Affirmitive action

Introduction

           Society is constantly evolving and people are seeking new and better ways to co-exist. While there are still various forms of discrimination and inequality, most communities are built on policies that promote equality for everyone equally regardless of any differences that may exist. A good example of such policies that seek to promote equality is Affirmative action. Affirmative action takes into account a person’s race, color, gender, national origin, and other differences and then uses them to create opportunities for individuals that suit these criteria. The opportunities created are meant to give people who were originally, or are still oppressed and discriminated against a chance to overcome the challenges they faced in the past and have a better chance to improve their lives. Through affirmative actions, the government can implement affirmative action to businesses and other organizations, forcing them to offer more opportunities to people from specific groups. Affirmative action seeks to promote equality and also create more opportunities for those oppressed to enable them to overcome the challenges that hindered them from achieving their goals in the past. 

Critical analysis

The use of Affirmative action can be traced back to the1960s when it was introduced as a tool to help promote equality and create equal opportunities for everyone in different communities. It was developed to assist in the implementation and enforcement of the Civil Rights Act of 1964to help bring an end to discrimination (Marzilli, 2004). When it was first introduced, affirmative action employed the use of policies that sought to bring an end to segregation of minorities as it barred them from accessing certain institutions and denied them opportunities to lead better lives. Although various policies were enacted during the implementation phase, they failed to have the desired effect and the changes sought after took longer to tangible (Marzilli, 2004). This pushed for better implementation and understanding of what measures had to be taken to ensure that the desired outcomes were achieved.

In today’s society, affirmative action has taken on different forms to enhance its efficiency and ability to create opportunities for people in specific groups. In the field of education, for instance, institutions are encouraged to offer scholarships and other forms of financial support to individuals belonging to groups that are discriminated against or were oppressed in the past (Dupper & Sankaran, 2014). The support ensures that individuals from poor backgrounds resulting from the unequal distribution of resources and access to employment have an opportunity to better their lives through education. Access to good schools exposes the individual to better modes of learning and allows the student to acquire knowledge in a conducive environment (Dupper & Sankaran, 2014). Excelling in academics helps such individuals rise above the poverty line as they are likely to get employed and grow their career, something that would have been difficult without the intervention of the policies implemented by affirmative action. 

In the employment sector, businesses and other institutions are mandated by the government to take into consideration a person’s gender, ethnic background, and culture when hiring. Individuals identified as belonging to minority races or cultures are then given more opportunities to help them achieve their goals faster (Dupper & Sankaran, 2014). While more opportunities are reserved for people from minority groups, other qualifications are taken into accounts such as academic performance, work experience, and overall qualification for the job. This ensures that only those deserving get to benefit from the opportunities created through affirmative action (Kenton, 2019). It also discourages those in the minority groups from taking advantage of the policies and try to get employed simply based on their race or other differentiating factors. 

           Affirmative action has had a positive impact on different aspects of society. Campaigns to promote equality have created an environment where organizations have greater gender diversity and more opportunities are offered to those pressed either currently or in the past. It has also expanded its reach from minority groups to veterans and people living with disabilities (Kenton, 2019). Since the policy seeks to better the lives of people that have faced a great deal of injustice and oppression, affirmative action goes in line with Mill’s ethical theory. The theory is based on the assumption that ‘an action should be considered good if it promotes an overall good that helps people achieve happiness, and bad if it causes the opposite’ (West, 2004). He further argues that there are varying levels in the quality and quantity of happiness and that pleasures that originate from the higher faculties of the brain should be given more consideration. The theory further suggests that people are happier when they can achieve their goals and objectives. 

           Through affirmative action, people are assisted in fulfilling their objectives, and in so doing, achieve happiness. since access to good quality education and a promising career are some of the common personal goals, maintaining certain employee quotas and giving financial aid to people in minority groups ensures that they have the means to achieve their goals (Dupper & Sankaran, 2014). The theory further suggests that utilitarianism works alongside natural occurrences that arise from people’s interactions in society. If society was to fully embrace Mill’s theory, individuals would be driven to promote its policies and in so doing, make affirmative action more successful (West, 2004). Affirmative action further supports Mill’s theory as it seeks to not ensure that people are assisted to achieve their goals. While Mill’s theory calls on people’s morals and pushes them to engage only in things that result in the happiness of everyone, affirmative action operates on policies that, if well implemented, could help people achieve goals that they set and in so doing, achieve happiness. 

           According to Mill’s theory, people never desire anything other than what makes them happy thus making it the sole basis of morality. While people engage in various activities such as getting an education or building a successful career, happiness is not as a result of engaging in these activities but rather as a result of the satisfaction and gratification that comes from achieving them (Haidar, 2008). People do not just want good jobs but rather promising careers that enable them to enjoy the things in life that bring happiness. when used in line with affirmative action, the goal is not just to enact policies that bring equality, but rather policies that help those oppressed reach a point in life that they would have been able to without the restrictions caused by discrimination and oppression (Dupper & Sankaran, 2014). Through affirmative action, the government not only creates employment opportunities for all individuals, but it also ensures that the opportunities are beneficial to those that faced challenges and promote them to levels that help them achieve their goals and objectives. 

Critical analysis: Objections

           An argument can be made that the effects of affirmative action are insignificant and a waste of resources. The argument is based on the belief that the concepts that govern society make it difficult for affirmative action to make a difference. A good example is the issue of racism. Despite the existence of policies and organizations dedicated to ending discrimination based on race, cases of racial bias are common in society (Kenton, 2019). African Americans, for instance, are discriminated against because of their race despite the issue of slavery being abolished years ago. A significant number of whites still consider themselves superior to African Americans. Forcing organizations to employe members from a specific group could create an environment where individuals from such groups fail to get the credit they deserve (Kenton, 2019). An individual can miss out on an opportunity for promotion simply because the management considers his achievements a result of affirmative action and not because of personal input. With such constructs in society, affirmative action can do little to bring about the change it tries to implement.  

The critics also argue that the existence of diversity in schools and other organizations is not due to affirmative action but rather because society is evolving past constructs that are used to classify people. Issues such as racial discrimination, oppression based on gender are no longer as common because people have moved past physical or cultural differences to an environment where people are judged based on their actions and contributions (Gallaher, 2009). Although there are still cases where minorities are at a disadvantage, only a few people support such forms of discrimination. Whites are seen in support of African Americans and other minority groups and even go against other whites who engaged in forms of racial discrimination (Gallaher, 2009). This goes to prove that affirmative action is more of a waste of resources because society no longer operates on the base of gender, color, or other features used to differentiate people. 

Another argument can be made that an affirmative action is a form of discrimination as it denies opportunities to individuals especially in races considered superior. Despite the various causes of inequality in the past and also the present, giving opportunities to a specific group of people and denying the same to another puts one at a disadvantage (Kenton, 2019). Since whites are ofter considered superior, a white student could miss out on a job opportunity simply because the organization is mandated to offer the opportunity to an individual from a minority race. While this favors those in the minority groups, the white candidates have to seek out another job opportunities and in doing so, miss out on the chance to kick start their career early. 

The approach thus goes against Mill’s ethical theory as it does not offer the common good since whites miss out on job opportunities and the chance to be happy. Also, the approach could make it difficult for the organization to select their desired choice of employees. The requirement to restrict opportunities to certain minority groups could see an organization miss out on a highly qualified candidate or specialist simply because they do not belong to the minority group (Dupper & Sankaran, 2014). Organizations are forced to be extra cautious when hiring from superior races to ensure that they only pick the best to fill the positions allocated for members from the ethnic group. If left unchecked, affirmative action could create an environment where, over time, races considered superior end up needing the assistance of affirmative action to get access to education or promising careers. 

Critical analysis: Response

The existence of vices such as racism and inequality is in no way a reflection of affirmative action or the impact that it has. Although such vices are still in existence, affirmative action can still have a significant impact on helping minorities recover from the various constructs in society that oppress them. Affirmative action is, therefore, another tool that is used to help do away with an issue such as racism and inequality (Marzilli, 2004). Although affirmative action does not seek to end issues such as racism, its policies such as the inclusion of African Americans in school helps create diversity and inclusion. This, in turn, creates an environment where schools are more comfortable accomodating students from different ethnic backgrounds, even with the existence of a construct that supports racism. In cases where students from minority groups cannot afford quality education, the financial support provided through affirmative action ensures that every individual has an opportunity to access good quality education (Menand, 2020). Furthermore, affirmative action exists because the constructs that promote vices such as racism still exist. Minorities still find it difficult to secure jobs and this is often a result of racial discrimination and various forms of racial bias that made it difficult to get education or opportunities that allow for a promising career. 

The argument that the changes in society are a result of people deviating from the construct that divides them and not as a result of affirmative action is also baseless. Despite the various platforms that fight to end discrimination and promote equality, the vices still exist but in subtle forms. In employment sectors, for instance, salaries, promotions, and job roles are greatly influenced by an individual’s race (Menand, 2020). Whites, for instance, are more likely to get management jobs while lower tasks are assigned to minority groups. Although racism is not as open, people still get discriminated against based on their skin color. The policies implemented through affirmative action try to bridge the gap and ensure that minorities not only get employment, but also the support they need to overcome such vices (Menand, 2020). The goal is to not just secure employment but create opportunities for promotions, salary increase, and other benefits as well. If well implemented, affirmative action creates an environment where people are not denied opportunities due to opinions and ideologies resulting from the oppression and discrimination of people in the minority groups endured in the past.

Lastly, creating opportunities for minorities is in no way intended to put other races at a disadvantage. In the past, school and job opportunities were reserved for men. Women were denied access to education and this meant that only men could secure jobs. Over time, however, women started going to schools and now apply and are accepted for the same jobs as their male counterparts. The inclusion of women in the workforce in no way denied men access to job opportunities but rather promoted growth that led to more job opportunities (Dupper & Sankaran, 2014). Similarly, giving minority groups more opportunities will only promote their growth similar to how opportunities were reserved to whites in the past. The implementation will, however, take into account the needs of the whites as well and seek a balance where people have a better chance to benefit from their efforts. 

Conclusion 

           The existence of the various policies that govern society is to ensure that people are treated equally and fairly. In line with Mill’s ethical theory, the government’s role is to ensure that the polices not only promote fairness but also offer compensation to those that fall victim to vices that exist in society and this is achieved through affirmative action. Since the vices are a result of the government’s failure to promote equality, affirmative action acts as the tool to compensate those discriminated against and in so doing, help them overcome stereotypes that try to limit their achievements. It is however recommended that those responsible for implementing affirmative action come up with measures to ensure that the tool can reach its objective without creating problems for people classified as belonging to the superior races. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Brink D, (2018) “Mill’s moral and political philosophy” Stanford Encyclopedia of            philosophy, retreievd from, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mill-moral-political/

Dupper, O., & Sankaran, K. (2014). Affirmative action: A view from the global South.     Stellenbosch, South Africa: Sun Press.

Haidar H.H. (2008) Mill’s Utilitarian Moral Theory. In: Liberalism and Islam. Palgrave    Macmillan, New York

Kenton W, (2019) “Affirmitive action” retrieevd from,             https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/affirmative-action.asp

Marzilli, A. (2004). Affirmative action. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers.

Menand L, (2020) “The changing meaning of affirmitive action” The New Yorker, retrievd          from, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/20/have-we-outgrown-the-             need-for-affirmative-action

West, H. R. (2004). An introduction to Mill's utilitarian ethics. Cambridge, U.K:   Cambridge University Press.

Zamani-Gallaher, E. M. (2009). The case for affirmative action on campus: Concepts of   equity, considerations for practice. Sterling, Va: Stylus Pub.