Dealing With Affirmative Action in the New Public Service Essay

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Affirmative Action Challenged

Currently, there is an increasing move away from government-centered to multi-sectored public service entities. This has created a challenge for the maintenance of equality-based programs like AA in an environment that seems to have made this move increasingly outdated. Some have even mentioned that it is addressing a problem that no longer exists (Selden). As such, Affirmative Action (AA) has been and remains a widely divisive and contested issue since its implementation in the workplace.

The initial purpose of AA was to address issues of inequality in workplaces and learning institutions after the success of the equal right movements that started during the 1960s. Particularly, non-white races and women gained greater benefits from being included in these institutions. Since the 1960s, AA has been used more or less consistently to ensure an equally representative workforce across the country. When investigating what AA has in fact accomplished, however, results vary widely. Non-white races at colleges, for example, still fare somewhat worse than their white counterparts (Selden), while minority races and women still suffer discrimination in terms of wages and discrimination in the workplace.

Currently, support for AA varies across cultures and time, according to the specific ideologies and perceptions associated with these variables. In the past, for example, there was more support for AA than has been found in later years. Indeed, there appears to be steady decline in such support. Furthermore, another finding of Selden's is that AA has more support among non-white races than among white people. One underlying reason for this could be perception, where non-white races believe the model helps to promote a sense of equality they do not yet have, while those in historically privileged positions believe that all races have the same opportunities in terms of access to work. There is therefore an underlying discrepancy in how the races and genders view AA in addition to the actual working of the program in terms of success and promoting equality.

In general, support for AA has diminished across the country, and authors like Selden have suggested that a new model is required to replace the one that has been known up to now. The issues to be investigated include:

The effectiveness of AA across the country in terms of promoting equality in various sectors.

The perception of AA among different populations.

The perception of AA among managers and leaders.

The way in which courts have enforced or modified AA policies in the workplace and colleges.

The possibility of addressing equality in a way that is less divisive than AA quotas or requirements.

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The issues mentioned above are significant to the main purpose of determining whether AA is in fact accomplishing its goals as an equality program. For many colleges and sectors, for example, there have been predetermined quotas to ensure an acceptable level of representation in terms of the demography of the country. The underlying concern, however, remains whether these quotas have effectively promoted actual equality in terms of job performance, wages, and the benefits to companies. Many have argued that the requirements engendered in AA have prevented more qualified persons from entering a position as a result of their skin color. This has led to the perception of "reverse discrimination," in which qualification is not the primary requirement for obtaining a position. This is at the heart of many racial tensions throughout the country. In that regard then, it could be said that, while AA has created a more level playing field for minority races and groups, it has also created greater division on the social platform.

Several courses of action are open in addressing the above-mentioned challenges. The easiest is probably to simply let AA programs carry on and develop according to court decisions and social policies. Another option is to investigate the precise effects of AA within organizations and colleges to determine the true efficacy of programs operating under this umbrella. On the strength of the results, the extent of still existing problems can be determined and addressed. Communication is a further important strategy. From the above, it is clear that different people have different perceptions of the need for and efficacy of AA. Many opponents consider it to be an outdated system addressing specific problems that no longer exist. Based upon this communication, strategies can then be devised to create a system that is more in keeping with the majority of ideologies and perceived needs.

If a problem is identified, the words way to handle it is probably by doing nothing, since this means the problem will simply perpetuate itself and not submit to the active control of decision makers. The one advantage of this option is, however, that it will not require any investment in terms of finance or time. As for the second option, which is to investigate the effects of AA, this has been done by several research entities, with results that appear to indicate that problems still exist. When this option is chosen, it is recommended that it be based upon previous work rather….....

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