The Term Affirmative Action In The Workplace
...group (typically, minority men or women of all races) intended to promote access to education or employment. Motivation for affirmative action is a desire to redress the effects of past and current discrimination that is regarded as unfair.[who?] It also serves to encourage public institutions such as universities, hospitals and police forces to be more representative of the population[1].
This is commonly achieved through targeted recruitment programs aimed at applicants from socio-politically disadvantaged groups. In some cases affirmative action involves giving preferential treatment to these groups.[2] Opponents of affirmative action policies argue that they are based on collectivism and merely another equal form of discrimination because they can result in qualified applicants being denied entry to higher education or employment because they belong to a particular social group (usually the historically socio-politically dominant group; typically majority races and men, regardless of social standing or financial need.)[citation needed] They also argue that preferential treatment should be based upon current social and economical standing, not that of one's ancestors. Some opponents say that affirmative action devalues the accomplishments of people who are chosen because of the social group they belong to rather than their qualifications.[citation needed]
Opponents
Opponents of affirmative action call it reverse discrimination because affirmative action requires the very discrimination it is seeking to eliminate in order to work. This contradiction makes affirmative action counter-productive. It promotes prejudice by increasing resentment toward those who are the beneficiaries of affirmative action from those who have been adversely affected by the policy (such as poor white). (Read Thomas Sowell's Affirmative Action Around The World and Basic and...
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