Affirmative Action - Research Proposal Example

Secondly, non-minorities have perceived a reverse racism when chosen over for supposedly less qualified minorities. Thirdly, some individuals from a minority background might feel as though it is condescending to imply that they need extra help in order to succeed. Whatever problems that might exist in the system, there is no arguing that racism still does exist, and that some means are needed to counter-act this inherent disparity. Affirmative action can be a positive social program, but the program is almost necessarily imperfect.

It can be continued to be adjusted and tweaked, but until it is no longer needed, there will always be controversy surrounding the issue. To first address opponents of affirmative action, the main argument states that it is merely reverse discrimination. This is more or less the “two wrongs don’t make one right” argument. To discuss it in more depth, opponents say that it is a program that, while attempting to deal with issues of inequality due to discrimination, merely discriminates against one group as opposed to another: “Affirmative action is designed to end discrimination and unfair treatment of employees/students based on color, but it in effect does the opposite.

Whites who work harder and/or are more qualified can be passed over strictly because they are white” (Messerli, 2008). This, in effect, while attempting to counter-act the effects of racism and discrimination, will only create more difficulties in race relations because whites who are picked over for minorities on the basis of skin color will begrudge this decision; it seems as though affirmative action as a social program on its own would be unable to end racism and discrimination. Another argument states that while the issues that affirmative action attempts to deal with are at the level of society in general, i.e. the damage that a racist and discriminatory society in general has done to