4 ms·
Affirmative action is a shortcut, but sometimes the shortcut is the only way to make any progress. There may be a few very large issues, but also a gazillion s
by bayesian_horse 5y ago
Affirmative action is a shortcut, but sometimes the shortcut is the only way to make any progress.
There may be a few very large issues, but also a gazillion small factors that make up systemic discrimination, both racially and against women. It is impossible for minorities to fight those individually, especially not from a position of weakness. It is more effective to counter at least a small part of the net discriminative effect by relatively simple quotas.
And usually those policies don't make up the balance anyway.
- nullc 5y agoI'm dubious that economic standing isn't a better criteria than race in most situations where affirmative action would be desirable. Providing programs to help those in a weaker economic position more directly addresses the need, results in programs that everyone can feel that maybe they or their family might benefit from, and avoids perpetuating raced based discrimination and the resulting resentment. If when economic equality isn't the inequality you're attempting to correct it's so highly correlated that it should be sufficient-- after all, a big part about why we care about the lasting effects of historic racism is that it has produced a lasting weakened economic standing.
- andrekandre 5y agoi think what your comment aludes to, and is an important point that gets lost easily is, concentrating on race masks the real issue which is systemic economic and opportunity disparity
- bayesian_horse 5y agoI think you underestimate contemporary racial discrimination.