Is positive discrimination the same as racism?

Question

As in some jobs having ethnic quotas

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/article1073224.ece

Answer 1

No don't be silly, it's not possible to be racist to white people.

Answer 2

No that's why they're called different things. I do hate discrimination of all kinds, and positive discrimination is a misnomer.

Answer 3

Yes, where it favours one race over another regardless of ability.

Answer 4

no

racism is thinking person A is better than person B because of skin colour

+ve discrimination is employing people of person A and person B's ethnicity such that it reflects the ethnic makeup of society

if anything +ve discrimination is overtly anti-racist

Answer 5

it is, but that doesn't make it wrong. We'll need this, also known (perhaps) as reverse racism in a way, to last for a little while. Not indefinitely, but nobody can deny that minorities (in the US) have been seriously hurt by years of oppression. We just need to get them rolling again. As soon as things become more proportional, it should stop (for example, i don't image "quotas" will exist forever. eventually, it should stop).

Mind you, it doesn't need to be exactly proportional. Just more so.  

Answer 6

yes

if someone is giving preference purely because of their race it is racist (and wrong)

it is even worse when the 'positive discrimination' means that standards have been lowered to allow access to some jobs/universities for some just so that quotas can be filled

if someone is worth a post/college place they should be entitled to it on a fair basis

why should someone less qualified be given priority just because they are an 'ethnic minority'?

anyway .....in thirty years white americans of european dissent will be in the minority so maybe they will get some of these special privileges then

i don't know how long it will take for the white population of the UK to be in the minority ........however, i doubt that when they are there will be the same desire to make sure that their needs are catered for quite so vigorously as the PC policies of the past few decades have ensured that they have been side tracked in what was probably the country of their families for many generations

Answer 7

Do you have a more up to date link?

Answer 8

I generally disagree with ethnic hiring quotas but I need to explain it. They are by definition reverse discrimination. I do however understand that there are still companies and schools that would love to continue a "whites only" policy if they were not forced into quotas.

To answer your question, no they are not the same based on **why** they exist.

Racism is about assuming a person with a particular skin color is subhuman and unfit for work/school due to that appearance. Racism is often accompanied by a hateful "I'm better than you are" attitude.

Quotas are a weak political strategy to help correct/prevent racism. It is a well intentioned but misguided policy. Sadly, most understand it is a poor strategy but no one has been able to come up with a better solution yet. Any ideas?

Answer 9

Any decisions based around the relevant criteria in that example would be interview skills or work skills or whatever is racism plain and simple in my opinion. If you say I am going to employ more black or asian people this year, you are "seeing" people according to their ethnicity not for who they are so it still encourages this kind of thinking regardless. I think it's very unhelpful

Answer 10

If you say something, that someone else does not like, for whatever reason, someone, somewhere will say it is racist - fact.

:)

Answer 11

I think so.

Answer 12

No,but to live by your race is racist,so that is nearly everyone.For example a jewish person living by jewish principles,and muslims living according to their practises etc etc is racism,as you are preselecting a lifestyle over another

Answer 13

Please allow me to answer you question this way ............

Many years ago it was decided that anyone wanting to join the police force should have  a minimum of three 'O' levels, however, if recruits were from an 'ethnic background' then this requirement would be waived!

As for the article, this is not actually new, government contracts have always been inclined towards 'equal opportunities' employers.