Affirmative Action

The term affirmative action refers to a policy aimed at increasing workplace or educational opportunities for underrepresented parts of society. These programs are commonly implemented by businesses and governments by taking individuals’ race, sex, religion, or national origin into account.

Affirmative action focuses on demographics with historically low representation in leadership, professional, and academic roles and is often considered a means of countering discrimination against particular groups.

Affirmative action is a government-backed policy that was developed to help underrepresented groups get access to opportunities in academia, as well as the workforce and government. These opportunities range from admissions to schools, professional positions, and access to services like housing and financing. The main point of the policy was to help diversify various parts of society.

The policy came to prominence in the United States in the 1960s as a way to promote equal opportunity across various segments of society. The policy was developed to enforce the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which sought to eliminate discrimination.

Early implementations of affirmative action largely focused on breaking the continued social segregation of minorities from institutions and opportunities. Despite legislation that outlawed biased practices in the United States, tangible change in the status quo was not immediate.

As noted above, affirmative action was primarily geared toward certain groups, including racial minorities and other disadvantaged groups. Campaigns in more recent years have expanded to make organizations and institutions more inclusive, pushing for greater gender diversity. Newer policies are also aimed at providing more access to opportunities for covered veterans and people with disabilities.

Efforts to stimulate such change can take the form of assistance to increase the opportunities available to underrepresented groups. This aid can include grants, scholarships, and other financial support earmarked to help those segments of the population gain access to higher education.

investopedia