Ronald F. White, Ph.D.

Professor of Philosophy

College of Mount St. Joseph

• General Electric’s Appliance Park

Introduction

What is discrimination?

• Unfair treatment of individuals based on group association.

• Forms of Discrimination– Racial discrimination– Sexual discrimination– Age discrimination– Gay Discrimination– Ethnic discrimination

Areas Where Discrimination May Take Place

• Hiring

• Promotion

• Workplace behavior

• Workplace Rules

• Firing

• Justice as Fairness: “Treat equals equally and unequals unequally.”

– Patterned Theories (merit, equality, need, utility)– Unpatterned Theories (procedural justice)

• Opportunity and Barriers– Chance– Reasonable Chance– Guarantee

• Competition– Equality of Opportunity– Equality of Results

Conceptual Framework

• Just Distribution of Social Goods• Individuals and Groups• Sex, Race, Ethnicity

– Natural basis– Social basis

• Role of Government– Public v. private initiatives– Legality v. morality

• Specific Forms of AA– Good Faith– Numerical Quotas

• Merit Tests (SATs, ACTs, Civil Service Tests, etc.)

Issues

• Stakeholder Theorists• Positive Rights

• Rights-Based (Backward Looking: Retribution)• Historical Discrimination– Women– African Americans– Native Americans– Latino-Americans– Retribution (Backward Looking)• Utilitarian Arguments (Forward Looking)– Utility of Diverse Workplace

Arguments in Favor of Affirmative Action

Arguments Against Affirmative Action

• Stockholder Theorists– Liberty of Owners of Company– Negative Rights

• Reverse Discrimination• Problems with Groups• Problems with rectification

– Justice between generations

• Utilitarian Arguments

Small Group Discussion Questions

• What is Affirmative Action?

• What are the moral principles involved?

• Is AA ever morally justified?

• Explain the following:

– Equality

– Discrimination

• Racial, Tribal, Ethnic, Sex, Religious, Class

– Forward-Looking AA

– Backward-Looking AA

– Reverse Discrimination

–

Small Group Questions• Is governmentally enforced affirmative action ever justified?

– Racial Discrimination– Sexual Discrimination– Age Discrimination

• Is reverse discrimination ever morally justified? Is it avoidable?• Are the following employment areas discriminatory? Is affirmative action justified?

– Major League Baseball (Latino Players)– Basketball (African American Players)– Hockey (White Players) – Engineering (China, India, Middle East)– Nursing (female)– Police Departments (males)– Fire Departments (males)– College and University Presidents (white males)– Corporate CEOs (white males)

• Are College and University admission policies sometimes discriminatory? If so, is Affirmative action sometimes justified?

– Primary and Secondary Schools (Public and/or Private)– Colleges and Universities (Public and/or Private, Exclusive and/or non-Exclusive – Are any of the following favorable admissions criteria discriminatory: Athletes, Alumni, Poor