Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, sex or national origin"[1] into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group at the expense of a majority group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination. It has been argued that enacting such a policy would decrease the quality of the a worker or student admitted on the basis of affirmative action. This claim is simply not as widely applicable as some may like to believe due to the credentials necessary for minorities to qualify for the positions of interest. Many people are under the impression that unqualified people are being given jobs and spots in schools based solely on race, religion, or sex. People upon which affirmative action may assist still need to have the appropriate credentials.
While I believe that affirmative action is necessary in modern american society to level the economic playing field, I do believe that just as it was phased into the system it needs to be phased out. Institutionalized racism plays a major role in the reason why affirmative action is important today, but for complete equality, affirmative action must be ended. I don't believe in many of the arguments against affirmative action. Many who are opposed to affirmative action believe that it produces reverse discrimination, but if thats what it takes to deconstruct institutionalized slavery than so be it. I believe that many points made against affirmative action are simply invalid and blind to the the fact that racism has been institutionalized today. While this deconstruction may not happen this decade or the next, the fact that we are moving closer to this goal of complete deconstruction is sufficient. This is definitely one of the benefits of affirmative action, but as aforementioned it must eventually be halted so that people are all compared based on credentials and not on race, gender, or other socially dividing factors.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with you that institutionalized racism is the reason why we need affirmative action. It's really frustrating to listen to those who oppose affirmative action because they believe it produces reverse discrimination. I also agree that it will eventually need to be "phased out", but it can only be phased out once we have demolished the way institutionalize racism disempowers and restrict opportunities for certain groups of people.
ReplyDeleteIt's also really frustrating to me how people assume that affirmative action makes it easier for those who are less qualified to get jobs or get accepted in colleges and universities. What about athletes who get into elite colleges and universities just because they play a sport? How is that any more fair than accepting students who haven't had the same resources to succeed the opportunity to do better in life.
Wouldn't using socioeconomic status as a category for affirmative action be just as or even more helpful than using gender, race or national origin classifications? What do these classifications offer that an economic indicator would not? I also think that economic indicators may allow people who are against the idea of affirmative action to get behind it, because it is slightly more broad in scope. Just a thought :)
ReplyDeleteI am on the same page as you on the issue concerning affirmative action, Derrick. There was undoubtedly a need to implement affirmative action in the mid and late 60's due to the prejudices minority groups faced in this country since its inception. Moreover, I believe that as institutions continually become more equal, through processes such as affirmative action, there eventually will become a point when affirmative action will not be necessary. Unfortunately for some, that day is not today.
ReplyDeleteBecca,i'm not sure if you are aware of this, but socioeconomic status is a category used in affirmative action, at least in terms of college admission and the work force. People coming from a lower socioeconomic class, notwithstanding their gender, race, or national origin classifications are more likely to be accepted to colleges or jobs if their work is comparable to someone of a higher socioeconomic class.
I staunchly oppose affirmative action because I think that it is undeniably racist. Justified racism? Maybe, but I doubt it. In the Occidental "affirmative action" policy or "quota policy" (im not sure what it is actually called), the admissions selection calls for a 2% quota for "natives" of and a 6% quota for black students. I just cannot fathom how it would be ethical to place a quota on each type of student. Why should black students have a higher admission priority than natives? isn't that racist?
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