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Re: Affirmative Action (Was: Anthroplogists, I need advice!)
cynthia gage (cgage@haverford.edu)
Thu, 07 Nov 1996 12:26:15 -0500
In article <3236272D.7FE3@megafauna.com>, steve@megafauna.com wrote:
> Affirmative action, no matter how noble its motives, hasn't worked.
> Your post demonstrates that.
>
> Steve Barnard
What do you mea by "worked"? Completely solved the problem of
discrimination, prejudice and sexism? No, affirmative action hasn't
"solved" these complicated and frustrating issues. But it has allowed
more minorities and women to get past what were at one time completely
impenatrable boundries to succeed or fail just like every other white male
has been doing for the last 2 centuries.
The number of women in higher education and corporate positions has
increased but women still recieve only $.72 to every $1 a man is paid for
the exact same work. It seems to me that Affirmative Action is DOING
something and what it's doing is shifting the "upper hand" in hiring so
that it is no longer on the white male. Of course he feels slighted and
as if he's the vicitm of reverse discrimination but really he's just lost
the unfair advantage he's grown so accustomed to. I know I'm looking at
the whole process ideally, but I haven't heard any better suggestions.
Take care,
Cynthia
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