Affirmative Action The United States Of America

The University of Texas at Austin Affirmative Action in the United States of America An Analysis on a Sociological Problem Nicholas Quoc-Anh Pham (NQP69) SOC 307E Kristine Kilanski May 8, 2015 Affirmative action has been one of the most effective tools to correct a history of inequalities in our nation’s history against people of color and women. The huge advances made during Civil Rights era still has not completely eradicated centuries of sexism and racism. Opportunities for advancement for those previously omitted remain few and far between in comparison to their counterparts. Race and gender are not, nor should they be, the only selection measure but they do warrant to be one of the many influences considered in college admissions, hiring, and awarding of grants and other forms of financial aid. Many prestigious and well regarded school universities such as Harvard and Stanford have been at the forefront of this ideal. Nonetheless, affirmative action remains a heavily contested social issue in the United States. In 1998 the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the blacks were almost two times as likely as their white foils to be unemployed. Additionally, Latin os also had a higher rate of unemployment than for whites. In 2000, the average weekly earnings for whites was $590. In contrast blacks only earned $490 weekly and Latinos earned $395. The distribution of labor was also heavily segregated. These minorities were and still are concentrated in theShow MoreRelatedAffirmative Action And The Law Of The United States Of America1496 Words   |  6 PagesI. Introduction Affirmative action has founded a particular precedent in the Law of the United States of America. It evolved from being an administrative practice of the state and interventionist measures of the President to a way to enshrine the right to equality under the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court and the incorporation into the constitution plexus of the 14th amendment where it is stated that no state may deny within its jurisdiction the protection of the law to all its inhabitants.Read Moreaffirmative action1695 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ Abstract What is affirmative action? Affirmative action is an action or policy favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination, esp. in relation to employment or education; positive discrimination. In the 1940s: President Roosevelt signed an order making discrimination illegal in defense contracting. 1954: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that separate but equal facilities on the basis of race were unconstitutionally discriminatory. 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Eisenhower was in office, he decided to let the states decide whether or not to use affirmative action (AffirmativeRead MoreDiscriminatory Practices And Natural Inequalities Essay1497 Words   |  6 Pages Whether individuals recognize it or not, the world is filled with discriminatory practices and natural inequalities. Even the â€Å"free† country, The United States, possesses many cringe worthy social inconsistencies in regards to: race or ethnicity, religion, gender, physical abilities, sexual identity, and sexual orientation. These discriminatory practices bring many circumstances to all dimensions of society. 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To discourage any more of adverse discernment towards certain individuals, the Federal government has imposed legislation called affirmative action. According to At Issue: Affirmative Action, â€Å"Affirmative action is designed to promote access to opportunities in education, employmentRead MoreAffirmative Action Essay968 Words   |  4 PagesTwo hundred years ago in America, being born of a certain race or gender predetermined one’s opportunities in life. African Americans were subjected to slavery and discrimination and women had very little liberty. In the present, the United States is much closer to equality, yet gender and race still play a role in life’s opportunities given the high frequency of affirmative action programs; they attempt to increase the representation of minorities on college campuses and in the office, regardlessRead MoreEssay on Affirmative Action Discriminates against Asians1146 Words   |  5 PagesAffirmative action has been viewed as an ef fective tool for rectifying the inequalities of racism in our country’s past. It is a set of procedures intended to eliminate the discrimination of an applicant based on their ethnic origin. President John F. Kennedy first introduced the concept â€Å"broadly across the United States with his Executive Order number 10925† and â€Å"in 1978 the Supreme Court ruled that race could be used as an admission standard† (Wilcher). The utilization of race is a â€Å"plus factor†