Affirmative Action - Research Paper Example

I am a strong supporter of affirmative action programs. The civil rights movement of the 1960’s helped bring equality to the United s particularly in the workplace. Due to the racial discrimination that existed for centuries in the U.S. against blacks and minorities, these groups of people had an unfair chance to get a job. Affirmative action programs forced many corporations to change their hiring practices to get away from the discriminatory mindset of the past. Thousands of corporations in America were able to successfully implement affirmative action plans that created better diversity within the workforce.

Workforce diversity today has become a great virtue which increases the creativity of a company (Innovationmanagement, 2010). Despite all the benefits of affirmative action its active use in the U.S has created a new form of discrimination referred to as reverse discrimination. Reverse discrimination can be defined as the unfair treatment of the members of a majority group as a result of preferential policies intended to reduce discrimination against minorities (Dictionary, 2013). I personally think that reverse discrimination is a fallacy.

Change is an inevitable part of society and a higher participation rate among minorities will consequently reduce the labor participation of the majority group. We should always remember the past when true discrimination led to the unethical and inhuman treatment of an entire race through slavery. A person that claims reverse discrimination should handle the pressures of the workplace instead of crying wolf. A way for people to increase their chances in the workplace is by acquiring formal training and education.

ReferencesDictionary.com (2013). Reverse discrimination. Retrieved April 13, 2013 from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/reverse+discrimination Innovationmanagement.se (2010). Why diversity is the mother of creativity. Retrieved April 13, 2013 from http://www.innovationmanagement.se/imtool-articles/why-diversity-is-the-mother-of-creativity/