Which is more important - equal opportunity or equal outcome?

Question

Now before you all rush to answer 'equal opportunity' bear in mind that at the moment boys are not doing as well as girls in school - they have the same education, the same teachers, the same opportunities, and yet the outcome is not the same.

So which is more important, and does your philosophy extend to all areas of life, or just some? :-)

Answer 1

...I really dont understand why boy's are having so much trouble with school right now.  The schools and education systems haven't changed....the culture has...are influences like videos and the internet affect men this much?

Equal Opportunity is still more important.

Answer 2

Opportunity.

A lot of people think schooling is biased towards girls.  I don't know how much of that I believe, but it is interesting.  I do think teachers are harder on boys behaviorally, and also I think that girls were able to get help from teachers much easier on the whole.  So there might be something to it.  That's all based on my own personal experiences in school.

Check the definitions again.  Equal outcome is socialist.  Equal opportunity isn't.

Answer 3

I wonder if either one can actually exist?

The biggest problem in terms of equality is the divide between rich and poor.

Answer 4

Equal opportunity. Pecentagewise girls might do better, but that doesnt necessarily mean that less boys leave college/university with a degree, or that more women study something with market value, like computer programming, chemistry or the like. I didnt hear any lamentations of bayer Mercedes or Nasa that they are not getting enough men. Only lamentations I hear are from hospitals, who worry that women, now half of all doctors somecountries, will be reluctant to work the long hours they successfully imposed on men.

Answer 5

Like afraidofamericans, I don't believe equal opportunity is possible, there are just too many variables. It wouls be nice to think that equal opportunity leads onto equal achievement, but that's just drivel believed by people who can't grow out of enlightenment thinking.

Answer 6

..i don't even think 'being-equal' is that important.. i don't see girls as competition, but rather as partners..

(but, it did affect me when you said; girls don't do as well in school.. i've seen that myself. perhaps it's just that they are more preoccupied with other things at that age.. but men dont really crucify girls if they make a lower outcome.. we still love them)

nothing's equal in life ...opportunities and outcomes are not set pieces we have a control of..

Answer 7

equal opportunity, equal outcome means very dangrous things. it would require everyone to be brought down to the lowest leval

Answer 8

Time for a good laugh. Using a feminist socialist rational to try to say male and female students are given same opportunities is ..... I am just going to bite my tongue and smile.

        Reason why male students are failing is because the school system is was reorganized by feminist's in the late 80's early 90s to be more pro female at the expense of blatantly discriminating again male students.

      That's like saying African Americans had same opportunities under Jim crow.

        But the notion of equal outcome came about because a bunch of lazy feminists wanted a big pay check but didn't want to work hard for it.

      (on a side note I would gather many female students are only in honor class's because teachers turn a blind eye to cheating.)

Answer 9

As an adult , equal opportunity.  I have different standards when it comes to the delicate nature of children.

Answer 10

Feminists measure equality by the outcome.

If women earn less then men, they claim inequality.

Your suggestion that boys and girls have equal opportunity is bogus. Women are the largest beneficiaries of affirmative action.

Also, men, while not doing as well as women in graduation rates, are still are much more likely to become specialists in their feilds. Women whine about that too.

Answer 11

A guaranteed equal outcome (which, I believe, you are suggesting) is a contrived and manipulated entity.  

As a capitalist, I believe strongly in equal opportunity...then, let the strongest and most willing to work hard succeed.

Answer 12

Equal opportunity is more important - equal outcome is dependant on the reciever of the opportunity.

Some will sieze the opportunity and use it to their good, others will just not take opportunities that are available to them.

Equal outcome indicates a moderation to everyone achieving the same, there will be no better or best. Competition will be leveled and destroyed. Gender is irrelivent.  Socialism does not come into it. Competition is a must accross the spectrum of life.