Affirmative Action Explained

I disagree with the assertion that all affirmative action policies encourage unfair reverse discrimination. To start, discrimination, in contrast to affirmative action, frequently includes prejudice as well as stereotyping of specific groups. Discrimination has a bad reputation in this regard. Additionally, those who perpetrate prejudice are motivated by hatred and a sense of domination and superiority over minorities. Affirmative action laws, on the other hand, are human attempts to find the most conciliatory answers to injustices. Affirmative action laws also have good intentions and are founded on a sincere need and desire to right serious wrongs from the past. In the past, minority races were discriminated in higher education and jobs in favour of white males. Affirmative action policies serve to correct such past injustice in the workplace, by attaching some preferential consideration and treatment to the underprivileged groups, for the workplace to experience a certain degree of inclusiveness that echoes the diversity of the population at large.

Recruiting for diversity and mentoring for diversity

Forms of affirmative action in the business world escape the charge of creating unjust reverse discrimination. The reason is that these forms of affirmative action uphold diversity and inclusiveness, as dictated by business ethics (Thiroux & Krasemann, 2014). This is achieved by changing the manner in which companies hire or recruit personnel. For instance, a firm seeking to recruit more women would send announcements of employment opportunities to women’s organizations. Similarly, an organization seeking to bring on board more minority applicants will employ the same approach to reach out to such group. In such programs, the company uses minimum job requirement for purposes of creating a pool of eligible applicants. This way, consideration is given to members of the affected group.

References

Thiroux, J. P., & Krasemann, K. W. (2014). Ethics: Theory and practice. (11edition) Glencoe Publishing Company, Kaplan.