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Pros And Cons Of Affirmative Action

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I.
Affirmative action is not discrimination, but rather an ethical vehicle for removing its systemic effects.
II.
Affirmative action can be defined as (bias-free) actions or policies favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination or who have been historically excluded, especially in areas of employment or education, aiming to reduce the racist or sexist impact of previous unjust or prejudicial treatment (Fullinwider). Creating a "level playing field" for underrepresented groups, typically women and minorities, that have been the victims of some kind of discrimination in the past, is the goal of (the preferential treatment involved in affirmative action. A differentiation between preferential and procedural affirmative action should be noted. Preferential affirmative action is the unethical and in some cases immoral favorable treatment based on ethnicity or gender. Procedural affirmative action is special measures taken to reduce racial and sexual discrimination, and is usually considered ethical. (Pojman) This paper seeks to discuss the latter point. Discrimination is usually associated with social injustice, in particular, improper criteria, usually race or gender distinctions, used as a basis for preferential treatment. Such discrimination is most evident in the workplace and institutions of higher learning. For an action to be considered discriminatory in this manner it is likely derived from a morally unjustified attitude, is not based on individual merit,

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