Affirmative Action

Affirmative action is defined as positive steps taken to increase the

representation of women and minorities in the areas of employment, education, and
business. These steps are taken as redress for past discrimination. Affirmative action
is known as positive discrimination in the U.K. and employment equity in Canada.
When adopted as a policy requiring preferential selection, affirmative action
generates intense controversy.

American President John F. Kennedy introduced affirmative action in 1961 as

a temporary remedy that would end once a "level playing-field" was established for all
Americans. The policy has faced opposition by conservatives who see the system as
a zero-sum game that opens doors for minorities by excluding whites.

Affirmative action practices have been adopted in China, Japan, and South
Korea to assist minorities pursuing higher education. In Malaysia, preferential
treatment policies for ethnic Malays have led to segregation between Malays and
non-Malay minorities. Furthermore, a requirement for 30% of corporate assets to be
Malay-owned has hindered economic growth. In France, females will be required to
make up 20% of the boards of all stock exchange listed or state-owned companies
by 2014. In Slovakia, affirmative action has been declared unconstitutional.

One identified drawback of affirmative action is a phenomenon called

mismatching. This occurs when students are placed in academic programs that are
too difficult for them, resulting in higher dropout rates. Critics also argue that
affirmative action devalues the accomplishments of those who belong to groups it is
intended to help, therefore making it counterproductive.

Research sources:

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/affirmative-action/

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/affirmative1.html

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/us/jan-june09/
affirmative_action.html

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2010/0330/Malaysia-cautiously-challenges-longtime-
affirmative-action-policies