 19: Is Affirmative Action Necessary to Achieve Racial Equality in the United States?” Is Affirmative Action Necessary to Achieve Racial Equality in the United States? Over the years, the policy of Affirmative Action has become a controversial topic throughout the political world.…