Life as We Know It

Affirmative action refers to concrete steps that are taken both to increase the representation of underrepresented and arguably underprivileged minorities and to redress the effects of past discrimination. The idea of this policy is that making sure to put discriminated minorities in positions of prestige and authority will eliminate discrimination both because it will counteract the prejudice of those who give out jobs, admit to universities, etc. and because it will demonstrate that members of those groups can accomplish great things if given the opportunity. According to its proponents, the underlying motive for affirmative action is the principle of equal opportunity, which holds that all persons have the right to equal access to self-development. In other words, persons with equal abilities should have equal opportunities, and people who did not get the same opportunities should be evaluated with that in mind. Another typical argument includes the benefits of diversity, ie. the idea that part of a liberal education is being exposed to different ideas and arguing about them. According to this argument, people who come from different ethnic or racial backgrounds have different viewpoints and increased inclusiveness will broaden the scope of discussions. This argument is generally used to promote affirmative action in educational institutions.

Some groups who are targeted for affirmative action are characterized by race, gender, ethnicity, or disability status. In India (where the term used is "reservation"), the focus has mostly been on undoing caste discrimination. In South Africa, the focus has been primarily race-based and, to a lesser extent, gender-based discrimination. When members of targeted groups are actively sought or preferred, the reason given is usually that this is necessary to compensate for advantages that other groups are said to have had (such as through institutional racism or institutional sexism or historical circumstances).

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