Affirmative Action and Elitist Theory

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how affirmative action is based not on treating people equally, but on recognizing that people are not treated equally and making a certain effort to improve things for the disadvantaged group. It analyzes the elitist perspective of Thomas R. Dye through his literature, who explains that although public policy reflects the needs of the people, it really reflects the needs of the elite few that shape public policy and that that these social elite do not necessarily have the best interests of the people in mind. The general public may have their opinions, but they are not in power and they are not part of the elite that make the decisions.

From the Paper:

"It is also important to note that society as a whole has placed a certain emphasis on equality as a good thing. Equality is often viewed as the opposite of discrimination, where discrimination is defined as "the hiring or promoting of applicants based on criteria that are not job relevant" (Daft 1997, 417). This has implications in that items of difference can be seen as discrimination even if they are job relevant. For example, a company may decide not to employ a Chinese person as a secretary. This could be based on that individual not being able to speak English effectively, a criteria that is job relevant. Yet despite this job relevance, it is likely the choice would be viewed as a form of discrimination."

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