http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/01/11/the-problem-with-affirmative-action/ Making things useful, getting stuff done Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:47:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/01/11/the-problem-with-affirmative-action/comment-page-1/#comment-81293 Blair Sun, 25 Mar 2007 17:35:10 +0000 http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/01/11/the-problem-with-affirmative-action/#comment-81293 Support for affirmative action is strong and growing stronger in my part of the country. I live in a border community of about 750,000 people that is about 85 percent Hispanic-American. (Oddly, the city prides itself on its diversity, as though it hopes to acheive diversity by becoming 100 percent Hispanic.) When the city's African Americans, Native Americans and non-Hispanic white females are counted along with Hispanics, about 95 percent of the city's population is eligible for affirmative action. As you might imagine, we have achieved a strong concensus on affirmative action. About 95 percent support it. Support for affirmative action is strong and growing stronger in my part of the country. I live in a border community of about 750,000 people that is about 85 percent Hispanic-American. (Oddly, the city prides itself on its diversity, as though it hopes to acheive diversity by becoming 100 percent Hispanic.) When the city’s African Americans, Native Americans and non-Hispanic white females are counted along with Hispanics, about 95 percent of the city’s population is eligible for affirmative action. As you might imagine, we have achieved a strong concensus on affirmative action. About 95 percent support it.

]]> http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/01/11/the-problem-with-affirmative-action/comment-page-1/#comment-77121 Rick Johnson Tue, 13 Mar 2007 05:36:35 +0000 http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/01/11/the-problem-with-affirmative-action/#comment-77121 Keep life simple, don't hurt some to help others, be consistent, treat all the same. AA jumps to the bottom line, hiring or selection based on correting a perceived disparity. If helping to level the field is the goal, what about providing assistance to increase the desireablility of the candidate, which candidate??? all who need help. Provide the learning opportunity, to all, encourage all, train all, select the best, offer remedial training to those who were not selected in their area of weakness. STOP taking the easy way out, it has far too many drawbacks, as shown in the prior writers comments.... or consider..."We must hire blind airline pilots, there aren't any flying now so we must be discriminating against them!!!", not all are suitable for everything but where training and encouragement could make success possible, offer it, never lower standards!!! Keep life simple, don’t hurt some to help others, be consistent, treat all the same. AA jumps to the bottom line, hiring or selection based on correting a perceived disparity. If helping to level the field is the goal, what about providing assistance to increase the desireablility of the candidate, which candidate??? all who need help. Provide the learning opportunity, to all, encourage all, train all, select the best, offer remedial training to those who were not selected in their area of weakness. STOP taking the easy way out, it has far too many drawbacks, as shown in the prior writers comments…. or consider…”We must hire blind airline pilots, there aren’t any flying now so we must be discriminating against them!!!”, not all are suitable for everything but where training and encouragement could make success possible, offer it, never lower standards!!!

]]> http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/01/11/the-problem-with-affirmative-action/comment-page-1/#comment-71841 Meriblog: Meri Williams’ Weblog » Conference Diversity .. the Permathread Returns Sun, 25 Feb 2007 16:49:47 +0000 http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/01/11/the-problem-with-affirmative-action/#comment-71841 [...] Positive discrimination is a dangerous place to play. It SHOULD be about keeping your standards high AND considering a wider pool of candidates than you otherwise would. Don’t lower your standards to benefit minorities — you’ll just reinforce the original discrimination. Equally, consider whether your “standards” are automatically discriminatory to some groups. E.g. if “is good with the senior execs” == “plays golf with us all on Sundays”, that MIGHT just be a little unfair… [...] [...] Positive discrimination is a dangerous place to play. It SHOULD be about keeping your standards high AND considering a wider pool of candidates than you otherwise would. Don’t lower your standards to benefit minorities — you’ll just reinforce the original discrimination. Equally, consider whether your “standards” are automatically discriminatory to some groups. E.g. if “is good with the senior execs” == “plays golf with us all on Sundays”, that MIGHT just be a little unfair… [...]

]]> http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/01/11/the-problem-with-affirmative-action/comment-page-1/#comment-68191 Debbie Moynihan Wed, 07 Feb 2007 11:51:57 +0000 http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/01/11/the-problem-with-affirmative-action/#comment-68191 I totally agree with your thoughts on affirmative action. It's a challenging problem because it does seem like people will naturally lean towards selecting and hiring people that are most like themselves and the selection process is imperfect wtih time constraints and lack of information so often people end up picking the person they know or feel comfortable with and the "best person" for a particular job is never even identified or considered. I think mentoring and offering informal help is one of the biggest ways that I have been helped and seen others helped finding new opportunities - both men and women taking the time to mentor women and minorities and understanding the significant impact it can have. I totally agree with your thoughts on affirmative action. It’s a challenging problem because it does seem like people will naturally lean towards selecting and hiring people that are most like themselves and the selection process is imperfect wtih time constraints and lack of information so often people end up picking the person they know or feel comfortable with and the “best person” for a particular job is never even identified or considered. I think mentoring and offering informal help is one of the biggest ways that I have been helped and seen others helped finding new opportunities – both men and women taking the time to mentor women and minorities and understanding the significant impact it can have.

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