Term Paper on "Education the Relationship Between Affirmative Action, Diversity"

Term Paper 10 pages (3056 words) Sources: 8 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Education

The Relationship between Affirmative Action, Diversity, and Social Justice

American society has been profoundly affected by affirmative action policies. Developed as an attempt to address racial imbalances in education, the workplace, and the military, affirmative action has long been a contentious issue. As I see it, a major part of the argument focuses on whether affirmative action is itself a form of discrimination - discrimination against individuals who do not happen to be members of the minority groups affirmative action was designed to benefit.

Affirmative action works by giving preference to ethnic or racial minorities. This preference is based largely, or wholly, on the racial or ethnic background of the individuals concerned. In other words, it is possible for a more highly qualified individual, who is not a minority, to be passed over in favor of a less qualified member of a minority group. For example, a Black or Hispanic student with poorer grades than a White student might be admitted to a college or university in preference to the academically more qualified White student. Similarly, a minority might advance through the ranks of corporate management at faster rate than a non-minority simply in order to satisfy a perceived, or actual, minority management quota. In the military, minorities might be commissioned as officers despite being less qualified for promotion than members of a majority group. While I believe that many of the goals of affirmative action are indeed highly desirable and just, I do think that the system itself bares closer examination. One form of discrimination should never be substituted for another. Nor should a person's biological characteristics necessarily determine her or his destiny. I feel that the methods of the affirmative action system should be compared to, and weighed against, the advantages and disadvantages that are its results. Affirmative action must be examined form the perspective of those whom it affects - and it affects us all.

Discrimination is the source of affirmative action. The program was first created as a means of remedying past instances of racial prejudice. As we are all taught, equality is one of the cornerstones of the American Republic. Our Founding Fathers were supposed to have brought forth a nation that was conceived in liberty, justice, and equality for all. Bearing this in mind, I believe it is quite logical our government and society should seek out the means to achieving racial equality. All civilized societies are divided, legally or otherwise, into disparate groups. These groups may be economic or socio-economic in origin. In other cases, these divisions are based upon religious or ethnic origins, real or perceived. In the instance of the United States, another category was added to these universals - that of race. Colonial America had seen the development of an extensive slave-based economy in which Africans were brought in huge numbers to America's shores for the sole purpose of serving as the property of other human beings; property whose purpose was to labor, free of charge, for the economic benefit of their owners. The idea is, I think, entirely at odds with the primal concepts of American society and the American state:

The principle of human equality has guided the American republic since its founding. Of the truths held to be self-evident in the Declaration of Independence the very first is that "all men are created equal." This conviction is fundamental because we understand intuitively that it is the equality of persons that justifies universal participation in government. The acknowledged equality of citizens is the ground, the philosophical bedrock of our democracy. (Cohen & Sterba, 2003, p. 7)

In the beginning, affirmative action attempted to restore these principles of American democracy. I can agree with and support their basic premise - that the principle of equal opportunity for all must be realized in concrete terms. I would not think myself equal to others if I were denied a place in school, or a position at work, because of the color of my skin. Racial discrimination is the antithesis of the American ideal.

But giving concrete form to an ideal is not always easy. In my view, the original proponents of affirmative action believed that the leveling of the playing field would cause the ideal to follow on its own. Organizations would hire, promote, or place Blacks and other minorities, thus giving them a chance to shape the destinies of their communities. It is as if I were in charge of hiring at a company and purposely promoted certain men and women because I thought their "type" would enhance the firm. It would not be that they were necessarily the best individuals for the positions, but only that their backgrounds supplied something that was missing at the level of the business. Further, these people would serve as role models for others like themselves. Their promotion would send the message that others too - not necessarily the best qualified in absolute terms - could aspire to these same positions and responsibilities. I would be trying to create a kind of "feedback loop" for others both inside and outside the firm. Other minority men and women would see that they too could succeed; that at least they had the chance for success. An atmosphere of competition and achievement would be set up, with members of minority groups striving to do their very best to earn a place at the top. This would be the ideal, and it would conform to the general American principles of equality and opportunity for all.

A also see the inherent difficulties in such an approach, in particular as it regards the way the principles of affirmative action are applied in real life. In too many cases, promotion and placement appear to be based solely on racial criteria - ability and talent do not enter into the equation. Many colleges and universities, for example, have affirmative action programs that do nothing more than guarantee a certain number of places for minority students. These places are awarded solely on the basis of racial criteria. One need only be, say, Black, or Hispanic, to apply and be placed. It is a matter of first come first serve. There is no consideration given as to whether a particular Black or Hispanic applicant is more or less qualified than another Black or Hispanic applicant. According to a web site called Adversity.net, many colleges and universities are pressured by Black organizations to admit as many Black students as possible. As stated in the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education,

Encouraging competition among the universities to bring greater numbers of blacks to their professorial ranks as well as to their student bodies. In some instances, we have found that universities showing substandard or poor [racial quota] performance tend to produce improved [racial quota] results when their racial statistics are made known to the public.

The 26 Worst Colleges for White Students and Faculty (Based on the survey by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education)," Adversity.net, 12 November 2002)

In this case, it appears to me that racial quotas are not only being imposed on various schools, they are being treated almost as a sort of game. Colleges and universities that do not admit sufficient numbers of Black students - in the opinion of the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, will themselves be discriminated against. Discrimination is the tool that is being employed to supposedly eliminate discrimination. However, given the above statement of the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, it is not altogether clear that the elimination of discrimination is actually the goal. Rather, an increase in the number of Blacks enrolled and employed is itself the goal. I do not feel that this was the intent of the Framers of the United States Constitution. It is one thing to guarantee equal access to all, but another thing to show bias or favor toward the members of one group.

Many see such schemes as merely instances of reverse discrimination. I think that the original intent of programs, like affirmative action, was to achieve a race-blind society, one in which race would cease entirely to be a factor for consideration. By establishing race-biased admissions or employment programs, such as the one described above, this goal is not being achieved. It is not even being pursued. There are, indeed, many even within minority communities, who see these kinds of policies as unfair and biased. According to the Black Republican,

Today we are told that racial prejudice is the motive force behind most voters' opposition to racial quotas and preferences. But in fact the advocates of the Civil Rights Act were against racial quotas and preferences or reverse discrimination. During the Senate debate, Hubert Humphrey said he would eat a copy of the bill if anyone could show him words in it justifying discrimination in favor of blacks. Of course he was right: The act bans discrimination by race and racial quotas, and preferences are, by definition, discrimination by race. (Black Republican, 5 July 2004)… READ MORE

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