Affirmative Action Policies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Affirmative Action Policies - Essay Example As such, matters related to sharing, equality, and fairness are of paramount importance and frequently give rise to need for mechanisms for addressing implications that come along with these mechanisms. Affirmative action traces its roots back in the Reconstruction Era whereby after slaves attained freedom, they had nothing else apart from small skills that could use to earn a living2. As a result, the victorious General T. Sherman set forth a proposal that was to divide the land and goods of the Southeastern Georgia into sizeable proportions and give the freed family 40 acres of land and a mule in order to begin their lives3. This move attracted a huge level of opposition from the sitting clergy. However, almost a century later, this issue of affirmative action has come back to haunt opponents of this policy. Today, the lawful society of the United States recognizes the idea of assisting individuals of minority decency to gain access to American goods. This came via a series of poli tical initiatives and court proceedings that interpreted all the requirements of the civil rights just as provided in the Fourteenth Amendment 4. These initiatives, as well as court decisions, came into books as affirmative action. As the term itself suggests, it is both voluntary and mandatory in that it intends to affirm civically recognized rights of the designated classes of people by employing a positive action in order to protect these individuals from the rampant, all round, and pervasive incidents of discrimination in America. Sources indicate that affirmative action developed about four decades ago following the debate between the Board of Education and Brown5. In terms of Brown, the Supreme Court opined that children of minority races faced segregation and discrimination in areas of education. This fact denied these children equal education opportunities and rejected the doctrine that asserted â€Å"separate but equal† within the public schools6. Following increased cases of discrimination and victorious wins in wars like the Vietnam War, men and women of minority groups intensified their fight for equal rights. These members were able to integrate change in the nation’s existing laws and attained collective address in the Fourteenth Amendment. Following the success of affirmative action, members of the minority groups attained places in the employment and education sector. As the focus of this paper ascertains, changes in both the graduate and undergraduate programs in the US grew due to increased criticism from whites and men who claimed that the policies of affirmative action brought about something they termed as the â€Å"reverse discrimination†. To ensure, successful integration of affirmative action policies in undergraduate and graduate programs, the Court acted before business legislatures and executives and mandated coalition of positive actions in these programs7. As a matter of course, the Court set in place a number of devices that integrated and fostered indiscriminative measures towards students from minority backgrounds. These devices included majority to minority transfers, redistricting, new construction, magnet schools, school pairings, abandonment of all blacks’ schools, and busing. Investigations highlight that implications related to affirmative action particularly when compared to race consciousness and race blind admissions give explanations as to how alternative programs are impractical in general. With reference to a number of discussions, selections that base solely on academia qualifications such as the Medical College Admissions Test and Grade Point Averages

Normative Ethical Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Normative Ethical Theories - Essay Example Firstly, it is necessary to define and interpret the true nature and meaning of the deontological perspective as a means to adequately provide a normative interpretation of FGM. A deontological approach merely specifies that the end ethical consideration of a given action or decision must necessarily consider the impact upon the rights of other individuals in order to determine whether such a course of action or approach to a given issue impacts or infringes upon the rights of another. Naturally, for purposes of the subject matter regarding FGM, such an approach is appropriately suited to helping to come to a very clear and determinant point of view with regards to whether the practice should be allowed to exist or should be deemed ethically and morally reprehensible. Without delving too deeply into the physiology involved, one can understand that the practice of FGM has far reaching implications for both the psychological and physical health of the child upon whom such a practice is directed. Moreover, the fact of the matter is that FGM does not ask the permission of the woman prior to being enacted. Almost invariably such a practice is employed prior to the child being able to speak, walk, or otherwise express themselves (Nussbaum 1999). In this way, one can readily see that the only shareholder in the process that has the ability to make a well informed and moral determination is the surgeon or individual who is responsible for cutting off the clitoris of the young child. In this way, the needs of the woman that the young child will grow into are not considered, and no sought. A cultural interpretation of ethical and moral decision making is employed. As such, it is understood that it is the in best interest of the child involved to perform such a procedure. In this way, the ethical issues breaks down to a question of whether culture is able to be judged as a higher ethical good than any other normative ethical approach. It is the approach of the deontologis t that such an answer can be found via an understanding of the net negative effects that such an approach affects on others. From this point of view, it is clearly obvious the FGM is both barbaric and heartless as it pays little to no attention to the tender and un-vocalized needs of the woman who is having her genitals mutilated (Okwudili et al 2012). Moreover, the deontological approach views the issue from a very ethically determinant standpoint; if the impacts of a given action are causing pain/hardship, and/or harm by way of a specific action, it is therefore unethical and should be re-evaluated and/or discontinued. As such, the type of obligation and duty that deontology speaks to engage the ethicist with the realization that he/she has an obligation to the needs and happiness of others affected by the choices that he/she will make in the ultimate determination of right and wrong. As with any of the normative approaches to ethical thinking, such an approach necessarily disrega rds one theory or practice at the expense of its own interpretation of what is ultimately right or wrong. As stated, from a deontological perspective, it is impossible for the ethicist to promote the process of FGM or any other such process that