Race or Ethnicity Factor in Admission - Essay Example

4. Is it (fair- unfair) for universities to consider race or ethnicity as a factor in admission? “Try to answer this question on the essay”.Who would like to be racially scrutinized and not given an admission within the several universities that exist around the world? The answer would be almost no one. It is absolutely unfair on the part of the universities to consider race or ethnicity as a factor within admissions. This is because race and ethnicity debates come directly under the prejudice discussions and should be avoided as much as possible.

It is necessary to know that a form of bias creeps in within the related equations when the talk goes out loud regarding the race and ethnicity aspects. The utilitarianism point of view and John Rawls’ perspective has been touched upon here to give an incisive look into the topic at hand. Race and ethnicity debates bring bias and prejudice to the fore within college and universities, thus committing to an unfair agenda and a feeling of being left out from gaining admission on the part of the students.

One would seem to agree with the premise that race and ethnicity talks bring more negativity within the equation and are bound to pose as a serious problem than anything else. This is because race and ethnicity marginally divide the people, which is an area of concern as it does not treat people on the same footing as they should be in day to day lives. It makes them feel inferior, which is not the task of a college or a university before it grants admission to the ones who are applying within its realms.

Merit must always remain supreme and there cannot be any divided opinions under such a dictum. It is true that race and ethnicity bring about a general bias within the discussions of the students, and hence it would be better to understand that such colleges and universities would not be able to impart the kind of education that is remarked as a hallmark of them. One would agree that this is unfair because one cannot disallow students from gaining education based on their race and ethnicity tangents.

This is a heinous act which needs to be condemned as much as possible. It will make students feel bad with regards to their race and ethnic settings and ask of them to protest against the college and university realms. From the utilitarianism theory, it can be deduced that properly providing each and every student the right to secure admission is a normative activity and thus should be exercised in essence. It will maximize happiness and reduce the racial and ethnic divide which has been getting the importance unnecessarily over the years.

Universities and colleges must be fair to the students who are doing their best to get admissions within their fore. They must give them a reason to feel equal and thus commit to a collective good for the sake of the society at large. What happens in the name of race and ethnicity is something terrible to state the least, and must be avoided at all costs. This is because education does not demand any segregation, and more so in the name of race and ethnicity which are indeed some of the more pressing factors within any society of the world.

If merit is made compulsory, the race and ethnicity divides will come to a halt quickly. John Rawls suggests that the moral philosophy of education should be such that each and every student is treated in the same manner as other professions. His premise pertains to different aspects of life though has a very positive impact on the people in different professions. From a critical perspective, the opponents believe that race and ethnicity are rightly given the significance within the colleges and universities at the time of granting admissions.

The criticism comes about because no one would like to be treated in a shabby manner and more so when the debate centers on the concerns of race and ethnicity. A perspective that has come about is that schools, colleges and universities need to know beforehand regarding these people in terms of segregation into socio-economic zones, to find out whether they will be available to pay the fees and who would not make it through. This is an area where race and ethnicity is manifested in a proper way and there are no critics involved under such a scenario.

Thus it is the duty of these colleges and universities to make a profit and not contribute towards the society all the time. Also the opposing debate is raised when people from a particular race or ethnicity need to be abstained from securing admissions (Hannabuss 2002). This is because they have a bad rapport with the local publics or they have not been able to enact ways and means to have a positive link with the societal members. To summarize the discussion at hand, race and ethnicity have always been criticized for bringing bias and prejudice within societies, and educational domains are no exception to this dictum.

It indeed is an unfair spot that needs much working so that no one feels left out of the related equations. Both the utilitarianism and Rawls’ theory suggest that merit is the best foot forward towards creating avenues of happiness and equality for everyone. It shall tackle the racial and ethnic debates which always create a problem for the societal dimensions. On the other hand, merit creates a sense of understanding and empathy with one another. Thus who give into such realms of race and ethnicity are usually the ones receiving the most criticism, especially when the talk goes out loud regarding imparting of education.

Since education is one of the most prized possessions that a person can have, it must be at an affordable cost and irrespective of his race or ethnicity. Thus the ones who create an issue are not given the vote of approval by the members of the society all around the globe. Having a diverse mix of students belonging to different races and ethnicities creates a positive environment for the students and teaches them to involve their own domains with each other irrespective of any barriers. It engages them in a pragmatic way which is undeniably a good omen for humanity.

Works CitedHannabuss, Stuart. Education and Sociology: An Encyclopedia. Reference Reviews 16(4), 2002