affirmative action
Preferential hiring programs
Affirmative action refers to policies that give preferential treatment to groups historically excluded or disadvantaged—typically in employment, education, or contracting.
In the United States, such policies have aimed to increase representation of racial minorities and women: The university's affirmative action program boosted minority enrollment.
Critics call it reverse discrimination; supporters call it necessary correction.
The term appears in contexts ranging from college admissions to government hiring quotas.
Fixed assigned amount
- legislationOfficial enactment of statutes
- mandateFormal authoritative directive
- executive orderBinding directive from leadership
- court rulingJudicial decision on case
compliance · enforcement · regulation · constitutional · precedent · remedy · provision · statute
Depiction or likeness
- inclusionBeing made part
- demographicsStatistical population characteristics
- minoritySmaller part of whole
- pluralityLargest share among several
composition · balance · proportionality · critical mass · tokenism · visible minority · underrepresentation · parity
Compensation for injury
- disparityMeasurable difference between things
- reparationsCompensation for historical wrongs
- remedialIntended to fix problems
- compensationPayment for services rendered
leveling · disadvantaged · underrepresented · structural inequality · opportunity gap · corrective · restorative · injustice
Acts of letting in
- universityHigher education institution
- collegeHigher education institution
- enrollmentAct of registering officially
- campusInstitutional grounds and buildings
scholarship · outreach · underrepresented · matriculation · holistic review · test-optional · recruitment · retention
Giving someone work
- workforceAll available workers
- recruitmentSeeking new personnel
- promotionRank increase or publicity
- advancementForward movement or promotion
workplace · contractor · set-aside · talent pipeline · job posting · HR · compliance officer · disparate impact
Prejudice favoring minorities over majorities
- meritocracyAdvancement through demonstrated ability
- preferenceFavored choice among alternatives
- fairnessJust and equal treatment
- qualificationRequired skill or condition
colorblind · mismatch · stigma · quotas · backlash · opposition · proponent · critic
quota
Fixed assigned amount
- legislationOfficial enactment of statutes
- mandateFormal authoritative directive
- executive orderBinding directive from leadership
court ruling · compliance · enforcement · regulation · constitutional · precedent · remedy · provision · statute · directive
representation
Depiction or likeness
- inclusionBeing made part
- demographicsStatistical population characteristics
- minoritySmaller part of whole
plurality · composition · balance · proportionality · critical mass · tokenism · visible minority · underrepresentation · parity · racial makeup
redress
Compensation for injury
- disparityMeasurable difference between things
- reparationsCompensation for historical wrongs
- remedialIntended to fix problems
compensation · leveling · disadvantaged · underrepresented · structural inequality · opportunity gap · corrective · restorative · injustice · marginalized
admissions
Acts of letting in
- universityHigher education institution
- collegeHigher education institution
- enrollmentAct of registering officially
campus · scholarship · outreach · underrepresented · matriculation · holistic review · test-optional · recruitment · retention · graduation rate
hiring
Giving someone work
- workforceAll available workers
- recruitmentSeeking new personnel
- promotionRank increase or publicity
advancement · workplace · contractor · set-aside · talent pipeline · job posting · HR · compliance officer · disparate impact · underutilization
reverse discrimination
Prejudice favoring minorities over majorities
- meritocracyAdvancement through demonstrated ability
- preferenceFavored choice among alternatives
- fairnessJust and equal treatment
qualification · colorblind · mismatch · stigma · quotas · backlash · opposition · proponent · critic · controversy
- College Policytuition caps, federal funding, state funding, financial aid, student aid
- Caste Reformcaste discrimination, untouchability, social equality, reservation system, reservations
- employmentjob, jobs, career, careers, interview
- collegecampus, courses, application, dorms, dorm room
- higher educationuniversity, college, degree, diploma, graduate school
- fairnessfair play, fair shake, fair treatment, fair and square, fair share
affirmative actiondiscrimination
Unjust differential treatment
segregation · Jim Crow · exclusion · racial discrimination · systemic racism
action, affirmative, affirming, reaffirm, affirms, reaffirmed, disaffirm, affirmatively, reaffirms