Thursday, October 17, 2019
I Search for the American Dream Speech or Presentation
I Search for the American Dream - Speech or Presentation Example As the paper highlightsà there are many theories and statistics connected to this topic, some he is familiar with and most the reporter is not.à What he does know is that in the course of his life he does want to attain a reasonable amount of success. The reporter's main interest forà his life is Interior Design, but no business can succeed without the correct mindset. Ethics like hard work, discipline and the belief that race and religion arenââ¬â¢t a factor in all that is necessary to become successful in what is considered to be one of the most prosperous countries in the world, this is the American Dream.à It is a dream that requires blind faith in the American government, a trust in the virtues of others, and faith in oneââ¬â¢s self.à It is also a dream that whether one wants to believe it or not, most people adopt.à This speech stresses thatà the ideals this dream expects people to adhere to are based on a mythological America.à The question the repor ter poses in this research paper is whether or not actual success, in America, is based mostly on a blind and devout belief in the ideals of the American Dream, or if this dream is just another tools used by those in power to impede the success of otherââ¬â¢s and maintain their own personal wealth?à How successful are most of those who promote the ideals embodied by the American Dream?à It is Harlon L. Daltonââ¬â¢s belief that Horatio Algerââ¬â¢s writings, during the mid to late 1800ââ¬â¢s, promoted a destructive myth that overlooked the realities of society.à ... Article 1 It is Harlon L. Dalton's belief that Horatio Alger's writings, during the mid to late 1800's, promoted a destructive myth that overlooked the realities of society. Dalton specifically targets Alger's story Ragged Dick, about a young man who devoutly works his way up the American corporate ladder slowly succeeding based on his merit. Dalton feels the myth implied by this is that the American dream is accessible to all those who are willing to work for it. Alger has been a highly acclaimed writer in American culture, and the popularity of his work partly suggests that most Americans have an inherent belief in this myth. If this mindset is a part of the mental tapestry of America, and it is as destructive as Dalton claims it to be, it would mean that American's are inherently delusional. One might argue that this is only the problem of the minorities in this country, but Dalton protests that part of the want for most Americans to believe in this myth is fueled by a white discomfort with addressing the reality of a racial problem in America. He identifies this when he says, By interring the myth of Horatio Alger, or at least forcing it to coexist with social reality, we can accomplish two important goals. First, we can give the lie to the idea that Black people can simply lift themselves up by their own bootstraps. With that pesky idea out of the way it is easier to see why White folk need to take joint ownership of the nation's race problem (Dalton) This idea of dual ownership for racial injustice is a concept Dalton feels most whites avoid and is a concept we see on many occasions being played out by the media in daily society. There are many real life examples of the destructive nature of
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Adam Smith Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Adam Smith - Essay Example While many elements of Adam Smithââ¬â¢s theory of capitalism persist today, his view of pure capitalism has proved impossible in modern markets. There are a variety of reasons why Smithââ¬â¢s theory of the invisible hand does not go far enough. One of the major reasons Smithââ¬â¢s theory fails is because of the possibility of monopoly structures. In these situations, organizations are able to gain significant power that allows them to shape market elements in their favor, effectively eliminating the process of supply and demand, and making the emergence of competitors an impossibility. In these situations, it became the responsibility of the government to institute regulatory mechanisms, as not doing so would result in potential recessions or economic complications. Other elements are the nature of ethical considerations. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution organizations increasingly presented longer workweeks and poor working conditions. While itââ¬â¢s possible the invisible hand would ultimately regulate these situations, there remain significant human rights concerns in permitting such a pure capitalistic structure. In conclusion, this essay has examined Adam Smithââ¬â¢s theory of capitalism and demonstrated why it is impossible in the modern world. In this context of understanding, the essay demonstrates that Smith proposed an invisible hand that regulates the market. Still, itââ¬â¢s clear this is impossible in the modern world because of the potential of corporate monopolies and widespread human rights concerns.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Diversity in Work and Organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Diversity in Work and Organisation - Essay Example It must change to reflect the said diversity and in so doing, partially contribute towards the amelioration of cross-cultural, transnational and cross-linguistic paradigms (Hon and Brunner, 2000; Grin and Korth, 2005; Morrison, 2006). If they are to effectively perform within the bounds of multicultural societies and ethnically diverse markets, organizations must hire a diverse pool of talented people who bring skills such as language and cultural expertise to the equation. Changing demographic realties, whether on the local or the global level, have brought a plethora of challenges and opportunities to the fore. As regards opportunities, people who previously have been denied the opportunity for full development of their talents may achieve greater opportunities. However, these opportunities to minorities and diversity have been created through struggle, particularly opposition from the dominant majority. To alleviate these issues, organisations commonly talk about implementing diversity programs and other initiatives to increase understanding of different cultures and to help acclimate foreign individuals into society and, herein, lies the greatest challenge (Hon and Brunner, 2000; Grin and Korth, 2005; Morrison, 2006). The challenge to the positive and constructive exploitation of the opportunities which diversity promises lies in the management of diversity through the adoption of employee diversity training programmes, ultimately lending to the de velopment of an organisation's human resources. While the majority of Western companies have openly expressed their commitment to diversity management within an HRD context, Morrison (2006) argues that commitment has been largely limited to rhetoric, as opposed to action and HR training. Diversity rhetoric, as opposed to action, abounds. This does not imply, however, that the rhetoric is without value or does not have the potentially to constructively inform the design of diversity training programmes. As Edelman, Riggs, and Drita (2001) point out, the diversity rhetoric which pervades management and HR journals positively directs organisations towards the management of diversity, the value of diversity and the real-time benefits which organisations may accrue from adopting flexible management styles which are willing to defer to the interests of individuals, and able to resolve new types of conflicts that arise from various cultural backgrounds. Moreover, this new management style needs to be supportive of various lifestyles, able to match different types of people to appropriate jobs, and willing to accommodate different methods of accomplishing work and evaluating people (Edelman, Riggs and Drita, 2001). Diversity rhetoric has, in some cases, translated into a recipe for action. Companies have begun providing diversity training, particularly to managers. As early as 1991, a study of 406 organizations showed that 63% provided diversity training for managers, 50% provided a statement on diversity from top management, 39% provided diversity training for employees, and 31% had a diversity task force (Winterle, 1992). According to Gilbert and Ivancevich (2000), as organisations and societies have become
Monday, October 14, 2019
Steven Spielberg movie review Essay Example for Free
Steven Spielberg movie review Essay Spielbergs latest epic, Saving Private Ryan, has shocked audiences around the world with his brutally realistic, down-to-earth World War II invasion of Omaha beach. The film opens with the landing boats full of petrified, white-faced, conscripted soldiers, who struggle to cope with the pure terror imposed upon them from the enormity of the task they face. No sooner do you see a close up of their trembling faces and each persons emotions and worries, the doors opened and the first wave of men were torn to shreds by German machine gun fire. Many men drowned as they were dragged under by their heavy equipment, and those who made it to the shore found themselves seriously outnumbered and out gunned. Specially-designed, frantic freehand camera-work creates the impression you are in the middle of the carnage, so Spielberg puts the audience on the beach with the Allies. Eventually the soldiers complete the takeover of the beach but as the scene draws to a close, the former hand-held camera is now far more panoramic, scanning the beach from a height, but regardless of the thousands of bodies strewn across it, you do not see one face showing war de-humanising all the real people involved in it, who have families back home, but also turning those real people into just numbers and cannon fodder. The scene ends with a close-up of a dead soldiers pack which contains the words Pvt S. Ryan and the scene cuts. Throughout the entire scene there was a tremendous amount of clever sounds and moving music. For instance, in the panoramic opening scene the music is rather dark and solemn, with a lot of low strings and brass, especially horns. This sets the tone for the scene to unfold. In the first scene there is no music to emphasise actually being there, however there are numerous non-diegetic sounds added such as the underwater bullets piercing the struggling soldiers, the way when Captain Miller gets confused and deaf that the sound is blurred and returns to normal when he comes round but there is also diegetic sound when the explosions are going off as the film crew used hundreds of set explosions in the scene, the lapping of the waves and the monologue were all diegetic sounds. The next scene is a wonderfully made piece that is truly emotional and is a silent one. There is a woman in a crowded office with light shining through, a complete contrast to the dark, de-saturated war scene a moment before. The lady sees three telegrams from the same family and takes it to the senior staff. It is reassuring to see how these men-in-power have some humanity left, taking the case higher and higher until it found the commander-in-chief played by the talented Bryan Cranston who decides that the remaining sibling should be pulled out and sent back to the grieving mother. The point where the mother received the news was fantastically portrayed by Spielberg. It is set in the countryside with a traditional American home surrounded by golden fields yet in the corner of the sky it is dark grey and symbolises the bad news on its way. The car crawls up the small, winding, country lane viewed panoramically from in front of and behind the house. There was one shot that was astoundingly emotional, where Spielberg captured a close-up of the mothers reaction while showing the car and effectively the news creeping closer, through using the reflection of the window. As she rushes to the door she is cleverly silhouetted out showing that it could be anyone receiving the news and that vast amounts of parents go through this. Also as part of the mise en scene, when she opens the door, she is blacked out and the car pulls up along the house then the officials climb out, the woman falls to her knees. However, throughout this whole dark shot, to the right is a coffee table with light streaming on to it, there is a photo of the four boys in their army uniform showing that they all went but also expanding the plot as you know that there were only three telegrams. All over the table there are flags and patriotic items, this tries to show that the people are behind the war, and that it is the ordinary people who have to stand up to the tyrant. Finally, Spielberg covers many aspects of war in his brilliant production and uses vast amounts of extremely intelligent shots and clever, emotional to portray the emotions and effects that the de-humanising war had on normal people such as Miller, the small town English teacher at home and on the front. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Information technology for a companyââ¬â¢s business processes and decision making
Information technology for a companyââ¬â¢s business processes and decision making Q1:->How can information technology support a companys business processes and decision making, and give it a competitive advantage?Give examples to illustrate your answer Ans.1 Information technology Support a Companys Business Processes And Dicision Making An d Its Cometitive Aadvantage Is:- Support Business Process:-As a Consumer ,You Regularly Enconter Information Systems That Support The Business Processes And Operation At The Many Retail Sstores Where YOU shop. For Example:- Most Retali Stores now use computer -bassed Information Systems To Help Them Record Coustmer Purchhases,Keep Track Of Inventory ,Pay Employes But New MeRchandise,And Evaluaate sales Trends ,Store operations Would Grind To aA Halt Without The Support Of Such Information systems. Support dicision making:-Information system also Help Stores Managers And Other Business Professionals make Better Desions. For example:-Decisions on What Lines Of MerchandiseNeed To Be Added Or discontinued or On what Kind Of Investing they Require,Are Typically made after an analysis Provided By Computer -Based Information systems.this Not Only supports The Decisions Making Of Stores Managers,Buyers And Others But also Helps Them look For ways to Gain An Advantage Over Other Retailers In The Competition For Customers. Support Competitive advantage:-Gaining a Strategic Advantage Over Competitiors Requires Innovative Of Information Technologies. For Example:- Store Management might Make a Decision To Instaall Touch Screne Kiosks In All Stores, With Links To Their E-commerce WebsiteFor Online Shopping .This Might Attract New coustmer And Build Coustemers Localty Because Of The Ease Of Shopping And Buying Merchandise Provide Products And Services That Give a Business a Comparative Advantage Over Its Competitors. Q2:->Identify several basic competitive strategies and explain how they can use information technologies to comfront the competitive forces faced by a business. Ans.2 There Are Five Basics competitive Strategies 1.Cost Leadership Strategy. 2.Differentition Strategy. 3.Innovation Strategy. 4.Growth strategies. 5. Alliance strategies. 1.Cost Leadership Strategy:-A Low-cost ProDucer Of Products and Services In The Industry, Or Finding Ways To Help Its Suppliers OR Customers Reducee Thier Costs Or To increase The Costs Of their Competitors. 2 .Differention Strategy:- Developing Ways to Differentiate a fiems Products And service s from Its Competitiors Or Reduce The differentiation Advantages of Competitiors. This May Be A Firm To Focus Its products Or services To Give It an Advantage In Particular Segments Or Niches Of a Market. 3.Innovation Strategy:- find The New Way Of Doing Buiseness.This May Involve The Development Of Unique Products And Service Or Entry Into UniqueMarkets Or Markket niches.It May Also Involve Making Radial Changes To The Business Processes For Producing Or Distributing Products And Services That Are So Different From The Way a Business Has Been Conducted That They Allow The Fundamental structure Or An Industry. 4.Growth Strategy:- Significantly Expanding A company Capacity To Produce Goods and Servieces Expanding Into Global markets, Diversifing Into New Products And services,or Integrating Into Related Products And Services. 5.Alliance Strategies;- Establish New Business Linkage And alliance With Coustemers, Suppliers,Competitiors,joint Ventures,forming Of virtual companies or Other Marketing Manufacture Or DisTriBution agreements Between a Business And It Trading Pateners. Q3:-> Identify the major types and uses of micro-computer, midrange and mainframe computer systems ? Ans3. The Major Types And Uses Of Micro-Computer, Midrange And AminFrame computer SystemsAre:- 1.Micro-computer:-It Is Most Important Categoty Of The Computer Systems For Business People And Consumers. Through Usually Called a Personel Computer, Or a PC,A microcomputer IS Much More Than A Small Computers for Use By An Individuals computers . 2. Mid Range :-Midrange computers Are High-End Network Srvers and Other Types Of Servers And Other Types Of servers That can Handle The Large-scale Procesing Of Many Business Applications Throught Not As Powerful As Mainframe Computers They Are Less Costly To buy Operate And Maintain Than mainframe systems,And Thus Meet The Computing Need OF Many Organizations. 3.Mainframe Systems:- IT IS The Large ,Fasr And Powerful Computers systems. For Example:- Mainframes ccccccccan Process Thousands Of Million instruction Per Sec Mainframes can Also Have Primary Storage Capacities. Q4:->Outline the major technologies and uses o computer peripherals for input , output and storage? Ans4. The Major Tecnologies And Uses AComputer For Input Output And Storage Tecnologies is:- Peripherals Is The Generric Name Given To All Input Output And Secondary Storage devices That Are The Part Of The Cpu Pheriperals Depend On Direct Connections Or Telecommunications Links To The Centerals Processing Unit Of a Computer Systems. All Pheriperials Are Online devices That Is They Are Separate From But Can Be Electronically Connected To Attend By The Cpu. 1.Moniters 2.PRINTERS 3.Scanners 4.Hard disk drives 5.CD And DVD Drives 6.Backup Systems. Q5:-> What trends are occuring in the development and use of the major types of computer systems? Ans.5 Software. Computer software consists of two major types of programs: (1) application software that directs the performance of a particular use, or application, of computers to meet the information processing needs of users, and (2) system software that controls and supports the operations of a computer system as it performs various information processing tasks. Refer to Figure 4.2 for an overview of the major types of software. à · Application Software. Application software includes a variety of programs that can be segregated into general-purpose and application-specific categories. General-purpose application programs perform common information processing jobs for end users. Examples are word processing, electronic spreadsheet, and presentation graphics programs. Application-specific programs accomplish information processing tasks that support specific business functions or processes, scientific or engineering applications, and other computer applications in society. à · System Software. System software can be subdivided into system management programs and system development programs. System management programs manage the hardware, software, network, and data resources of a computer system during its execution of information processing jobs. Examples of system management programs are operating systems, network management programs, database management systems, system utilities, application servers, and performance and security monitors. Network management programs support and manage telecommunications activities and network performance telecommunications networks Q6:-> Explain the following terms: (a)DTP :-DTP Stands for Desktop Publishing And It Use to End Users And Organizations to Produce Thier Own Printed Materials That looks Professionally published That Is design and Print Their Own Newsletter,Brochures,Manuals,And BooksWith Several Type Styles,Graphics,Photos And colors On Each Page. (b)Presentation Graphics:-It Helps To Convert Numeric Data Into Graphics displays such as Line Charts ,Bar Graphs,pie Charts,And Many Other Types Of Graphics. Mostly Top Package Also Helps U Prepare Multimedia Presentations OF Graphics,Photos,Animation,And Vidio Chlips Includind To The World Wide Web (c)Software licensing:-A S/w Applications Is Purchased COTS Or Is accessed Via An ASP,The Software Must Be Licenced for Use Software Licence Is Complex Topic Which Involve Considerations Of The Specials characteristics Of Software In The Context of The UnderLying Intellectual ProPerty Rights ,Including Copyright,Trademark And Secrets As well As Traditionls Contracts Law Including Contract LawIncluding the Unigorm Commercial code(UCC). (d)RAID:-RAID Stands for Redundant Arrays Of Independent DisksThey Combines from 6 To More Then 100 Small Hard disks Drivers And Their Control MicroProcecessors Into A single Unit. RAID Units ProVide Large Capacities With High acess Speed Since Data aRe Accessed In Parallel Over Multiple Paths From Many Disks. (e) Application service providers:-It Is A Large And Fast Growing Number Of Companies Are Turning To Application service Providers Instead OF Developing OR Purchasing The Application Software They Need To Run Their Business Applications service Provides That Own Operate And Maintain ApplicationsSoftware And The Computer System ResourcesRequired To Offer The Use Of the applications Software For a Fee As a Sservice Over the Internet. (f)Programming languages:-It Is A Measure Catagory Of System Software They Require The Use Of Varity Off PRograming Packages To Help Programmers Develop Computer Programs, And Language Translator Programs To convert Programming Language Instructions Into Machine codes. The Five Main Major Levels Of Programing Langauges Are Machine lAnguages Assembler Languages,High-Level Languages,Fourth Generation Languages,And Object-Oriented Languages Oriented Languages Like Java and XML Are Being Widely Used Web Based Business Applications And Services.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Alfred Stieglitz and Gallery 291 :: Armory show Art essays
Alfred Stieglitz and Gallery 291 A Modern Art Revolution Before the Armory Show ââ¬Å"Quite a few years agoâ⬠¦there got to beââ¬âa placeâ⬠¦. The place grewââ¬âthe place shiftedâ⬠¦the place was where this man wasâ⬠¦. ââ¬âShiftââ¬âis something that cannot be tiedââ¬âcannot be pigeonholed. It jumpsââ¬âit boundsââ¬âit glides ââ¬âit SHIFTSââ¬â it must have freedomâ⬠¦. It seems those who do that worth the doing are possessed of good eyesââ¬âalive eyesââ¬âwarm eyesââ¬â it seems they radiate a fire within outward. The places they inhabit have a light burningââ¬â a light seen from near and far by those who need this lightââ¬â and this light sometimes dimââ¬âsometimes brilliantââ¬ânever outââ¬ââ⬠¦. To realize such a placeââ¬â a very tangible place was and is this manââ¬â¢s dream.â⬠John Marin about Alfred Stieglitz[1] On February 17, 1913 the International Exhibition of Modern Art, or the Armory Show, opened to the public. It is unlikely that the some 4,000 guests milling around the eighteen rooms of the 69th Regiment Armory in New York that night could have realized the extent to which the artwork displayed would set off a revolution that would sweep the nation. Response to the Armory Show, however, was sensational. During the month long exhibition the, Armory Show became the talk of the town. The galleries were constantly full of people who came to gape at the spectacle, artists who came to study or deride, and celebrities and socialites who came to see and be seen. Former President Teddy Roosevelt even made a visit to the show praising the spirit of modernity present in the venture, but distrustful of the so called ââ¬Ëradicalââ¬â¢ art of the European avant-garde. In his response to the show published in Outlook, Roosevelt commented: ââ¬Å"It is vitally necessary to mov e forward and to shake off the dead hand of the reactionaries; and yet we have to face the fact that there is apt to be a lunatic fringe among the votaries of any forward movement.â⬠[2] In this statement Roosevelt summarized the public reactions to the show.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Racial discrimination in the Workplace Essay
Racial discrimination has long been a problem in social history. The discrimination of ethnic minorities has been a controversial issue, existent in society, and workplaces for many years. The implementation of ethnic monitoring and positive discrimination in employment has increased the number of ethnic employees and gone a long way to mend the bridge of inequality which has burdened society for a long time. Another method introduced to try and counter the racial inequality in employment is that of Affirmative Action. Affirmative action calls for minorities and women to be given special consideration in employment, education and contracting decisions, to increase their number in the workplace. Affirmative action is a controversial issue which has been debated by many. In this essay I am going to look at the advantages and disadvantages of affirmative action and what affect it has on society. I will also debate whether I think affirmative action is a fair method to implement in organisations, and also whether it can be considered to be fair from a philosophical perspective. Affirmative action was defined as an attempt to enlarge opportunity for everyone, it was designed to redress the imbalances caused by long-standing discrimination. Defenders of affirmative action argue that granting modest advantages to minorities and women is more than fair, given hundreds of years of discrimination that benefited whites and men. This implies that as blacks have previously suffered from detrimental racist discrimination and wrongdoings, including slavery and not having the right to vote, they now deserve extra benefits to compensate. This is known as ââ¬Å"reverse racismâ⬠. It argues that as whites once set themselves apart from blacks and claimed privileges for themselves while denying them to others, now, on the basis of race, blacks are able to claim special status and reserving for themselves privileges they deny to others. The question then arises: Do two wrongs make a right? This is what affirmative action is condoning. It says that we are allowed to overlookà suitable white candidates if a black candidate is available. This means that even if the white candidate were a better choice and more qualified for the job, the black person would be hired because of the past injustices his race has suffered. People say affirmative action is acceptable because it cures past discrimination (Keyes 1996). However, discrimination was not acceptable when blacks were the ones discriminated against, therefore itââ¬â¢s not ok when whites are discriminated against (DeWit 1996). The answer is that two wrongs do not make a right ââ¬â affirmative action does not make discrimination acceptable, just because it is now against whites instead of blacks. It has been said that job discrimination is grounded in prejudice and exclusion, whereas affirmative action is an effort to overcome prejudicial treatment through inclusion. The most effective way to cure society of exclusionary practices is to make special efforts at inclusion, this is what affirmative action does. We can explain the theory behind affirmative action with this example; the logic of affirmative action is no different than the logic of treating a nutritional deficiency with vitamin supplements. For a healthy person, high doses of vitamin supplements may be unnecessary or even harmful, but for a person whose system is out of balance, supplements are an efficient way to restore the bodyââ¬â¢s balance. The equal opportunities law was introduced into society due to the discrimination ethnic minorities had received in history. The policies were implemented to counter racial discrimination and bias. Thus, the equal opportunities law was not created to treat different races differently, its purpose was to treat all people as equals. Affirmative action, however, does not adhere to this principal as by dismissing perfectly capable white candidates for a role in order to employ a less qualified black person, we are not treating everyone as equals. (Hacker 1990). A major disadvantage of affirmative action in the workplace is the affect it has on the organisation and its employees. Affirmative action can be very detrimental to the organisation as hiring an under qualified worker putsà others at risk if he or she doesnââ¬â¢t have enough experience. It is also financially dangerous and a company should not pay inexperienced people to do work theyââ¬â¢re not qualified for. Affirmative action will only work short term because if you hire a minority who is under qualified they will eventually lose their job. Another problem arises as organisations can only hire so many people, and this may result in too many under qualified people working for you and will eventually have to abandon affirmative action all together. Affirmative action means that employees who benefit from it bear the mark of not being the best pick, but only the best pick from a limited group (DeWit 1996) It would be better for an employees self-esteem if they knew they got a job because they were the best person for the job, not because they were black and under-represented. It is also possible that because of affirmative action, racism within an organisation will increase. If a company hires a black person who is not as good as another white candidate, employees will begin to resent him/her. If they gained their job based on their skin colour, rather than because they were the most qualified, they may become disliked and resented because of their skin colour. This could also lead to lack of respect for a black boss which would be detrimental to the organisation and the happiness of employees. One of the arguments for affirmative action is that blacks should be compensated for injustices done to their ancestors by white people. This idea contradicts the human right of individuality. It implies that if a white persons ancestor showed racist behaviour, they will be discriminated against because of this. The reality of this is completely unfair, why should one person be punished for something they had no control over, and similarly why should black people receive preferential treatment for behaviour they have not suffered from. That is to say, a black man will be treated in a better way than a white man, as his grandfather was the victim of slavery. The implementation of this is unrealistic and immoral,à especially as we should aim to promote equality among all. As discussed above this kind of preferential treatment will only cause resentment and ultimately the resentment of the black man, purely for being black. The real factor in affirmative action, is that are blacks getting their jobs because they are qualified and able, or because they are black? If the decisive factor is their skin colour and not their ability to work, then affirmative action is a flawed method. Businesses will only ever survive and be profitable if they employ the most suitable and qualified candidate for the job. For this to happen and for the organisation to ensure they have hired the best person for the job, recruitment methods must be colour-blind. This means the people in charge of recruitment should assess each application based on its merits and qualifications, not on the ethnic background of the applicant. Discrimination can only be rooted out by enforcing strictly anti-discrimination rules, without engaging in reverse discrimination which would alienate good white male candidates for employment and promotion who, after all, are not to be blamed by past injustices. From a philosophical point of view affirmative action does not comply with deontological theory, which states that it is our duty to do what is right whatever its consequences, and what is right consists in treating all human beings with respect and due consideration for their rights and liberties. This shows us that racial discrimination goes against these deontological beliefs. However, as deontology shows us that racism is wrong, as it does not treat all human beings with respect, does this mean affirmative action is the right way to go? In my opinion, affirmative action is not a solution to the deontological problem of racism. That is because affirmative action does not treat all human beings with respect and due consideration. Affirmative action disregards the consideration of the white men applying for the jobs, as its aim is to employ black people. From a utilitarian point of view, affirmative action has some key flaws. Utilitarianism says in effect that the rightness of an action (or practicalà policy) consists in its tendency to produce the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people than any alternative. Affirmative action would therefore only work if the people within a company were for the idea. Taking a more likely situation, based on historical facts, there are more likely to be a greater number of white males in an organisation. If this is the case and one of them is overlooked for promotion because of a less qualified black man, as the company is employing affirmative action, this goes against utilitarianism ideologies of promoting the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. In conclusion, I do not agree with affirmative action, the unfair treatment of ethnic minorities has been a harsh reality on society for a long time and it needs to be addressed. However, the method of affirmative action, which goes out of its way to hire a black man, purely because he is black, leads us to the same racial inequality that was a problem when blacks were not hired, for being black. Although the idea of affirmative action was implemented to give black people better opportunities it is still a form of discrimination. When an employer hires someone because he or she is a minority, even if someone else if more qualified to do the job, it is discrimination. Just because it is reverse discrimination, when whites are discriminated against and minorities are being discriminated for, doesnââ¬â¢t make it right. ââ¬Å"Affirmative action legalizes discriminationâ⬠. (Steele 1990) The efforts of affirmative action are no different from the policies that created the disadvantages in the first place, although the idea is trying to redress the balance of inequality, I feel it is causing more harm than good in the work place. It is undemocratic to give one class of citizenââ¬â¢s advantages at the expense of other citizens; the truly democratic way is to have a level playing field to which everyone has access and where everyone has a fair and equal chance to succeed purely on the basis of his or her merit. Hard work and merit, not race or religion or gender or birthright, should determine who prospers and who does not.
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