The Pros and Cons of Affirmative Action

The Pros and Cons of Affirmative Action

Thesis Statement

Affirmative action has been the subject of increasing debate and tension in our society. Affirmative action has divided political parties, communities and campuses across the nation.

Introduction

Affirmative Action is defined as programs that correct past and ongoing discriminations against women, racial minorities, and any other discrimination in the work force and in education. The main goal of Affirmative Action is to generate more diversity and equal opportunities in jobs or schools that used to be all or mainly male, white, or both.

Discussion

The basis behind affirmative action is that because of past discrimination and oppression, such as the unequal treatment of women, and the enslavement of African Americans, minorities and women have difficulty competing with their white male counterparts. Tax breaks for home buyers may not be wrong but what is wrong are those who take advantage of all kinds of breaks for themselves while denying affirmative action for the most oppressed of society. The government runs many programs to increase opportunities for various groups including women, racial and ethnic minority groups. Affirmative action is necessary to ensure the recruitment and employment of women, minorities, people with disabilities, and Vietnam veterans. Affirmative action is a term, which refers to a variety of efforts used by employers and educational institutions to overcome past and continuing discrimination in order to allow qualified women and minorities to compete equally for jobs, education, and promotional opportunities.

When talking about affirmative action, there is a common misconception between meeting quota and satisfying goals. A quota is a number that must be achieved. Consequently, if a company fails to show it has made an effort toward following this quota the company can be fined. This is every different from an affirmative action goal. A goal is a flexible percentage, which is established by the company to achieve a diverse workforce. The percentage is based on the availability of minorities and females in the area. One of the goals is to make sure that many people are made aware of job openings as possible to ensure that the applicant pool is reflective of the number of people, who are qualified. To accomplish this, employers place advertisements in different types of journals, including journals for women and minorities. Goals and timetables encourage the hiring of members of women and minority groups. Before affirmative action, companies did not post their jobs on bulletin boards. Somebody just happened to know someone who needed a job and the job was filled. That person was not always the best-qualified person for the job. How can a company possibly tell if it is hiring the best people if they only consider a small portion of the population? One cannot assume that all the white males out there are naturally qualified and all the minorities and women are given breaks because they could not possibly be qualified. Affirmative action involves recruitment efforts to ensure that every applicant pool includes a diverse mix of ...