Positive and Negative Effects of Affirmative Action

Positive and Negative Effects of Affirmative Action

Introduction

Affirmative action is a federal policy to provide the minorities equal educational and job opportunities. US commission on civil rights defines it as "any measure, beyond simple termination of a discriminatory practice, adopted to correct or compensate for past or present discrimination or to prevent discrimination from recurring in the future" (U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Statement on Affirmative Action, October 1977.) The term “affirmative action” was first used and sanctioned by President John f. Kennedy in 1961 in order to ensure that the concept of equality is thoroughly implemented. Similar concepts by the names of positive discrimination, employment equity and quota system exist in UK, Canada and India respectively. The opportunities are provided to those people who have been known to be belonging to such a group that has a history of being discriminated. Affirmative action considers the factors of race, ethnic origin, gender, age, color, religion and disability. Since the Executive Order No. 10925 issued by John F. Kennedy government-wide program have been conducted to promote and implement the concept of affirmative action. The minorities are given preferential treatment in order to ensure their representation in the system (Civil Rights, 2013). The purpose of such a treatment is promoting equality. Students from the minority groups are given admissions in educational institutions on criteria of lower standards (Chan and Eyster 2003, p 858). Setting low standards for the minority is because due to one reason or the other these students do not obtain grades as high as the ones belonging to the majority group. The concept of affirmative action leads me to question if it is indeed an opportunity for competent minorities to break barriers or simply just a concept designed to lower the standards for the minority wishing to be a part of an establishment.

Discussion

Affirmative Action Program for Equal Opportunity was designed in order to give the deserving minority a place in the establishment. Past discriminations made the minorities suffer. As a consequence, their true potential could not come to the surface. It was nearly always overshadowed by the prejudices of the ruling majority. Therefore, Affirmative action is considered, by the unbiased people of the majority, to be a positive step in the direction of giving the worthy minorities their due rights.

Affirmative action has several advantages. It has helped in building women's' representation in universities (Loeb et al. p 219). It helps to promote diversity. American institutes have become quite diverse over the past 50 years. Diversity is indeed visible now. If affirmative action is absent, diversity becomes a matter of chance. It also makes a place for minority in those areas where they considered themselves to be unfit. It has helped to boost the morale of the people who previously were considered as the “inadequate” ones (Roosevelt 2001, p 99).

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP), in its various reports, has deemed the steps taken to ensure affirmative action as positive ...