...History of Affirmative Action Human Resources Research Paper BUSI 526 Section D October 30, 2010 Aurelia Mouton Abstract Affirmative action has a relatively short history in the United States. The idea of affirmative action begin to come into play in 1961 when politicians and Presidents alike believed that there needed to be a way to rectify the previous injustices dealt to the minority community in regards to workplace. The text mentions that affirmative action uses “numerical analysis to determine which (if any) target groups the firm is underutilizing relative to the relevant labor market” (Dessler, 2011, 60) and that affirmative action was put into place to eliminate barriers to equal employment. This may be true but from its’ very inception, affirmative action has been met with resistance. History of Affirmative Action Affirmative action has seemed to find its way into the lives of many. It was originally created to make employment opportunities and practices fair for people that were non-white U.S. citizens but has since grown and evolved into much more. The beginning concept of affirmative action was to make right the many years that African Americans were bound because of slavery, discrimination after the abolition of slavery and lack of education that prevented many of them from getting decent jobs. Many positive things can be said about affirmative action when it works; however there are many people that fight against it because of...
Words: 1744 - Pages: 7
...Issue Justin Francis Professor Nelson Psy110 2/5/2015 If you consider affirmative action for its intentional purposes than Affirmative Action is very just, its purpose being to equalize the education and economic gap between minorities and whites. Although it is not a perfect method to achieving equality in this country, it is essential to accept it for why it’s been put into place and that it is all part of a process. Of course affirmative action is far from perfect and has a fair deal of problems, like promoting reverse discrimination while backing up negative stereotypes. I researched all of these aspects while pondering the question “is affirmative action still needed in today’s society?” In this paper I will be explaining what affirmative action is.The history behind affirmative action like how it all unfolded, who made it, and the history as to why it is in effect now. I will also list some pros and cons of affirmative action, how the United States could better affirmative action for the future and finally a conclusion, which is my opinion on the topic. But what exactly is affirmative action? Born of the civil rights movement three decades ago, affirmative action calls for minorities and women to be given special consideration in employment and education acceptance decisions. Universities with affirmative action policies generally set goals to increase diversity. Affirmative action decisions are generally not supposed to be based on quotas, nor are they supposed...
Words: 2008 - Pages: 9
...Affirmative Action: Is it still needed in Today’s World? Table of Contents Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………………….3 What is Affirmative Action ………………………………………………………………….. 3-4 History of Affirmative Action ………………………………………………………………...4-6 Legal History of Affirmative Action ………………………………………………………….6-8 The People for Affirmative Action ……………………………………………………………8-9 The People against Affirmative Action ……………………………………………………...10 The Benefits of Affirmative Action ………………………………………………………….10-12 The Cons of Affirmative Action ……………………………………………………………..12-14 Conclusion (My Opinion) ……………………………………………………………………14-15 References ……………………………………………………………………………………16 Abstract Affirmative action has been the topic of some debate because people wonder if it has outlived its usefulness. It is a very controversial topic. This paper will address this issue, is affirmative action still needed in today’s world? This paper will tell what affirmative action is, the history, the legal history of it, the people for it, the people against it, the benefits of affirmative action, the cons of affirmative action, and finally how I feel about affirmative action What is Affirmative Action? Affirmative action is only applied to those who have 15 or more employees, or a government contract of fifty or more employees or a contract over $50,000. The following summary describes affirmative action: Born of the civil rights movement three decades...
Words: 3943 - Pages: 16
...Affirmative action, as defined by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 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. In this paper I will discuss the history of affirmative action and its effects on education in our society, and whether a program such as affirmative action is still necessary today. I will argue why affirmative action is necessary for minorities to gain equal opportunities educationally and how affirmative action helps to mend the wounds that past discrimination has inflicted upon minorities. Affirmative action requires that supervisors in charge of economic and educational opportunities take into consideration a candidate’s sex, disabilities, and ethnic background when accepting positions, especially if the candidate’s ethnic affiliation has had a history of racial discrimination. These minority groups are entitled to special considerations, typically viewed as payments made by the government to settle past discrimination. The effects of affirmative action have been well seen in educational systems where educators have long been pressured into giving preference to minorities even if they have lesser qualifications, to help write off past discrimination. Affirmative action was established on the basis that because of the past discrimination of races, our nation was unable to flourish into what it should have become, a...
Words: 1185 - Pages: 5
...THE HISTORY OF AFFRIMATIVE ACTION COLUMBIA COLLEGE Karla Reed Thomas Mae Hicks Jones, Instructor February 28, 2014 Abstract Affirmative action has been deemed as one of the most ground breaking accomplishments of the Civil Right Movement. Affirmative action has allowed a lot of children to be able to pursue dreams that they never thought would permissible. Racial discrimination has been an ever going trend here in the United States and in other countries for hundreds of years. Women and minorities are some of the leading people in this world who suffer the most from racial discrimination. By implementing affirmative action in all areas of our lives this world would come together and allow people to get to know people they wouldn’t have known because of the color division in this country. Students who are start at a disadvantage in school are given a boost to succeed with affirmative action. Affirmative action creates diversity in the workplace and in society. Affirmative action is needed to break stereotypes. Affirmative action is not reverse discrimination. A society can be color blind if they would learn how to base their decisions on character and not on color or gender. Affirmative action does not help a disqualified person move up in life if they do not have the skills need for the job they are doing. Introduction Racial discrimination has been around for thousands of years and the time came for some changes...
Words: 2047 - Pages: 9
...Affirmative Action Initiatives were created in order to correct the wrongs of discrimination and to make equal opportunity a reality. Affirmative Action Initiatives were created by law to ensure equal rights for minorities and women as it pertains to college admissions and promotions within the workforce. The affirmative action initiatives have been scrutinized since its inception. The creation of the initiatives was the first step in a long battle to end discrimination. The original intent was to be aggressive with non-discrimination and to racially integrate the workforces. Affirmative action, originally (Consortium Journal Hospitality & Tourism, 2010) implemented as a means of righting past wrongs and leveling the playing field for minorities and women, has in some circles become a bad word synonymous with quotas, privilege, and reverse discrimination. Although the Initiatives were coined and created in 1961, it wasn’t until the Civil Rights Act in 1964, that racial discrimination was actually prohibited in the workforce. Those for the affirmative action initiatives view them as a positive. Opponents of the Initiatives believe the harm of racial discrimination has dissipated therefore affirmative action is not necessary. Those against believe that race based policies make minority achievement a white allowance and the failure of minorities a group stigma. Those against also believe the Initiatives were created as a means of compensating for all racially based...
Words: 2027 - Pages: 9
...1001 Dr. Chege 28 October 2014 “Is Affirmative Action Still Relevant In 21st Century America?” My topic is Affirmative Action, which is discrimination, and whether or not it is still happening in 21st century America. I am interested in it because I am interested in history and Affirmative Action is a big part of this country. Any other people who are either curious about Affirmative Action or anybody that likes history in general I think would be interested in this topic. I’m so invested in this topic that I want to research it is because like I said earlier, I like history and Affirmative Action is a big part of this country whether you agree with it or disagree with it. Now, my research question is, is affirmative action still relevant in 21st century America? My chosen topic relates to the course theme of Justice because Affirmative Action is not fair or equal. It’s being in favor of one person over another because of gender or skin color and that’s Justice because it’s not right to do that at all no matter what. I am connecting the idea of Justice to my topic because I’m going to talk about how it was in the past, how and it’s happening right now, and how we can end it for the future. I’m going to talk about how it shouldn’t happen in the first place and how people are trying to stop it to bring equality to everybody and bring Justice to the matter. My question is significant because this is something that is huge in the history of the United States. It’s basically...
Words: 326 - Pages: 2
...Affirmative Action a Balancing Act ENG. 215 February 5, 2013 Affirmative Action a Balancing Act Many people believe that affirmative action laws are reverse discrimination and that these laws should be changed. Unfortunately in this country race is a determining factor in many aspects of daily living. Affirmative action laws simply balance the scales when it comes to determining whether race works for or against minorities. Affirmative action laws should not be changed, because it is an excellent program as demonstrated by the fact that two Supreme Court justices are products of affirmative action. Originally designed to overcome the disparities created by slavery and past discrimination affirmative action is still relevant in today’s society Affirmative action laws have been the subject of legal actions and disputes. In 2003 Michigan law school had to defend its affirmative action practices before the Supreme Court in the case of Grutter versus Bollinger (Garces, 2012). The court decided that colleges and universities have an obligation to consider race in a society where race matters. Another case is currently before the Supreme Court titled Fisher versus the University of Texas (Garces, 2012). A decision in this case is imminent and can have sweeping effects on the future of affirmative action laws. Many Americans do not understand affirmative action laws. Most people see it as a personal injury of giving priority to someone that...
Words: 2975 - Pages: 12
...Affirmative Action In America University of Phoenix, Axia College Affirmative Action In America Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” This statement will always ring true especially on the subject of equal opportunity employment and Affirmative Action. While Affirmative Action seemed to be a hot topic in the past, it is still one that should continue to be addressed. Affirmative Action is needed in the American workplace to improve morale and create equity among all Americans. The history of Affirmative Action (AA) is a long one. The first federal law passed was The Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law started the term, “Equal Opportunity Employment” and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The first legislation to pass was Executive Order number 11246 on September 24, 1965 (Aberson & Haag, 2003). This essentially stated that employers needed to take affirmative action to ensure no one was discriminated against for their race, religion, color, or country of origin. In more recent years, employers have added sexual orientation, abilities, and ethnicity to their list of nondiscrimination. Unfortunately, during these times white men were not always accepting of women and minorities in the workplace. Women who joined the workplace in the 1960s and 1970s were expected to do chores for the men in the workplace. They would also be sexually harassed and abused by their male coworkers...
Words: 1503 - Pages: 7
...Affirmative Action MGMT345 AIU Abstract This paper will discuss Affirmative Action and the initial intent of its legislation. It will discuss the conclusion of Bakke v. Regents and its basis. It will also discuss the positive and negative results of the AA legislation. Affirmative Action Introduction US history has shown us that not everyone has always been considered equal. Americans were allowed to own slaves and work them however they saw fit. After slavery was abolished, African-Americans were still not treated fairly. There was a “separate but equal” state of mind among Americans which kept whites and black separate in the workplace and schools. Once schools and workplaces were segregated the African-Americans were still treated unfairly. Today we see a lot less unfair treatment towards African-American’s because of the Affirmative Action policies and cases like Bakke v. Regents. What is Affirmative Action? What is Affirmative Action? Women and minorities are allowed entry into professions that were formally off limits to them because of affirmative action programs. Initiated in the 1960s this federal agenda was designed to counteract the discrimination towards women and ethnic minorities (Nittle, 2012). This program is meant to promote equal opportunity in employment, education, government sectors, and more. It is not meant to create reverse discrimination but in its modern form affirmative action can cause reverse discrimination by admissions officers...
Words: 880 - Pages: 4
...preferences when minority students apply. They do work; however, some white students feel racial preferences violate equal protection. The philosophy of affirmative action is useful in understanding creating education’s equality. In the United State, the racial problem is always an important issue in approaching democracy. In 1961, “affirmative action” first appeared in a government document named Executive Order10925 signed by John F. Kennedy. Affirmative action is the “positive steps taken to increase the representation of women and minorities… from which they have been historically excluded.” (Fullinwider 1) It mostly used in education field now to promote the proportion of minority students in higher education. Based on affirmative action, many universities give preference to minorities when both they and majority white students apply at the same time. So that many minority students got the equal chance, or even more chance to go to college. This kind of action do have influential effect, in 2004, 21% of the freshmen at the Austin campus, University of Texas were black or Latino, and this percentage up to 26% in 2007. (Washington) It seems that minorities get equal treatment and equal opportunity in education, however, it brings new problems. According to an article entitled “Supreme Court will hear case on affirmative action at colleges,” a white student who failed to apply the University of Texas under the policy of “racial preferences” institute an appeal to end the “racial...
Words: 806 - Pages: 4
...Affirmative Action Term Paper Abstract Human Resource Management is one the most important aspects of a company. Its successful implementation is crucial for an organization being able to thrive. Human Resource Professionals handle areas such as employment, recruitment and selection, performance and evaluation, compensation and benefits, personal professional development, safety and health forecasting and labor relations. This paper will focus on the topic of Affirmative Action and its policies which is an important aspect of Human Resource Management. Without its inclusion, companies would not be able to be successful the way they are today. Discriminatory beliefs were overturned by policies of Affirmative Action. Diversity such as race, color, religion, gender and national origin are now contributing to an organizations success rate in the race for market dominance. This paper is structured into an historical overview of Affirmative Action, its advantages and disadvantages and the future of Human Resources in regards to Affirmative Action. Introduction People have always been an important part of an organization. However it is important not just to value such an important asset but also develop and improve it. This is the job of the Human Resource Department. It manages an organization's workforce. The responsibility of the Human Resource Department is the attraction, selection, training, assessment, and rewarding of employees, as well as overseeing organizational...
Words: 2210 - Pages: 9
...Running head: AFFIRMATIVE ACTION Affirmative Action Paper Cesar Petit-Dieu University of Phoenix MGT/434 May 4, 2010 Instructor: Eleanor T. Lawrence, DBA & PsyD Affirmative Action Paper This Paper explain the fundamentals of Affirmative Action as it applies to public sector and private sector employers, and how it interacts with Title VII requirements of Equal Employment Opportunity. It addresses the following: a. What employers are subject to affirmative action plans and why? b. What do the plans require employers to do? c. What happens if employers do not meet the goals of the affirmative action plan? Affirmative Action Programs Voluntary Affirmative Action Plan Implementation Affirmative action programs are intended to positively structure the behavior of both private sector and public sector employees. Some laws may apply to just private employers, while others may apply to educational institutions, employment agencies and public sector employees. Still, the laws do take into account how many employees are working at a company, and how many employees are in each location. Even so, companies of every size should make an ethical effort to avoid discrimination. “An affirmative action plan consists of statistical analysis of the employer's under utilization of individuals from certain protected classes and includes the steps that will be taken to improve their representation in...
Words: 1110 - Pages: 5
...In Favor of Affirmative Action For a majority of its history, the US has discriminated certain groups of people from higher education. Colleges and universities should consider race as a factor in admissions process. It benefits all students as well as minorities that receive affirmative action. It also develops stronger leaders that are needed for our ever-changing society. Merit based admission as a counter argument to affirmative action is flawed because it doesn’t compensate for the failures in our public education system that result in failing schools. Diversity in higher education is an advantage to all students. With new perspectives and ideas, the debates and discussions in the classrooms and on campus will be less biased and more interesting. A multicultural campus will encourage more positive interactions and discourage uneasy race relations, like the Compton Cookout. This stereotypical event that occurred off campus at UCSD to mock black history month was exactly what affirmative action could help avoid. Since the UC system banned admission by affirmative action, UCSD only had 2.2% black students in the freshman class, which was the lowest of any of the 10 campuses in the University of California School system. Nowadays, many students live very segregated lives until they start college, so they have false assumptions and stereotypes towards certain races. Ninety-two percent of the University of Michigan’s white students and 52 percent of its African American students...
Words: 736 - Pages: 3
...Affirmative Action Generations of families have suffered due unequal laws or prejudices set in place to prevent minorities from growing. Slavery, segregation, separate but equal laws, the trail of tears, failing ESOL classes, unequal pay and so much more effect today's youth and causing history to change slowly if at all. Affirmative action has good intentions and is very much needed in today's world however it sometimes fails doing what it was created to do. The extra points given to the students of color is seen to be unfair, fails at creating an economically diverse environment, and sets low expectations for students of color (But Not At This Cost). The does not believe the advantages are fair at all "For example, a perfect SAT score is worth 12 points. Being black gets you 20 points. Is there anyone who can look at those two numbers and think they are fair?" (Paragraph 2) also affirmative action fails to help those in need "They often benefit the children of the middle- and upper-class black American who have been conditioned to feel they are owed something" (Paragraph 4). The arguments given as to why this person does not support affirmative action fail to support his or her studies with actual proof from previous studies. Based on a study conducted by the College Board American Americans and Hispanics have the lowest income of all races in America. Lower earning families tend to live in affordable areas, that lack quality housing, schools, police enforcement. When...
Words: 713 - Pages: 3
