Unit 1 and 2 - Overall - DUE IN 18 HOURS

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

September 11, 2020

Affirmative action is a positive social construct because it promotes equality in society. It helps the minority groups that have not been represented adequately in the past by preserving a certain proportion of opportunities for them. Minority groups such as African Americans have suffered for a long time. They are not usually considered in various job opportunities. The educational opportunities of minority groups have been fewer than those of the majority groups. Affirmative action is a positive social construct because it promotes the equal development of all members of society.

The main challenges for implementing the policies and laws include the lack of qualified personnel from minority groups and the fear of the increase in racial and ethnic tensions and the likelihood of fostering further discrimination. Members of the minority might not be qualified to fill various positions. This makes it difficult to implement the policies because positions have to be filled by qualified personnel who might come from majority groups. The large population of majority groups makes it difficult to implement the laws because most of the people seeking opportunities are likely to be members of large social groups. Some people are likely to argue that preserving positions for minority groups enhances discrimination. This makes it difficult to implement the policies because they oppose them.

The policies and laws work because they increase the representation of minority groups. Minority groups get more opportunities because of the laws. For example, the requirement to hire people with disabilities has guaranteed opportunities for such people. It would have been difficult for people with disabilities to get opportunities because they are not favored by most employers. The policies are fair in the short- and long-term because they promote equal representation of people.

REFERENCES

Gururaj, S., Somers, P., Fry, J., Watson, D., Cicero, F., Morosini, M., & Zamora, J. (2020). Affirmative action policy: Inclusion, exclusion, and the global public good. Policy Futures in Education, 1478210320940139.