Affirmative Action

Introduction

Affirmative action attempts to achieve equal employment opportunity for the underrepresented minorities and women in the workforce (Moran, 2011). Affirmative action has been the subject of increasing debate and a rising controversial issue. Some question if affirmative action is ethical. However, the true issue at hand that people should question and scrutinize is the discriminatory system that has created the need for affirmative action. Affirmative action addresses the imbalance of minorities in the workforce (Moran, 2011). Without affirmative action discrimination practices in the workforce would continue at a higher rate and women and minorities would not have the opportunity to secure certain jobs, particularly those involving upper level managerial positions. In this essay I will show how affirmative action is ethical and not discriminatory and how it provides an opportunity to women and minority.

Today, the right of minority groups is a sensitive issue in terms of being politically correct. From a legal perspective, affirmative action can aid in reducing the adversarial position that minorities will become winners or losers in the race (Serenko, 2009). The claim is that affirmative action aims to misrepresent what is now a level playing field and provide preferential treatment to undeserving minorities because of their gender or the color of their skin. Though this point of view seems to be logical it lacks any historical support and it is aimed more at preserving existing white privileges and less about creating opportunity of equality for all. Even as minorities prepare themselves with the proper education and qualifications they continue to be discriminated against. Affirmative action does not jeopardize the job of an existing employee nor does it discriminate against whites. However, it is legal to hire women and minorities over white men who are more qualified as long as the women and minority group are qualified. Affirmative...