Equal Opportunity Has the Cultivating of Equal

Equal Opportunity

Has the cultivating of equal opportunity programs helped the people of South Africa, and the people of the United States, move forward? The answer to the question would appear to be obvious -- given that equal opportunities have the potential to make life fair and just for any society. However, the facts do not back up the appearances of "equal opportunities" -- and this paper delves into the question of real progress vis-a-vis equal opportunity, especially in South Africa.

Equal opportunity in South Africa? A 1997 article in the Industrial Relations Journal (Bowmaker-Falconer, et al.) reports that although the new constitution (approved in 1996) contains an "equality clause making discrimination unconstitutional," that same constitution also contains "a paradox by exception" (223). That is, the constitution permits "employment equity programs" (similar to affirmative action programs) directed "as particular groups" (Bowmaker-Falconer, 223). ON page 225 the authors point out that there is a "cultural bias" which could negatively affect certain training programs.

A survey involving 22 organizations showed that 71% of those responding related that "…discrimination was found to constitute the greatest problem with regard to…the development of black managers. Racial bias was found to affect the validity and reliability of & #8230;the interview, psychometric tests…and superior's evaluations" (Bowmaker-Falconer, 225).

A report by the World Bank indicates that while "…great strides had been made in providing basic education and sanitation, this did not equate to a level playing field for everyone" (Bauer, 2012). The "inequality of opportunity, particularly in the labor market, is the highest for the youngest age group," according to the World Bank report, published in the Mail & Guardian newspaper in Johannesburg. The report went on to explain that "South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world"; and moreover, the results of the World Bank study show that "…a South African child not only has to work harder to overc9ome the disadvantages at birth due to circumstances, but having done so, finds these re-emerge when seeking employment later in life" (Bauer, p. 2).

It can be said based on the World Bank's research that notwithstanding South Africa's constitution, equal opportunity on paper doesn't translate to equal opportunity in the employment aspect of the society.

Equal Opportunity in the United States. As for the United States, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned all employers in the United States from "paying individuals differently based on sex" -- and because it was amended in 1972, that equal pay for equal work section of the Civil Rights Act also included faculty (which the original law did not cover) (Loeb, 2006). Moreover, the Civil Rights Act (which presumed to create equal opportunity, albeit the "Equal Rights Amendment" not passed sufficient numbers of state legislatures to assure passage) and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 have allowed Americans to move forward in terms of justice and opportunities.