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Affirmative action impact on society
Arguments for and against affirmative action
Rights of the blacks
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Affirmative action is an attempt by the United States to amend a long history of racial discrimination and injustice. Our school textbook defines affirmative action as “a program established that attempts to improve the chances of minority applicants for educational or employment purposes, although they may have the same qualifications, by giving them leverage so that they can attain a level that is equal to caucasian applicants” (Berman 522). There are people that support and oppose this issue. Opponents of affirmative action have many reasons for opposing this issue, one of them being that the battle for equal rights is over, and that this advantage made for people of color discriminates against people that are not of color. The people that defend affirmative action argue this advantage is needed because of how badly discriminated the people of color once were. Because of the discrimination that once was these people claim that they are at a disadvantage, and always have been, therefore equality of opportunity is needed. It is also said that affirmative action is used to encourage diversity and integration. This paper will discuss the history of affirmative action, how it is implemented in society today, and evaluate the arguments that it presents.
In order to discuss how affirmative action was put into legislation, we must review the history of black americans and slavery. America’s Declaration of Independence stated that “all men were created equal,” but under the Constitution blacks were not created equal because first of all, they were not American citizens; they were considered to be property. This is seen in the Dred Scott v. Sanford case (1857) when Dred Scott, a slave is taken by his master to settle into other free states and back into the state of Missouri (not a free state). When his master died, he claimed to be free because he had lived in states where slavery was illegal. This case went to the Supreme Court, where it was ruled that Scott could not sue because he was not a citizen (Berman 508).
Slavery was abolished by the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865, but blacks, other minorities, and women continued to be deprived of the right of citizenship. The Fourteenth Amendment was passed in 1868, making blacks citizens and promised them the "equal protectio...
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... admissions although many people do support it and use it as an advantage. Although affirmative action is used to give people a greater opportunity, it has been seen that it has been used in unjust ways. This is what the government hopes to omit.
Works Cited
Artze, Isis. “College Find New Ways to Diversify.” Hispanic. (2001): 64.
Berman, Larry, and Murphy, Bruce Allen. Approaching Democracy. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001.
Bergmann, Barbara R. In Defense of Affirmative Action. New York: Basic Books, 1996.
Eastland, Terry. Ending Affirmative Action. New York: Basic Books, 1996.
“Excerpts From Clinton Talk on Affirmative Action.” Editorial. New York Times 20 July 1995:A9.
Gose, Ben, and Schmidt, Peter. “Ruling Against Affirmative Action Could Alter Legal Debate and Admissions Practices.” Chronicle of Higher Education. (2001): 36.
Stonecipher, Harry C. A Place to stand. 21 Debated Issues in American Politics. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000.
...dom and right to vote established by the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, blacks were still oppressed by strong black codes and Jim Crow laws. The federal government created strong legislation for blacks to be helped and educated, but it was ineffective due to strong opposition. Although blacks cried out to agencies, such as the Freemen's Bureau, declaring that they were "in a more unpleasant condition than our former" (Document E), their cries were often overshadowed by violence.
Online ACE states, “Our mission is to engage, excite and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in architecture, engineering, and construction through mentoring and to support their continued advancement in the industry.” I believe ACE goes beyond helping students with their future careers in architecture, engineering, and construction. After reading their website I think their primary mission is to help students find a purpose and be held accountable by their mentors. This program creates a system for students to work as a team and strive for accomplishment through their final construction project and achievements, not necessarily just for career advancement, but for a step in the right direction and hands-on education. The overall mission of the ACE Mentor Program is to help students find a purpose through working on a team and being held accountable by their
3.The term Affirmative action has played a huge role in the past one hundred years of American politics. It is simply defined as an action or policy favoring those who tend to suffer. Civil Rights of American citizens have drastically changed because of Affirmative action. With almost anything in politics, there is a debate for and against Affirmative action. Supporters of this say that this helps encourage e...
After long years of suffering, degradation, and different sorts of discrimination which the disadvantaged group of people had experienced, the “Affirmative Action Law” was finally passed and enforced for the very first time on September 24, 1965. The central purpose of the Affirmative Action Law is to combat racial inequality and to give equal civil rights for each citizen of the United States, most especially for the minorities. However, what does true equality mean? Is opportunity for everyone? In an article entitled, “None of this is fair”, the author, Mr. Richard Rodriguez explains how his ethnicity did not become a hindrance but instead, the law became beneficial. However, Mr. Richard Rodriguez realized the unfairness of the “Affirmative Action” to people who are more deserving of all the opportunities that were being offered to him. Through Mr. Rodriguez’s article, it will demonstrates to the reader both favorable, and adverse reaction of the people to the Affirmative Action, that even though the program was created with the intention to provide equality for each and every citizen, not everyone will be pleased, contented, and benefit from the law.
Affirmative action has been a topic of discussion for a long time, but only recently has it become such a major controversy. It is generally agreed on that affirmative action became a real topic of debate around 1964 during the civil rights movement. Even the definition of affirmative action is controversial; this is addressed by Antwi-Boasiako, Kwame Badue, and Joseph Osagba. They provide two primary definitions of affirmative action. The first says that the purpose of affirmative action is to right the wrongs of past discrimination. The second is that affirmative action works much like a “quota system,” i.e. schools are required to have certain levels of diversity in their schools. To reach that diversity schools use affirmative action, allowing in less qualified minorities to promote diversity.
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, affirmative action is “an active effort to improve employment or educational opportunities for members of minority groups and women.” However, despite its well-intentioned policies, it has been the source of much controversy over the years. Barbara Scott and Mary Ann Schwartz mention that “proponents of affirmative action argue that given that racism and discrimination are systemic problems, their solutions require institutional remedies such as those offered by affirmative action legislation” (298). Also, even though racism is no longer direct, indirect forms still exist in society and affirmative action helps direct. On the other hand, opponents to affirm...
In 1961, the notion of affirmative action was first appeared when President John F. Kennedy asked government contractors to take “affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin.1” Kennedy originally spoke of "affirmative steps" to prevent discrimination, suggesting general efforts to reach out to minority groups. However, the term is not defined or explained further; there is no indication that a specific policy was intended. Yet, by 1978, the first controversy in college admissions arose in the Bakke v. Regents of the University of California case. Since then, questions about whether or not affirmative action increases equality i...
Usually the kid is examined as a sort of object, who is like a toy in the hands of adult, who teaches the kid and provides positive and negative experiences, but Vygotsky managed to see a kid like an independent active person who can actually actively influence the adult, and it happens every often that a kid controls a mature person even more than adult controls a
For the last 5 years Zimbardo and his colleagues have been studying and exploring the nature as well as the roots of heroism. With this study he defines what heroism is in several parts. “First, it’s performed in service to others in need. Second, it’s engaged in voluntarily, even in military contexts, as heroism remains an act that goes beyond something required by military duty. Third, a heroic act is one performed with recognition of possible risks and costs, be they to one’s physical health or personal reputation, in which the individual is willing to accept anticipated sacrifice. Finally, it is performed without external gain anticipated at the time of the act
Gredler, M. (2012). Understanding Vygotsky for the Classroom: Is It Too Late?. Educational Psychology Review, 24(1), 113-131. doi:10.
n the world of Vygotsky, a child was not a product of the environment, instead the child interacts with the environment by making choices, which moderates or influences the effect of the environment on the child. Lev Vygotsky stages of development were not defined by age or biology, the basis behind his theory was unerstanding social and cultural experiences of a child, and how they affect the the child's development. A philosophy of Vygotsky’s theory was the zone of proximal development (ZPD), this is the difference between what a child is able to solve on its own based on the stage of cognitive development, and what a child can learn with the help or experience of another person. Vygotsky believes the skill of knowledge comes from mastering new social situations where learning is shared with others. He also believed that experiences should be shared in social settings, and placed a large emphasis on the quality of group work within the cognitive development process. Within group work, children's language is encouraged to develop, through conversation, questioning and sharing cognitive content with their peers. Vygotsky believed that "social interaction enables the child to develop the intellectual skills needed for logical reasoning and thought." (Grossman, S. 2008) Through language and communication, children learn to evaluate the world and change their actions accordingly.
I believe this as well, that children are constructive but are not experts at most skills and will therefore need some guidance from a caring adult. “The Zone of Proximal Development is the range of abilities that a person can perform with assistance, but cannot yet perform independently. Providing children with the appropriate assistance and tools gives them what they need to accomplish the new task or skill”. This is called scaffolding. “It’s important for people to realize that the zone of proximal development is a moving target”. Which means it is consistently changing as the child grows older. This is why I like to challenge children and present them with tasks that aren’t easily achieved on their own, but with some guidance and slight assistance, it is capable of accomplishment. Vygotsky believed that this would progressively advance the learning process as I too
Vygotsky believes that social interaction will help with children to be more knowledgeable in society. He felt that culture teaches people how to think and ways to learn and memorize. He used zone of proximal development to engage with the level of performance a child can co-exist and achieve with someone with more knowledge. The Zone of Proximal Development provides that a child can independently accomplish specific tasks with guidance and encouragement from a knowledgeable adult. It is known that no child can exceed the zone of proximal. Vygotsky suggests a child’s environment is a vital contributor to development and learning. Children learn when they are left alone. In Vygotsky theory language is very important; the use of word helps enhance their cognitive
Vygotsky was a soviet psychologist from 1896-1934. He mainly contributed in the developmental psychology by proposing on theory that connects to the children development. He proposed a theory on the development or higher cognitive functions especially in the children, which he saw the emergence of some reasoning form the practical activities that children are participating in the social environment, especially through playing (Jones, & Reynolds, 1992). He has had many arguments in aligning to reasoning and cognitive development, the first in the earlier stages being the argument that, reasoning development is mediated by the symbols and signs that a person sees in everyday life. This means, they are connected very
is viewed. Many things that a person can do can be constituted as heroic helping someone in