My name is DeShawn: An investigation into Affirmative Action

This text assesses the need for Affirmative Action policy for ethnic minorities within the United States. It attempts to clarify if there is a need for the existence of Affirmative Action policy by examining the reasons for its creation and whether these factors are relevant today. This text will attempt to establish to what extent affirmative action is needed to reduce social and economic inequalities in society by examining the effects of the policy on ethnic minorities. It will discuss the effectiveness and implementation of the policy and whether it achieves it intended outcomes. It will also research the impact of the policy and what implications its creation has had on employment attitudes and culture amongst the group it was created to help. By establishing a rationale for its continued existence, it shall be demonstrated that a complete lack of the policy is detrimental to equitable outcomes in society. Furthermore, by showing that there are unconsidered variables which traditional studies have until now neglected, a new model for resolving the situation of socio-economic disparity may be achieved. This is produced by examining the correlation between possessing a distinctive name that implies an ethnic origin together with a low social and economic class that results in a signalling mechanism that allows employers to screen out applicants. This warrants investigation as to whether this behaviour is the result of systemic discrimination against either race or class arising from perceptions about such names and is examined by looking at audit surveys of employers and admissions tutors for universities. The text concludes that due to societal asymmetries that still exist between demographic groups there is a need for Affirmative Action policy. However, its method of implementation may require modification and the removal of the policy is not a desirable option as it does not lead to equitable outcomes. This text cannot show definitively that discrimination still exists in the American system and is the cause of failures in Affirmative Action policy.

• | Author: Parbej Ali
• | Publisher: Independently Published
• | Publication Date: Mar 20, 2007
• | Number of Pages: 114 pages
• | Binding: Paperback or Softback
• | ISBN-13: 9798702490328