8 Prevailing Advantages and Disadvantages of Affirmative Action
The affirmative action policies that came as a result to the Civil Right’s movement of the 1960′s were put into place to ensure equal opportunities for people of minority groups. As well as preventing workplace discrimination, it also protects them from discrimination of violence outside of the workplace as well. Many people criticize that while affirmative action prevents discrimination for some groups of people, it does the exact opposite for the majority of people. Understanding the true effects of the affirmative action policies can be difficult, but looking into the advantages and disadvantages can help.
The Advantages of Affirmative Action
1. Ensures A Level Of Diversity
Many people believe that diversity won’t occur in the workplace if it is left up to the discretion of the employers. Affirmative action laws set standards for the amount of minorities that must be employed within a company to make sure that everyone has the same chance of working there.
2. A Form of Compensation
Affirmative action has long been seen as a way of compensating minority groups for times of history such as slavery. Giving them preferential job treatment and extended protections is just a small way of undoing the wrong that has been done throughout history.
3. Protection Against Hate Crimes
While some people want to deny it, racism and prejudice is still alive and well in our world. Affirmative action laws help to further protect people that may be targeted by increasing the actions that are taken against the abuser.
4. More Eduction Opportunities
Colleges are given extra incentives, such as tax breaks or funding, for having a higher percentage of minority students attending. This promotes them to give out scholarships and additional school funding to young people of minority that may not have otherwise been able to further their education.
The Disadvantages of Affirmative Action
1. Further Promotes Racism and Prejudice
By giving some groups of people more “rights” and protections than others, you are still promoting the separation and racism that you are trying to eradicate. The goal of everyone being equal is lost with affirmative action because the minority groups now have special privileges.
2. An Unfair Advantage
Many people that are not part of a minority groups struggle to find jobs or to get funding for school just because of the simply fact that they are not minority. This gives people that are a very unfair advantages when it comes to getting into schools or landing a job, because the establishment has more to gain from hiring the minority candidate.
3. Outdated Policies
The majority of the problems that existed during the Civil Rights movement, which is when Affirmative action was signed into affect, no longer exist in today’s world. Issues like segregation, widespread discrimination, and many other things have been eliminated. There is no longer a need to give minority groups special treatment, because they are quickly becoming a part of the majority as well.
4. Puts Race First
Instead of trying to create a world that people do not see color, Affirmative action makes race more relevant than ever. During admissions and hiring processes now focus on racial identity, rather than choosing the very best person for the job.
5. Abused By Some
People of minority are well aware of the Affirmative action laws and how they work, which enables them to abuse them. If a white man where to harm a minority man in any way, no matter the circumstances, it is viewed as a hate crime. This perpetuates the idea that people of the majority cannot defend themselves against people of the minority.
