Affirmative Action: Good or Bad - Case Study Example

Affirmative action is an interesting topic because there are so many different opinions on what may work and what may not work. There are many peoplein society who do not believe that it is a good idea because it give an advantage to minorities based on their skin color. At the same time, it undermines the achievements that minorities make because a finger can always be pointed at affirmative action when this occurs. Finally, it can place minorities in positions where they are only there because of their skin color, which is not something that most minorities want to be a part of. At the same time, however, there are many people who support this program because it gives minorities an opportunity that many would not have had otherwise. This can combat stereotype in the future, as more minorities will be placed into high paying jobs and prestigious schools. While this may be seen as an unequal system, it is actually a process of achieving an end goal of equality through a short term inequality, which is what this country needs because there has always been inequality. Affirmative action can be used to level the playing field and ensure that every American citizen eventually has the same opportunity in life. Argument for Affirmative Action While there are some who believe that affirmative actions is a good thing because it creates jobs for minorities, this is not the central argument to why this program is a positive thing. Affirmative actions is not about giving jobs or education to minorities as much as it is about giving minorities an opportunity to make something of themselves. This is not meant to be a handout where an under qualified minority is given a job based solely on his or her color, but is rather meant to act as a method of leveling the playing field so that everyone has the chance to succeed, as “affirmative action, as practiced in contemporary research universities, is not the rigged system that our worst critics believe it is. It simply means that institutions take positive action to diversify the pools of applicants who compete for university positions, and to ensure that applicants of different backgrounds are included in interview processes” (Coleman). One thing that affirmative action can do is combat stereotypes that are present about many minorities. Because of how the media treats many visible minorities, the majority is left with a unappealing view of many minority groups. While these stereotypes may seem harmless enough, they are actually quite dangerous to the well-being of many minorities because they are treated much differently than they should be. Also, minorities will, often times, begin to believe these stereotypes themselves if they are treated in this manner so too long of a time. This leads to certain minorities accepting this as their role in society, and not having the ability to move up socially or economically. This is unfair because this individual could be equally as intelligent or as talented as another individual, but since he or she was not given a chance, he or she gave up much too quickly. Affirmative action is all about creating chances for minorities to succeed. A third argument for the continuation of affirmative action is that it creates a country where equality exists. This will not happen at first, of course, because we live in a world where equality does not always exist. Affirmative actions, however, can combat this inequality by opening up the doors for minorities. Once these doors are open, it will not be as difficult for minorities to become involved in certain institutions and affirmative action will no longer be needed. This program is essentially creating long term equality by creating an unequal environment in the short term. This inequality is needed currently, however, because the country has been unequal throughout its history and this is one of the only ways to even things out in order to eventually create an equal environment for all. Argument Against Affirmative Action Affirmative action refers to the steps that are being taken in order to increase the number of minorities that are present in certain institutions, while making up for discriminations that may have occurred in the past. The idea behind this is that by putting minorities in prestigious positions, it will eliminate the prejudice that many employers or admission officials at university have towards minorities because it will show that minorities can accomplish just as much as whites if given the proper opportunity. Some believe that affirmative action programs are not an appropriate manner of ensuring equality for groups that have suffered from past discriminations because they still make race the primary focus. While it is important that ethnic minorities hold prestigious positions in society, these positions will only garner the respect that they deserve if they are acquired legitimately, rather than through affirmative action. As Lyndon Johnson said, “We seek not just legal equity but human ability, not just equality as a right and a theory but equality as a fact and equality as a result,” (Johnson) which means that equality must be a way of thinking, not a program that is designed to promote a false sense of equality. An example of an affirmative action program is the National Football League’s coach hiring process. The NFL now has rules that state that at least one minority coach must be interviewed for each coaching vacancy in the league. This means that even if a team has made up its mind on a coach, it must still interview a minority in order to meet the league’s quota. This rule is completely outdated because it implies that black head coaches cannot get these interviews based on their own merits, even though both head coaches in this year’s Super Bowl were of African-American descent. This rule completely undermines that skill level of minority coaches, as it makes the claim that they do not have the ability to reach this level on their own so they need this program in order to ensure their success, which is completely untrue, as “black people, just like every other ethnic group in this country, control their own destiny” (Kaufman). This example of affirmative action is unfair to the teams and the coaches because it puts them in a situation where they will interview someone without having any intention of hiring him simply because the league requires them to interview at least one minority. Also, teams must be fearful of a coach who is not hired blaming it on racial issues, so there is often pressure to hire these minority coaches. Thirdly, unqualified coaches could be hired because of this practice, as was the case with the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders hired Art Shell, who was the first African-American head coach in NFL history, even though he had not coached in 15-years, and this move could not be questioned by anyone without that person being labeled as a racist. Finally, affirmative action creates a system where quotas are seemingly present, even if this is in an unofficial manner. While there are no set numbers that say that a certain number of minorities must be hired, there can often be situations where employers feel that they have to hire a minority because of affirmative action. Bill Clinton, who was a supporter of affirmative action, argued that this sort of thing should not be allowed when he said that there should be “no quotas, in theory or in practice; no illegal discrimination of any kind, including reverse discrimination; no preference for people who are not qualified for jobs or other opportunities; and as soon as a program has succeeded, it must be retired” (Clinton). This shows that affirmative action should only be used to promote equality, rather than creating advantages for minorities through quotas. Rebuttal to Affirmative Case An argument against the fact that this program gives minorities an opportunity is that it can be argued that opportunities are already present for minorities. More minorities are becoming qualified than ever before, making it more likely that minorities will be hired or will get into a good school without affirmative action. The fact that Barack Obama is a presidential candidate should point to the fact that race is becoming less of an issue than ever before and, therefore, affirmative action is not necessary. Affirmative action programs have good intentions, but they are not acceptable in today’s society. We should be promoting equality, rather than forcing minorities into positions that they may not be qualified for. Equal hiring practices should be present in the workforce, but this equality should be for everyone, regardless of skin color. The best person available should always receive the job or admission into the school of his or her choice and this will only happen if we stop regarding race or ethnic origins as an issue and begin focusing on what it important: the person’s ability. Also, some people believe that affirmative action has very little to do with stereotypes because these stereotypes are, often times, embraced by the culture that they represent. This means that the only way that these stereotypes will cease to be an issue is if the culture as a whole stops embracing them and moves in a different direction. For example, African Americans tend to embrace to violent behavior that is represented in hip hop culture. This has created a negative stereotype that many people hold towards African Americans, but many African Americans embrace this as being “cool”, which furthers the stereotype with “people of color who cant get their acts together, racists, the system that institutionalized racism in employment, education, finance and court” (Chavez). These people would argue that true change must come from within in order to be truly effective. A third argument against the case that has been made for affirmative action is that it is impossible to create equality through inequality because that cycle will never end that way. If affirmative action becomes the only manner in which minorities can succeed, then it will never create an equal environment, since minorities will never be completely level with everyone else. Rebuttal to Negative Case One thing that the arguments against affirmative action tend to ignore is that race is an issue in society, whether we attempt to ignore it or not. While in a perfect society we would not have to worry about whether or not visible minorities are being treated fairly, the truth is that in the United States, we do have to consider this. People who discount the impact that one’s ethnic background have on how that person is treated or ignoring one of the problems with American society and, therefore, are misinformed on this issue. Secondly, this process does not undermine the skills of the minority, as could be considered in the case of NFL coaches, because the best person is still hired for the job. While it may not seem like a necessity to have a minority coach interviewed, this is done so that other teams will have an opportunity to become familiar with these minority coaches for future coaching jobs. The more exposure these coaches get, the more opportunities they will have in the future. Finally, this is not a quota system, but rather a system that does exactly the opposite. Affirmative action will eventually create a system where race is no longer an issue because different races will be established in a variety of different occupations and institutions. This will create a more equal society for all, but it will take some to develop. Reaffirmation In the end, affirmative action is a positive thing for American society because it is working towards creating an environment where race does not matter when companies hire or when schools enroll students. By giving these opportunities of equality to minorities, affirmative action has been able to begin to establish a more equal environment in the workplace. While this process will take time, it will be worth it in the end because it will make race a non-issue, since different races will be used to working with one another. This also gives many minorities the opportunity to showcase their skills, which is often times what is needed for economic and social success. Conclusion Affirmative action has its supporters and its detractors, but it can be a positive program if it is used correctly. It must be used as a method of creating equality, rather than simply creating a handout for minorities, which will help everyone in the future. The most qualified people should get into the best schools and get the best jobs and the affirmative action program hopes to accomplish this dream in the future. Works Cited Chavez, A.J. "Affirmative Action: the Good, the Bad, the Confusion". ABQ Journal. 22 July 2003. Viewed 15 April 2008. http://www.abqjournal.com/news/yes/64336yes07-22-03.htm Coleman, Mary Sue in "What Leaders are Saying about Affirmative Action and Diversity". Making the Case of Affirmative Action in Higher Education. 2008. Viewed 15 April 2008. http://www.acenet.edu/bookstore/descriptions/making_the_case/works/leaders.cfm Clinton, Bill. "Mend It Dont End It". July 1995. Johnson, Lyndon B. "To Fulfill These Rights". Howard University, Washington, DC. June 4, 1965. Kaufman, Ari. "Affirmative Action for Sports". Front Page Magazine. 21 March 2006. Viewed 15 April 2008. http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=21732 Read More