Has Affirmative Action had any positive results Should the policy be Essay

Has Affirmative Action had any positive results Should the policy be abandoned - Essay Example In the real sense, Bacchi (1996) indicates that the women and other marginalized groups are the most affected by discriminatory practices in organizations. It is in this light, as a result, that there is need to make sure that a proper rationale is effected to ensure that all persons in the workplace are handled as equally essential, and that all are represented well in the workplace. In addition, Crosby et al. (2006) are of the thought that, affirmative action allows for provision of equal opportunity of all persons, especially in terms of employment, promotion, and access to opportunities of attaining higher education. However, Fairclouch (2001) and Martin (2001) warn that it is vital to assess to what extent discrimination and bias prevails in an organization, and if promotion of equality is workable for all institutions. This is to mean that policy makers must be wary of this fact, and apply a proper guideline in the quest to provide equal treatment of all. This paper shall attem pt to assess if affirmative action has yielded any positive results, and if not, whether it would be advised to abandon the policy. Positives of the affirmative action With an increase in the groups championing for the rights of the minority groups, notable the girl-child and the persons with special needs, it is evident that though the world has not created a leveled playing ground for all the interested parties, the cases of discrimination have reduced greatly (Pincus, 2003). In the world today, the women for instance have been extremely vocal when it comes to them fighting for their rights in the law courts, government, and the social world amongst others. It is at this point of argument that we would argue that there has been a great change from the naive, apprehensive and misguided woman to the modern day woman. A good example is Tyra of the Tyra Banks Show. This is to mean that the women are slowly gaining a prestigious position in the society that was once overshadowed by the prowess of the men. From the work of Bacchi (1996), the ‘new’ woman can be accredited as a product of affirmative action in the society. Through this action, the women have been given opportunities in the government; they have also been consulted prior to making any form of decisions that touch on the society amongst other leadership roles. Despite the numerous debates on the move by women groups to claim position in the society; that they are indeed poor decision makers and are only fit for ‘odd’ jobs, it is evident through the women leaders that there is a great likelihood that women might completely take over in the society. In the argument of Rabe (2001), though affirmative action has been questioned on its ability to reduce discrimination among the races, a huge difference can be seen as compared to the earlier years. In fact, Rabe (2001) insists that affirmative action should not be abandoned on the basis of it not being able to shun all forms of dis crimination in the society. In the event that the affirmative action allows the black race improve their economic ability through leveling the employment protocols, it is possible that in the long run, the blacks will be accepted in the society (Rabe, 2001; Collins, 1993; Sitkoff, 1981). In his work, Rabe (2001) continues to argue that in the case of admission to universities, the affirmative a