The Basics of Affirmative Action

             "Affirmative action" means positive steps taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education, and business from which they have been historically excluded. Our country remains divided over affirmative action. Most people agree that U.S. society should provide real opportunities to members of every racial and ethnic category. But there is less agreement on whether we are succeeding in that effort. Thus, some people see affirmative action as part of the problem while others think it is part of the solution. The goal of affirmative action is to create a color-blind society. That goal, in both higher education and corporate America, requires a long-term commitment. To accomplish its real purpose, affirmative action must be broadened to include all those who are not given equal opportunities, whether it's because of race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
             There are many factors contributing to the views of society, regarding "affirmative action" and the programs that are used to implement it. The main factors associated with affirmative action are equality and diversity. When the positive steps taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education, and business involve preferential selection, (selection on the basis of race, gender, or ethnicity) affirmative action generates intense controversy. Affirmative action was originally developed as a set of public policies and initiatives designed to help eliminate past and present discrimination. Much of the opposition to affirmative action is framed on the grounds of so-called "reverse discrimination and unwarranted preferences." The subject of affirmative action must be studied continuously to ensure that the laws developed to support it, continue to benefit the target group of people that it was designed to help. Equality and diversity have always been issues in our society. Students studying affirmative...

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The Basics of Affirmative Action. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 11:56, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/205.html