Are Affirmative Action laws fair Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Are Affirmative Action laws fair - Essay Example While affirmative action was initially designed to provide opportunity, the laws that are currently implemented are unfair and move against the initial intent of the action. The changes in culture and society, as well as the alterations in educational institutions and in requirements for education have led affirmative action into becoming illegitimate. Instead of presenting new opportunities to minorities, it creates disadvantages to providing equal opportunity within educational systems. When affirmative action began, it was based on opening doors for those that didn’t have opportunity within educational systems or with jobs because of their race, ethnicity or gender. However, in the current educational system, as well as in the work force, the idea of affirmative action has begun to change the way that many look at individuals who are applying for the same job. By the laws, it is required that every corporation and school have a percentage of minorities or ethnicities to show that there is equal opportunity within the work place. This basic requirement has led many to look beyond the main employment needs and instead to offer equal opportunity by providing a balance in diversity. Some researchers (Merritt, Reskin, 1997), have found that work environments and educational institutions will often overlook the credentials and the experience of professionals that are hired. Instead, they will look at hiring those that will present a sense of diversity within the work force. Personal characteristics, such as marital status and age, as well as race and gender, became some of the main priorities to those that were hiring. Supplementing this with experience then creates a different level of accountability to the educational institution or work force area (Merritt, Reskin, 1997). The demands for work areas and educational institutions to show diversity so they can continue to stand against affirmative action laws is only one of the unfair aspects that