Thursday, May 17, 2018

Making The World More Egalitarian With AAP Compliance

By Shirley Peterson


The world is not equal and it never has been. As long as there is human society, there will always be those who believe themselves to be superior in some way. Consequently, some people will be marginalized. Through the generations, the lines between the groups may blur a little bit, but the descendants of the marginalized may continue to experience discrimination. But parts of the world are moving past that. Which is why some companies have plans to do so adhere to their AAP compliance.

Affirmative action is the method by which companies and government institutions seek to combat, or make up for, the historical discrimination experienced by marginalized communities. It seeks to gives those from said communities the exact same opportunities for entering the workforce and being admitted into educational institutions that people from more privileged communities receive simply by virtue of having the right ancestors of the right color.

A company can have an AAP in place for a variety reason. On occasion, a person of color rises up through the ranks high enough that they can make such changes happen and make the company be conscious of any unfair hiring practices. At other times, laws mandate that hiring practices not be clouded by racial bias.

Unfortunately, AAPs are still necessary. No one lives inside a bubble of objectivity. Society and the media are always going to steer a person towards an opinion one way or another, creating bias in some form. Because this bias, combined with the ingrained instinct towards tribalism, can lead to discrimination, policies have to be put in place to make sure that the hiring or admittance process is as free from bias as possible.

There has been some controversy regarding such actions, especially in regards to educational institutions. It is long rumored that many of the top colleges and universities have quotas for minorities, particularly racial minorities. This works in the sense that most colleges and universities only have a select number of slots available for each incoming school year, and that a number of those slots are set aside exclusively for racial or ethnic minorities.

For a racial minority, an AAP can mean the difference between a paycheck and a welfare check. Bias colors the hiring process. As such, a minority may have a harder time finding work than a non minority. But having an AAP in place can make finding work, and the upwards social mobility that comes with it, much easier for someone from an underprivileged community.

There is a belief, especially among older men, that women are not effective in the workforce. The belief is that women are only working to do something while waiting to become mothers, because ambition is the sole dominion of men, or that women will not be as productive or be a distraction. But a company that is conscious of prejudice will be more likely to employ women.

The world has made affirmative action necessary. Specifically, racist and sexist attitudes have made it necessary to consciously consider minorities and women as fully capable workers and students. Until racism and sexism completely disappear from the public mind, affirmative action will continue to be necessary. It does guarantee a minority of employment, but it does help them get considered for it.

It is unfortunate that policies mandating equality have to be put in place, that a point of view without discrimination is not the default. But no one ever said that the world was fair. So long as there is discrimination on a societal level, affirmative action will continue to be necessary.




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