Affirmative action is an initiative adopted by the south african government, which seeks to correct the imbalance of wealth and provide opportunities to the people who were adversely affected as a result of the apartheid regime. Affirmative action, a look at south africa and the united. Sep 01, 2012 affirmative action the good, the bad and the ugly dawn fletcheradams university of louisville soc 21001 race in the united states america is called the land of opportunity however, most of the countries citizens are not able to enjoy the benefits that the title provides. Affirmative action is an attempt to promote equal opportunity, or increase ethnic diversity or other forms of diversity. Affirmative action the good, the bad and the ugly dawn fletcheradams university of louisville soc 21001 race in the united states america is called the land of opportunity however, most of the countries citizens are not able to enjoy the benefits that the title provides. Thus, the impact might be good for some and bad for others.
They argue that affirmative action programs are needed as much todayif not morethan when the balancing policies initially took effect. Weekend post south africa 20101004 wikipedia defines affirmative action as. The approach taken by south africa reopens the debate on affirmative action and offers. The paper aims to examine whether the south african government and its corporate organizations have been successful in employing women as professional equals by utilizing them fully in senior and top management positions after equal opportunity and affirmative action legislation was introduced by the democratic government. Sat testing, college grades, school funding, and how college admission really works. The fact however is, that many previously discriminated members belong to the economically middle and upper class families and still, they get the advantage of affirmative action policies.
The latter is one of the unintended consequences of the former, if we give the architects of the policy the benefit of the doubt, which i believe we should. As a result, affirmative action can become counterproductive to its own cause. It is also a goldmine of information about a host of subjects. Affirmative action in south africa repository home. It is thus opportune to take stock, not only of the. Sowell disregards the fundamental distinction between legitimate and illegitimate preferences which ronald dworkin, for example, has analyzed in his book. Affirmative action, also known as reservation in india and nepal, positive action in the uk, and employment equity in a narrower context in canada and south africa, is the policy of protecting members of groups that are known to have previously suffered from discrimination.
How to make employment equity work for your business. Affirmative action policies in south africa and other countries have been designed to. The context, root causes and methods of redress differ across countries, and various terms such as positive discrimination, positive action measures and others have been used, but affirmative action seems to have gained the most traction in international discourse. In the book, the malaysian experience of affirmative action. This created a bigger gap between the lower and middle class, which led to class struggles and a greater segregation. Historically and internationally, support for affirmative action has sought to achieve goals such as bridging.
Celia dugger reports on how affirmative action policy at the university of cape town has turned into a national debate on how to erase racial divides that linger 16 years after the end of apartheid. That the impetus towards affirmative action is two fold. The concept is often associated with conservative social movements and the belief that social and economic gains by black people in the united states and elsewhere cause disadvantages for white people. Affirmative action policies in south africa and other countries have been designed to address inequity and discrimination, and to manage a wide range of diversity in all spheres of life. Mar 19, 2010 affirmative action wasnt invented in south africa. The manner in which affirmative action are implemented, the types of action they require, and the broader implications they carry vary from country to country and in different sectors. Affirmative action was introduced to counter the effects of apartheid. Affirmative action devalues the accomplishments by minorities, because affirmative action gives preference to groups instead of the accomplishments, experiences, and qualifications of individuals who might be in the minority. Wider working paper 201666 affirmative action policies. Development approaches and legislative requirements 64 figure 3. Debate affirmative action and the perpetuation of racial. It is legal and can boost the number of minorities in programs and positions, but there is no guarantee that these policies will help people make a better life for themselves. The pros and cons of affirmative action phil for humanity.
Opponents of affirmative action argue that racebased decisionmaking. In the 1980s, the federal governments role in affirmative action was considerably diluted. List of books and articles about affirmative action. The justifications and limits of affirmative action stellenbosch. Apr 29, 2019 employment equity is a legal imperative in south africa, but it also makes smart business sense, with diverse employment companies outperforming competitors by up to 35%. Whether or not affirmative action is an effective tool to combat disadvantage depends on the legislative approach and its best application to the specific problems. Reverse racism or reverse discrimination is the concept that affirmative action and similar colorconscious programs for redressing racial inequality are a form of antiwhite racism. The concept is often associated with conservative social movements 4 5 and the belief that social and economic gains by black people in the united states and. Affirmative action in south africa does more harm than good. Introduction the year 2009 marked 10 years since south africas affirmative action aa legislation of 1998 took effect.
The policies, although implemented for an admirable purpose, have done the economy and moral of the countrys citizens more harm than good. Discrimination and disadvantage in the context of affirmative action. Affirmative action created marginalization for coloured and indian races in south africa, as well as developing and aiding the middle and elite classes, leaving the lower class behind. Being able to accomplish scholastic goals, attend a fouryear college, and to have an influential career, are not. Affirmative action in south africa wiley online library. Towards a definition of affirmative action in south africa at the outset i intend to distance myself from any hard and fast definition of the concept of affirmative action. Essay on advantages and disadvantages of affirmative action. Is there a minimum or a maximum disadvantage instead of trying to achieve targets.
Affirmative action in the workplace program or action plan is a tool of management designed to make sure there is an equal opportunity for employment for all. I read this line in an advertisement and thought it interesting that the terms affirmative action and equal opportunity could be assembled together in the same clause. In the south african context, affirmative action measures are said to be a means. States has not come far enough in leveling the playing field. Historical context of affirmative action in south africa historically, in societies all over the globe, various groups of people, usually minorities classified according to traits like gender, cast, ethnicity, and religion are discriminated against, resulting in lack of access to resources, education etc. Lessons for south africa, emsley 1996, maintains that the united states of america. Affirmative action is not equal opportunity new york university is an affirmative action equal opportunity institution. The disadvantage is that it has led to xenophobic attacks. The affirmative action hoax may well be the first book length treatment of racial preferences that pulls no punches and respects no taboos. However, the first democratic elections took place 14 years ago and yet affirmative action policies have strengthened. South africa introduced affirmative action in the employment equity act, 55 of 1998. Affirmative action, a look at south africa and the united states. Dec 01, 2010 celia dugger reports on how affirmative action policy at the university of cape town has turned into a national debate on how to erase racial divides that linger 16 years after the end of apartheid.
What are advantages and disadvantages of affirmative. Affirmative action our readers, commentary magazine. The paper also sketches the accountability, monitoring and reporting responsibilities of various players within affirmative action programmes. Jul 20, 2015 the disadvantages of affirmative action.
According to the phrase was coined in the united states to refer to policies that take race, ethnicity, physical disability or sex into consideration in an attempt to promote equal oppor. Tokyo sexwale, former premier of gauteng, said that malaysia. The advantages of affirmative action in south africa is that it has brought the citizens of south africa at par with each other. This also gives protections to minorities who commit violent crimes against.
The whole idea of this action is that over time there shall be no discrimination whatsoever based on gender, race, ethnic profiles, etc. The eea aims to achieve equity in the workplace by implementing affirmative action measures to redress the disadvantages in employment experienced by designated groups in order to ensure their equitable representation in all occupational categories and levels in the workforce s 2. Dec 29, 2008 affirmative action is not equal opportunity new york university is an affirmative action equal opportunity institution. Oct 01, 2010 the affirmative action hoax may well be the first book length treatment of racial preferences that pulls no punches and respects no taboos. Its affirmative action on steroids, and a warning to america of the dangers of the diversity cult. In lumping together apartheid policies designed to reinforce a racial hierarchy in south africa and affirmativeaction policies designed to eliminate hierarchies in other societies, mr. Disadvantages and advantages of affirmative action samsung. Jan 01, 2005 the paper aims to examine whether the south african government and its corporate organizations have been successful in employing women as professional equals by utilizing them fully in senior and top management positions after equal opportunity and affirmative action legislation was introduced by the democratic government. The idea of affirmative action in south africa is to give support and assistance to the previously discriminated group, for a better future. In the early days of affirmative action malaysia was held up as the model of affirmative action by south africa. Develop the skills of the disadvantaged groups 59 62. By giving special treatments to only some people,and not to others, causes racism to become even more prevalent. The implementation of affirmative action policy within the pretoria district of the south african police service by paulus hlongwane submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of master of administration in the subject public administration at the university of south africa supervisor.
Jan 06, 2012 affirmative action is necessary in short, there are now few people who disagree that affirmative action is necessary and desirable in admitting students to higher education in south africa. Bakke 1978, it let existing programs stand and approved the use of quotas in 1979 in a case involving voluntary affirmativeaction programs in unions and private businesses. Affirmative action in south africa does more harm than. Equal opportunity and affirmative action for south african. In some circumstances, a program like affirmative action could promote needed diversity. What are the advantages of the climate in south africa answers. The south african courts have used books to establish historical facts. The white paper on affirmative action in the public service will also be available in south sotho, zulu, tsonga and afrikaans on the internet at. Employment equity is a legal imperative in south africa, but it also makes smart business sense, with diverse employment companies outperforming competitors by up to 35%.
South africa is the only country where an overwhelming majority in complete political control is apparently so threatened by a tiny minority that they need racist affirmative action policies to protect the majority by legislatively excluding the minority totally from the job market. Affirmative action in south africa the new york times. Reverse discrimination many people argue that affirmative action is simply a case of reverse discrimination. Jun 08, 2015 8 prevailing advantages and disadvantages of affirmative action navajocodetalkersadmin on june 8, 2015 6. There are whites who have been fired from their jobs because companies in south africa are punished with huge fines 10% of turnover and even 10years in prison if they dont hire enough nonwhite personnel. Disadvantages and advantages of affirmative action. The justifications and limits of affirmative action. Unlike elsewhere in the world, the main the controversy in south africa is not about the established place of disadvantage in the selection. The advantages and disadvantages of affirmative action will continue to spark a passionate debate on both sides of the question.
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