Affirmative Action Program’s Disadvantages in the US

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Hatred
Stigma
Laxity
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

The injustices inflicted by societies in the past on minority groups such as women and people of color have led to the establishment of policies that protect them. These regulations ensure that the marginalized people in society receive appropriate education and employment opportunities as compared to their privileged counterparts. In the United States, groups that have been assisted by affirmative action programs include Black Americans, Asians, Latinos, and women.

However, after several decades, society has become enlightened, and now people understand that everyone has equal capabilities. This realization enables them to treat their colleagues fairly and without bias. A change in attitudes is one of the factors that now make affirmative action programs inappropriate. When countries implement such a policy among their citizens, they introduce negative feelings, create stigma, and encourage laxity. The disparities associated with affirmative action programs justify an intensive examination of the policy’s disadvantages, which include the hatred, stigma, and laxity that are often witnessed after its implementation.

Hatred

While the initial intention behind the establishment of affirmative action is the promotion of marginalized social groups, it eventually generates negative feelings among other citizens. In the United States, the issue has become the basis of heated debates involving many individuals. When people fail to be accepted by their preferred institutions of higher learning or to find employment, they gradually build up a level of hatred directed towards the favored social groups.

Therefore, instead of being a solution to the problem of marginalization, the policy leads to marginalization spiraling out of control. Currently, many people see the advantages accorded to communities deemed to be underprivileged as unjust. A famous case involved Allan Bakke, a man who failed to be admitted to study medicine at the University of California because 16% of the remaining slots were reserved for Black Americans (Anderson). Although this measure may appear to show fairness to minorities, other citizens may develop a negative attitude towards them, a phenomenon that aggravates the challenge of discrimination.

Stigma

Although affirmative action programs have played a significant role in enabling people of color to enjoy equal training and job opportunities in the past, affirmative action is slowly losing its original relevance. Many Black Americans, Asians, Latinos, and women are working hard and, in some cases, surpassing their counterparts in schools and workplaces. However, due to the policy, their achievements are not recognized because other people believe that they cannot succeed without assistance.

As such, instead of promoting the marginalized, the initiative has encouraged people to consider the race or gender of individuals first before assessing their achievements, a concept that matches the definition of stigmatization. In the arguments presented by Hughey (729) as well as Leslie et al. (968), societies in places like the United States look at Black Americans, Latinos, and women as people who cannot make it without aid from the government. Therefore, the policy is no longer practical but works against its initial purpose and leads to higher levels of unfairness in many societies around the globe.

Laxity

In the recent past, the initiative has become a tool used by the marginalized to receive preferential treatment even in places where others are highly qualified. At times, groups that meet the criteria defined by affirmative action initiatives present themselves at workplaces or learning institutions expecting to receive favored treatment even when they do not have the requisite qualifications. In effect, the policy has persistently led to a level of laxity among various people in the marginalized communities.

While many people in these social groups may try to work hard, the preferential consideration of race, color, and gender often overshadows their struggles. Wallace and Allen explain that on many occasions, Black Americans, Latinos, Asians, and women have strived to prove that they have what it takes even in the absence of affirmative action initiatives (672). However, their achievements have failed to gain the attention of a society that has gradually come to believe that the marginalized need support, which encourages low performance and laxity.

Conclusion

Affirmative action attempts to address the challenges faced by minorities, including Black Americans, Latinos, Asians, and women. However, the policy has persistently disadvantaged the social groups in the majority. People who have the required qualifications cannot gain admission to institutions of higher learning or find employment at their preferred workplaces because of affirmative action initiatives and their quotas.

Besides, some people from communities considered to be marginalized do not enjoy the gains earned by their hard work because society attributes their achievements to affirmative action. Notably, providing a balanced environment where people can receive education or find employment without focusing on their race, gender, and color but instead based on their credentials is a useful solution for addressing the disparities that affirmative action policies generate.

An examination of the paper reveals that pathos, ethos, and logos are applied. The article used logic and even quoted a percentage to establish the rationale behind the argument. Additionally, the overall drafting of the piece uses pathos and ethos to appeal to the emotions of the target audience by persuasively informing them while maintaining the credibility of its contents.

Works Cited

Anderson, Dave. Top 10 Reasons Affirmative Action Should Be Eliminated. 2015. Web.

Hughey, Matthew. “White Backlash in the ‘Post-Racial’ United States.” Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 37, no. 5. 2014, pp. 721-730.

Leslie, Lisa., David Mayer, and David Kravitz. “The Stigma of Affirmative Action: A Stereotyping-Based Theory and Meta-Analytic Test of the Consequences for Performance.” Academy of Management Journal, vol. 57, no. 4. 2014, pp. 964-989.

Wallace, Sherri, and Marcus Allen. “Affirmative Action Debates in American Government Introductory Textbooks.” Journal of Black Studies, vol. 47, no. 7. 2016, pp. 659-681.

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