Affirmative Action in Education and at Work

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that affirmative action is a moral and political question which seems to divide Americans more than it unites them, because some people regard it as a program designed to rectify racism and reverse the effects of both past and present discrimination but others simply see it as another form of discrimination. The author feels that affirmative action is a program of opportunity, not a program of discrimination; affirmative action's mission has never been about hiring less qualified workers, but about opening up equal opportunity and ensuring that equal opportunity with equal results. The paper stresses that diversity in education and the workforce not only includes African-American men and women but also includes other ethnicity groups, such as Asians, Latinos and Indians, who have been able to gain both an invaluable education and work experience through affirmative action programs.

Table of Contents
Educational Aspects of Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action in the Workforce
The Counter-Argument against Affirmative Action
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"These policies have been when minorities are actively sought or preferred, the reason given is usually that this is necessary to compensate for advantages to groups such as males or those of European descent from racism, sexism, results of historical circumstances, and institutional racism. In the U.S., the most prominent form of affirmative action centers on access to education, particularly admission to universities and other forms of tertiary instruction. Race, ethnicity, native language, social class, geographical origin, parental attendance of the university in question (legacy admissions), and/or gender are often taken into account when assessing the meaning of an applicant's grades and test scores."

More papers on Affirmative Action in Education and at Work:

• Argumentative Essay # 103465 : "Affirmative Action in the U.S.A."
• Research Paper # 144912 : "Affirmative Action and Higher Education"
• Analytical Essay # 3447 : "Affirmative Action in African- American Education"

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