We have read about the reasons for and reasons against affirmative action in hiring and school admissions. In class we will discuss the merits and whether these programs do more harm than good. For this blog I would like you to look forward. In terms of college admissions there are benefits to diverse classrooms, however in the movement toward a less race conscious society many would ultimately like to rely less and less on race and ethnicity as a factor in measuring who gets into schools. You are in charge of affirmative action plans for the department of education. Do you think affirmative action programs are beneficial/necessary today? Why/Why not? Over the next ten years what should be done to help eliminate the need for such programs?
Affirmative Action refers to the special efforts that are made in order to 'recruit' and employ groups, often minorities or women, who may have been discriminated against in the past or otherwise. That being said, because we still have racism against certain races such as African Americans or Mexican Americans and sexism against women when it comes to applying for internships/jobs and/or schools, affirmative action gives those groups who are discriminated against a chance to get these internships/jobs or get into schools/universities. However, I do believe that it somewhat eliminates the purpose of 'equality' when it comes to judging an individual based off of their performance and character because affirmative action highlights race and sex more than performance and character. As far as the future, diversity is important, however, i feel as if it should come naturally. It should not be something that is evenly divided by faculty and staff. Affirmative Action has a just motive, however, there should not be the need for such programs. This goes back to the beginning of history and learning how to judge an individual by their character and performance not by their race, ethnicity, sex or gender. Once institutions, universities, and businesses learn to do so, things would turn out for the best.
ReplyDeleteThe more I hear about affirmative action, the more I think that we just can't win. As we talked about in class, affirmative action was supposed to be a temporary measure, a catalyst that would kickstart "progress", soon becoming unnecessary. What lawmakers at the time failed to foresee was the resentment that would arise between groups as these policies went in to effect. This resentment only perpetuated our need for affirmative action, and at this point, it doesn't appear to be going anywhere.
ReplyDeleteI think affirmative action is still necessary, although the way it is carried out at this point can't really be considered beneficial. Like Lauren said, it would be best to judge students on skill and character. However, I think that within the higher education system, the opportunities afforded to children as they grow up should be taken into account. A top student going to one of the worst public schools in the poorest district of Chicago should not be expected to perform at the level of one of the top students from a ritzy school in the suburbs. I think that affirmative action programs should be more focused on class rather than race. Since many minorities live in poor urban areas anyway, this is a sneaky way to reduce racial discrimination on the sly. I honestly have no idea if this would help or not, since new resentment might arise between the rich and the poor. There is no easy answer to the affirmative action question, and social programs will only become unnecessary if people can get along and stop acting like spoiled children, thinking everyone else has an easier life than they do. Sometimes, Americans are just the worst. But hopefully, with time, we can fix that.
I agree with Laurens point Affirmative Action eliminates the purpose of "equality" when judging students by their race and ethnicity. In my opinion I feel race and ethnicity needs to be removed from college admissions. Education is something that should not allow race to play a factor and should focus mainly on education and other activities. Things that students can control such as their school involvement and outside activities should be factors when it comes to allowing one to receive an education. When I walk around DePaul and enter my classes the room is filled with a diverse group, which is great and allows one to understand different backgrounds and opinions. In order to help schools that don’t receive the same opportunities as other schools should be receiving more funds from the government. This would help schools receive better materials to enhance their learning experience. When a school provides nice learning materials the students will want to take advantage of that benefit.
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand the theoretical benefits to affirmative action, I fail to see the equality that it's supposed to promote. America has an ugly history with racial discrimination, and the idea behind affirmative action is to attempt to make up for the inequality shown to non-whites in the past. I believe that handing out opportunities to non-whites is not the best way to make up for the suppression they have had to endure. I think there should be more focus on equal education systems for whites and non-whites. As was mentioned in class on Tuesday, schools are just as segregated as they were in the fifties. If non-white young people were better educated and given more resources in middle school and high school, they wouldn't need affirmative action to help them get a job or into a university. Qualifications for getting a job or getting into college would be based on grades, potential, and extracurricular activities, and admission counselors and employers would hopefully become blind to race.
ReplyDeleteToday, affirmative action plays a huge role in not only whether or not people enrolling in universities are admitted but whether job candidates are offered a job as well. From personal experience, when applying for colleges I knew that I would have a better chance of getting into a university because I am hispanic on top of my other credentials; however, knowing that made me feel very uneasy.
ReplyDeleteAlthough affirmative action has good intent to help give people who have been discriminated against in the job market and education system more opportunities, I feel the same way as my classmates and believe that it essentially creates more inequality and reverse racism; therefore, it should not be apart of the education system. A solution to ending affirmative action programs within the next ten years yet keeping diversity a key part within the education system would be for universities to offer scholarships for a wide variety of racial/ethnic groups or advertise/market to certain racial/ethnic groups in order to keep diversity strong in their schools.
-Tyler Betancourt
I feel that these actions are completely necessary for a few reasons. People of minority may (but not all are necessarily) not have the resources that other groups have. If their education is worse and the parts of town that they live in poor, then without a doubt they will be less successful than other people.Since they do not have access to better schooling and other resources, their test scores might be lower and they might be struggling to get into colleges more. To counteract this I think race and ethnicity should at least be partly considered when someone is applying to college. Just like the example of the "race" we saw in class, its not fair to judge someone who is weighed down by things and at the start of the "race" as opposed to someone who is ahead because of their status. We must continue with these programs now so that in the future everyone will be on the same level and there will be no need for these things.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with the majority of the comments and say that race should not be a factor when considering college admissions. However, the reality is that "color-blind" (those without affirmative action) policies would only invite minorities to a disadvantage. Meaning if left to their own means, colleges would not be as "diverse" as they are now. That being said I think affirmative action is still needed today. To say that it is not needed is to say that racism does not exist, and I don't think anyone can say that. Affirmative action has a negative connotation because many assume that those who benefit from it are unqualified but in reality, this is not true. Federal regulations explicitly prohibit the selection of unqualified or unneeded candidates (in the workplace) and the Supreme Court has ruled that race can only be one factor of a holistic approach when considering candidates for college admissions.
ReplyDeleteTo eliminate the need for affirmative action, it would take changes in the public school system in urban areas, minimizing the gap between the rich and the poor, and eliminating discrimination. The last of which, is impossible to do, certainly impossible in a span of ten years.
I feel like I can understand both sides to affirmative action. I agree with some of the comments above stating that affirmative action takes away from equality. We should not focus on the ethnicity of a potential student or employee. It is better to focus on their skills and work ethics. I think it’s unfair to accept someone that is under qualified just to meet a minority requirement. But then again, I agree with Kaitlyn and Daniel that affirmative action is needed. I also think it’s unfair for someone to be rejected as a student or from a job because they did not have access to better materials.Like Kaitlyn said, I think class should be more of a focus. Minorities tend to live in poorer districts with not as strong as an education system as Whites. So if poorer education systems are improved we might be able to stop looking at race and start looking at the skills and quality of a person instead.
ReplyDeleteLike many others, I see both sides of the affirmative action issue and understand why it was created however many years ago. However, I see affirmative action as more of an un-equalizer, because it is keeping people of various races from getting accepted/hired/etc, no matter what their skills may be. I agree with Kaitlyn - class is the bigger issue here. The reason I support affirmative action is because of the many kids, mostly of minority background, that do not have resources and a quality education available to them. In order to fix that issue, there needs to be a focus on elementary education and improving high schools. Education is a right for every child, but everyone gets a different education based on numerous factors, which is unfair. Starting there and focusing on that will decrease the need for affirmative action in universities and the work place. When I put myself in someone else's shoes for both sides, it is hard to decide what I think is best. It's wrong to punish a kid who was lucky enough to have the life he/she has and has worked hard to get good grades and etc, but it is also wrong to keep kids who weren't so lucky from getting into college or getting hired.
ReplyDeleteI can see both sides of affirmative action but in all honesty I find it to be on the more on the unequal side. It is not promoting equality, if anything its making certain race groups feel left out. It doesn’t look at the hard work and dedication a student puts into their studies but of who they are. It lets other racial groups give more of a lenient way to be accepted, which I find totally unfair. For example, those from a majority who have higher grades/scores than a minority who has lower grades/scores and gets declines but the other gets accepted is just highlighting racism even more. Like I said, I can understand both sides but I find it unfair. Today we focus so much on being treated equally, especially minority groups because of the past. But what is happening is that we are forgetting about the majority in any shape way or form. We focus so much to make sure the minorities feel they are “equal” from how our past was, that we are pushing the other to the side. But the thing is, the past is the past. A lot has changed since then. We shouldn’t focus on minorities or majorities. We should focus on everyone, not groups.
ReplyDeleteI can see both sides of the affirmative action issue. However, I feel that it is more unequal than equal. I'm not naive, I know that there is still fierce inequality in the world today, but I don't think affirmative action fits with the times of today. Back in the mid 20th century and before, the inequality between whites and minorities was the main social issue. But today, it seems a little unfair to basically grant people jobs and acceptance into colleges if they are not truly qualified. I just feel as though race and gender should not be an indicator of whether or not someone gets a job or if someone gets into a specific college. I think in today's world, skill and intelligence should determine if someone gets a job or accepted to school. With affirmative action, you are giving the minority groups opportunities by taking away from people who are classified as the majority. It is still unfair, and you are still promoting some form of inequality. It is not someone's fault what race they are, so why are they being rewarded or punished for being in the majority or the minority?
ReplyDelete-Katelyn Schweitzer
I think it's safe to say we all agree that affirmation action programs don't exactly scream out equality that America has been trying to promote. Looking at America's history on equality between races and ethnicity it hasn't been the cleanest and it seems to me like the education system is trying to pay the non-white races back by giving them special treatment and I do not think that's the way to go at all. In my opinion... I would still have the race/ethnic box be included in educational applications but that would be confidential and only for stats purposes. Yet when the applications will be looked at, the people who decided who's accepted/not accepted/ or wait listed they won't be able to see that option of what ethnicity or race that student is. Allowing them to judge the student on their academic level and extracurricular activities rather than their background.
ReplyDeleteI do not agree with affirmative action as it is unfair. There are other solutions to get the advantage of a diverse classroom. For example, for our society to be "color blind" as it is the goal it seems to be striving for, upon deciding who should be admitted, race should not play a factor into it at all. With that being said the percentage of minority groups at schools would significantly decrease but that is due to problems earlier on which we should rather concentrate on. Some minority groups are struggling and the reason I feel they do not score as well is because of the poor environments they are put in. Their environment and living situations should be aimed at first to improve. When that comes to improvement it is only then every group will have the same potential. I feel arguing for a color blind society but still partaking in affirmative action is contradictory. The problems should be attacked from the beginning to fix the problems minorities have which will result in overall equality.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of my classmate I understand why we would have an affirmative action but at the same time I don't think it is necessary. I think the affirmative action is more unequal than it is equal. No one should be judged based of their race or ethnicity. It shouldn't have to be based off your religion that you easily get into a school or if you are some other race then it is harder for you to get into that school. Since we live in such a diverse country I think it's important for us to not be so racist against other group but instead we should look at the positive side of the group and see what good qualities they have. Just because you don't accept someone else's race or ethnicity does not make them a bad person or make them have bad quality. I also agree with Courtney and think that people that think it's okay should look at the poorer education system or how hard it is for them to be in their position and maybe they might be able to understand where these people are coming and that they actually are great people and shouldn't be judged based off their race or ethnicity, The media makes it easier for others to judge one another but I think people should learn to have their own opinions and not listen to everything the media is saying about other races.
ReplyDeleteAs a minority student and someone that has gone through the application process I would like to think that my race and/or ethnicity did not play a role in my acceptance to both DePaul and the ivy league institutions that I applied to. Realistically speaking it was not the case, such policies do create a sense of inequality in the way that it begins to undermine the work that many minority students put into their academic life. In addition, affirmative action does not create an inequality towards white people rather it is creates equity towards a system that was originally not made for POC.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, affirmative action is necessary and beneficial today. Is it unfair? Yes it is unfair but in the long run it will be worth it. Many minorities do not get the same opportunities and with affirmative action they are able to get an education. With a degree they will be able to support their families. They will not have to work low paying jobs and the cycle of low wages will not repeat itself. Instead there will be more middle class families and this will help boost the economy. Even without affirmative action It is still unfair because the gap between race and class is so large that inequality will still exist regardless whether affirmative action is in place or not. Minorities are so low in terms of economic class that they will not be able to afford a decent education which put them at a disadvantage. I think it start with education and the increase in minority populations. With more people being educated then something like affirmative action will not be needed.
ReplyDeleteLike Obama Care, Affirmative Action has many wrinkles that need ironing. The purpose was and still is to provide equal opportunities for people who would otherwise be discriminated against. Is there really a way to tell whether people are following this law though? From my understanding although I might be wrong, the problem is added quotas and unfair educational expectations. Quotas are not mandated by the law but educational institutions and employers still make use of them. I really think this is done to provide proof of diversity which defeats the purpose of the law which is trying to eliminate racism in the job and education market. Worrying about diversity keeps racism alive because it’s constantly thought about and included when making decisions. As for education, Affirmative Action should tack on a rule that requires all schools to teach students with the same set of standards across the board. Like Kaitlyn said, and I agree. The problem with Affirmative action is that it doesn’t include class along with race, religion and gender. Minorities make up the majority of the lower class that live in areas with horrible schools. Right now some schools have a higher grading scale while others are lower. When children go from a lower scale school with little to know opportunity for outside growth to the higher scale school they look worse on paper than a child coming from a school with a higher a grading scale and more opportunities. This disadvantage forced on children makes them second class citizens. The education system definitely needs to change and because our society is so racially driven, Affirmative Action will need to remain in place.
ReplyDeleteAffirmative action is hard to talk about. Although it does go against inequality, it is the easiest way to separate people. Unfortunately, today it is necessary to have affirmative action in my opinion. It is a way that they may use to show people to be proud of their race and ethnicity. My opinion may be biased because I have been told all my life to make sure I check the Asian box as well as the white box. It has made me proud to be Asian American when it comes to affirmative action in applying for college. I do see how affirmative action can cause negative consequences. It goes against our fight to end racism. It tells you to separate yourself by your race or ethnicity. It is exactly what we do not want people to do anymore. I would say to use affirmative action in the sense of empowering people and their races and ethnicities. Hopefully in the future, we will be able to eliminate the need for such programs. Like natural selection, I believe that over time people will be more educated and informed about other races and ethnicities in order for racism to cease.
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