Affirmative Action Essays (1644 words) - Social Inequality

Affirmative Action AFFIRMATIVE ACTION INTRODUCTION Affirmative action is the name of an American social practice through which members of historically disadvantaged racial and/or ethnic groups are given preferential treatment in an effort to compensate for past harm caused to their ancestors. For thirty years, affirmative action was carefully shielded from open, honest evaluation while it simultaneously grew more pervasive along with the federal bureaucracy and welfare state. The recent political upheaval caused by the Republican takeover of Congress in 1994 has opened the door for opponents of affirmative action programs to successfully pursue their gradual elimination. If affirmative action is to continue as an American institution, its supporters must be willing to listen to frank criticisms of affirmative action's shortcomings. Nevertheless, affirmative action programs remain an endangered species. II. HISTORICAL CONCEPT Affirmative action programs were initiated by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 to correct past discrimination. Its purpose was to actively seek out black candidates for jobs, college, or promotions, without treating them differently in the decision to hire, admit, or promote. In the 1970s, however, affirmative action took on a new meaning as good-faith efforts to recruit blacks would not withstand a Title VII challenge of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Employers and admission committees had to actually hire or admit black applicants to withstand challenges of racial discrimination (Rodrigue, 1995). The strategy most frequently employed was to select the best available black candidate even if the best was not good enough for the position. The rationale most frequently given for affirmative-action programs is ?the principal of compensatory justice? This principle states that whenever an injustice has been committed, just compensation or reparation must be made to the injured party. It is this principle that is the rationale behind the tort law's compensating victims for infers for individual harms. This principle also explains why German paid Jews for the harms caused in World War II and why American Indians should be compensated for the past unjust deprivation of their trivial land. Indeed, affirmative action means taking measures that go beyond merely ceasing or avoiding discrimination; it means taking measures that attempt to undo or compensate for the effects of past discrimination. The principle is encountered in several major categories of discrimination areas-most notably employment and education, but also such areas as housing and government contracting. In this way we can say that affirmative action programs help support the principle of equality of citizens that is a defining feature of democracy. III. THE ROLE OF HR IN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAMS Equal Employment Opportunity means that an HR manager will; ? provide equal access to all available jobs, training, and promotional opportunities ? provide similar benefits and services to everyone ? apply all policies and practices consistently to applicants and staff ? do not differentiate among applicants or employees on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation In other words, EEO forbids employment discrimination. It requires the elimination of any bias in personnel activities. However, if we take a look at the nature of affirmative action policies, they do not promote democracy. Indeed, in n employment, for example, two basic categories of affirmative action can be identified: (1) coercive and (2) voluntary. Coercive plans, in turn, fall into two groups: plans imposed as a condition of government contracts or grants; and court-imposed remedies under Title VII of the Civil Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C.A 2000e et sequ.). Voluntary plans are those adopted by an employer, university, or the like, when under no direct legal compulsion to do so. The earliest affirmative action plans were concerned with race, but plans now frequently extend to sex, national origin, and religion (Rodrigue, 1995). Over the past thirty years, affirmative action programs initiated by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 have grown into ?. . . a web of racial and gender preferences touch[ing] all federal departments, according to a recent congressional report.? When Senator Robert Dole asked for a list of race-related federal policies, ?He got back a 32-page report listing roughly 160 laws, regulations or executive orders.? (Rodrigue, 1995). This issue has been viewed as not being a true champion of democracy, as Democrats use it against Republicans. It does take race

The Nine Nations of North America

The Nine Nations of North America The 1981 book The Nine Nations of North America by Washington Post reporter Joel Garreau was an attempt to explore the regional geography of the North American continent and assign portions of the continent to one of nine nations, which are geographic regions that have consistent qualities and similar features. The nine nations of North America, as proposed by Garreau include: The FoundryMexAmericaThe BreadbasketEcotopiaNew EnglandThe Empty QuarterDixieQuebecThe Islands What follows is a summary of each of the nine nations and their qualities. Links in the titles of each region lead to the complete online chapter regarding that region from the book The Nine Nations of North America from Garreaus website. The Foundry Includes New York, Pennsylvania, and the Great Lakes Region. At the time of publication (1981), The Foundry region was in significant decline as a manufacturing center. The region includes the metropolitan areas of New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Toronto, and Detroit. Garreau selected Detroit as the capital city of this region but considered Manhattan an anomaly within the region. MexAmerica With a capital city of Los Angeles, Garreau proposed that the Southwestern United States (including Californias Central Valley) and Northern Mexico would be a region onto itself. Stretching from Texas to the Pacific Coast, MexAmericas common Mexican heritage and the Spanish language unite this region. The Breadbasket Much of the Midwest, stretching from northern Texas to the southern parts of the Prairie Provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba), this region is essentially the Great Plains and is, according to Garreau, the heartland of North America. Garreaus proposed capital city is Kansas City. Ecotopia Named after a book of the same name, Ecotopia with a capital city of San Francisco is the liberal Pacific Coast from southern Alaska to Santa Barbara, including the Washington, Oregon, and Northern California metropolitan areas of Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco. New England Consisting of what is traditionally known as New England (Connecticut to Maine), this region of the nine nations includes the Canadian Maritime provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, along with the Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The capital of New England is Boston. The Empty Quarter The Empty Quarter includes everything from about 105 degrees west longitude to Ecotopia on the Pacific Coast. It also includes everything north of the Breadbasket so it includes all of Alberta and Northern Canada. The capital city of this sparsely populated nation is Denver. Dixie The Southeastern United States except for Southern Florida. Some refer to Dixie as being the former Confederate States of America but it doesnt travel directly along state lines. It includes southern Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. The capital city of Dixie is Atlanta. Quebec Garreaus only nation that consists of a single province or state is Francophone Quebec. Their constant efforts at succession led him to create this unique nation out of the province. Obviously, the capital of the nation is Quebec City. The Islands Southern Florida and the islands of the Caribbean comprise the nation known as The Islands. With a capital city of Miami. At the time of the books publication, this regions main industry was drug smuggling. The best available online map of the Nine Nations of North America comes from the cover of the book itself.

Proposal for the Research of the Legal Aspect of LifeScienceCorp Essay

Proposal for the Research of the Legal Aspect of LifeScienceCorp - Essay Example There are different reasons for the need to pursue the research. One is the fact that the line of business is highly delicate thus it is important to have complete knowledge of the legal rules, regulations, and laws to follow in every activity undertaken in the business operation. Another is the continuous improvement and evolution of the technologies that can be applied in the operation, thus, it is important to know the pertinent rules to follow. LifeScienceCorp is a company dedicated to answering the needs of the clients in terms of services such as gene splicing, cloning, and stem cell research technologies. In addition, the company also provides consultation and research and development services to different companies in the United States and countries all over the world. It employs 200 people and serves clients that are involved in different type of projects related to life sciences such as the production of treatments and therapies through the use of stem cells. Another type of clientele is involved in food production such as livestock, food crops, and fisheries. Companies involved in cloning research and products are also included in the clientele of the company. Based on the said description, it can then be considered that the services of the company are involved in technologically advanced and sensitive activities. For that matter, the legal aspect is essential to be able to establish clear guidelines in the company’s operation. It is composed of the rules set by local, national and international authorities in the specific field of industry where the company belongs. The research is aimed to establish legal guidelines that can govern the operation of the company. It is important to gather data on the legal requirements, rules, and regulations of the different fields pertinent to the research.