¶ … Downside of Affirmative Action
Affirmative action has increasingly become a popular subject of debate. Not only does the phrase "affirmative action" mean different things to different people, but also there are different arguments for and against it. While many people tout the benefits of affirmative action programs, they have acted as a stumbling block for minorities and have essentially created a starker disparity in the struggle for equal opportunity between white people and other minority groups.
Benefits of Affirmative Action
Affirmative action (AA) refers to the social practice in which members of historically disadvantaged groups are given preferential treatment in an attempt by the United States to compensate for any harm that was caused to their ancestors in the past (Crock, 1995). For example, African-Americans receive special benefits because of the U.S. history of slavery.
President Lyndon B. Johnson originally created affirmative action programs in 1965 to correct discrimination that occurred in the past. At this time, affirmative action aimed to actively select African-American candidates for jobs, education, or promotions, and prevent discrimination in the hiring and promotion processes. Affirmative action was reached its peak in the 1970's as good-faith efforts to hire blacks failed to withstand a Title VII challenge of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As a result, employers were forced to actually hire or admit black applicants to rid themselves of the challenges of racial discrimination (Giraldo, 1995, p. 40-42). When hiring new employees, employers began choosing the best available black candidate even if the best candidate was not suitable for the job.
In many ways, affirmative action programs are beneficial. The United States government justifies affirmative-action programs as "the principal of compensatory justice. (Giraldo, p. 45)" This means that compensation must be awarded to an injured party if an injustice has occurred. Affirmative action requires employees to hire members of groups that were treated unjustly in the past in an effort to compensate for historical injustices. In this light, affirmative action programs create cultural awareness and enrich diversity.
The Downside of Affirmative Action Programs
Opponents of affirmative action programs argue that, in modern society, these programs harm minorities more than they help minorities....
Hence, it is important for the proper application of the AA idea that those who make the anti-discrimination and AA policies understand both sides of the story and both the discriminator's and the victim's perspectives. So, in essence those groups of people who disagree on certain ideas or approaches towards justice must try to adopt an unbiased approach to understanding the reason behind the existence of the differences and
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