Human beings are tribal by nature. The instinct to seek out a tribe and see outsiders as some great other is intrinsic in most people. But this instinct leads to discrimination, it leads to a less egalitarian world where the color of the skin can decide the kind of opportunities a person receive despite academic accomplishments. To combat this, many companies have plans for AAP compliance.
AAP stands for Affirmative Action Plan. Affirmative action are actions undertaken by a company or an educational institution to provide more people from marginalized groups the same educational and employment opportunities as those from dominant group. The purpose to reverse some of the discrimination experienced in the past.
Companies can have AAPs for a number of reasons. A person from a marginalized group could have risen up in the hierarchy, high enough to affect such a change. Sometimes, the government can mandate non discriminatory hiring practices.
But whatever the reason, affirmative action is still necessary to an extent. Bias is inherent in most people. Almost no one is completely objective. Media and life experience will always color the way a person sees the world and by extension, other people within it. That subjectivity can be particularly harmful when dealing with someone in a position of power. While having an AAP in place does not remove that bias, it does compel a person to make decisions regardless of inherent bias.
Bias also continues to affect admittance into higher learning institutions. Some students, particularly those with less melanin or those from a model minority, have an easier time getting in than equally accomplished students with darker complexions. There is a persistent belief that some universities outright reserve spots for minority students, in order to meet affirmative action quotas. Privileged students who are denied entry sometimes blame this supposed quota for falling short.
For a racial minority, an AAP can mean the difference between a paycheck and a welfare check. Bias colors the hiring process. As such, a minority may have a harder time finding work than a non minority. But having an AAP in place can make finding work, and the upwards social mobility that comes with it, much easier for someone from an underprivileged community.
Women also benefit from policies explicitly forbidding discriminatory hiring practices. Many men and even some women view female workers as being less efficient than male workers. The belief is that women are too emotional to do the work or that their looks will distract male coworkers, thus lowering overall productivity. There is even the belief that women in the workforce will only remain there as long as motherhood is off the table, that the women will leave once they have birthed children. Having a policy, an actual rule, in place will make it easier for a woman to enter the workforce.
While affirmative action does not guarantee equality of outcome, it does go a long way towards securing equality of opportunity. There are those who decry it as being discriminatory towards the dominant group, likening it to a head start in a race. It is a head start in the race, but the person getting the head start has to carry a weight around the ankles.
The historical oppression faced by some people cannot and should not be ignored. Neither workplace nor the school exist in a post racial, post gender bubble isolated from society. Both are still affected by the transgressions of the past. Both must try to move forwards.
AAP stands for Affirmative Action Plan. Affirmative action are actions undertaken by a company or an educational institution to provide more people from marginalized groups the same educational and employment opportunities as those from dominant group. The purpose to reverse some of the discrimination experienced in the past.
Companies can have AAPs for a number of reasons. A person from a marginalized group could have risen up in the hierarchy, high enough to affect such a change. Sometimes, the government can mandate non discriminatory hiring practices.
But whatever the reason, affirmative action is still necessary to an extent. Bias is inherent in most people. Almost no one is completely objective. Media and life experience will always color the way a person sees the world and by extension, other people within it. That subjectivity can be particularly harmful when dealing with someone in a position of power. While having an AAP in place does not remove that bias, it does compel a person to make decisions regardless of inherent bias.
Bias also continues to affect admittance into higher learning institutions. Some students, particularly those with less melanin or those from a model minority, have an easier time getting in than equally accomplished students with darker complexions. There is a persistent belief that some universities outright reserve spots for minority students, in order to meet affirmative action quotas. Privileged students who are denied entry sometimes blame this supposed quota for falling short.
For a racial minority, an AAP can mean the difference between a paycheck and a welfare check. Bias colors the hiring process. As such, a minority may have a harder time finding work than a non minority. But having an AAP in place can make finding work, and the upwards social mobility that comes with it, much easier for someone from an underprivileged community.
Women also benefit from policies explicitly forbidding discriminatory hiring practices. Many men and even some women view female workers as being less efficient than male workers. The belief is that women are too emotional to do the work or that their looks will distract male coworkers, thus lowering overall productivity. There is even the belief that women in the workforce will only remain there as long as motherhood is off the table, that the women will leave once they have birthed children. Having a policy, an actual rule, in place will make it easier for a woman to enter the workforce.
While affirmative action does not guarantee equality of outcome, it does go a long way towards securing equality of opportunity. There are those who decry it as being discriminatory towards the dominant group, likening it to a head start in a race. It is a head start in the race, but the person getting the head start has to carry a weight around the ankles.
The historical oppression faced by some people cannot and should not be ignored. Neither workplace nor the school exist in a post racial, post gender bubble isolated from society. Both are still affected by the transgressions of the past. Both must try to move forwards.
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