posted by Sam Richards
When you respond to this, also respond to the qualification issue with regards to “nepotism” and the affirmative action that comes from giving favors to family and friends.
02
Apr
When you respond to this, also respond to the qualification issue with regards to “nepotism” and the affirmative action that comes from giving favors to family and friends.
In regard to the question about affirmative action, I would rather have someone more qualified taking on a job or position than someone in a position to level out the playing field. In places like hospitals and the medical field, qualifications should supersede affirmative action because patients’ lives are at stake. The best of the best should be treating patients because they can perform surgeries, procedures, and any other medical treatments with the highest quality and lowest risk. The best and most qualified person for the job should be hired in all fields of work, not just medicine and without regard to skin color or gender. Someone should not be hired or not hired in order to level the playing field. In acting and theatre now, actors and actresses are hired based on talent and the ability to fulfill a role, not on their skin color or ethnicity. It is known as colorblind casting. For example, in the most recent Cinderella film, black singer and actress Brandy plays Cinderella and the prince is played by a Hispanic actor. Although these characters are typically Caucasian, Brandy and her counterpart in the movie were the most qualified for their respective parts in the movie. Other fields of work should take a similar approach to hiring….colorblind hiring. Work should be awarded to those who meet the qualifications, not according to affirmative action. Also, affirmative action can cause reverse racism or reverse gender discrimination.
In regards to the issues of nepotism, qualifications should definitely exceed that fact that the candidate may know somebody within the company or organization. I have witnessed and worked with people who got jobs through nepotism. For five years, I worked at a neighborhood pool as a lifeguard. Many of the board members had children and used their power to get them jobs at the swim club. Last year, two veteran concession stand workers were not rehired because children of the board members wanted jobs there. Even though these two former employees were more qualified than the new employees, they did not get the job because they were not related to any of the board members. The one employee who got his job through nepotism is being charged with theft (from another incident unrelated to the pool but still unacceptable). I recently asked if he would be rehired after the incident, and nobody could give me a straight answer. He definitely should not get his job back even though he has a parent on the board. Also, somebody who is perfectly qualified for a job should not be rejected because they know somebody in the organization. A person should be hired on the basis of their talent, skills, personality, and the ability to work well with others in the organization. Gender, ethnicity, skin color, and who you know should not be a factor on whether or not you or somebody else gets a job.
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I had never really thought about Affirmative Action in this way. I can understand the point being brought up, but I do not really think that it would that drastically affect the health care I am receiving. Someone mentioned earlier that doctors still have to pass their test to get their license, and this is true. So in reality they person who possibly might be receiving the affirmative action is still qualified. But I guess the question is what if someone else is more qualified. I mean that is unfair but both people are still licensed, so a person can’t really say that it is less quality, when legally these people are both licensed to practice medicine.
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I never thought of it this way. Is it possible for affirmative action to hurt us? Affirmative action for minimum wage jobs is one thing– but affirmative action in jobs in the medical field is another thing.
In order to qualify to work in the medical field, a person has to be well educated with years of experience. I feel that affirmative action in schools is what gives people of all races an equal chance to get to that high level of profession. Affirmative action allows more opportunities for people to learn, study, and possibly work their way up to working such important jobs. I really do not think that doctors are given their jobs based on affirmative action, but on qualifications.
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I believe that Sam talked in class about how affirmative action has little affect on everyone. I do not know how this really applies to the workforce because I doubt people would hire anyone not completely qualified for the job. They will just happen to be of different race, but I highly doubt they will higher a doctor who is under qualified. They will just work harder to find a person of different ethnic background and just as good qualifications for the job. If someone is applying to be a doctor, they have gone through all of the tests and schooling to be capable to perform surgeries and do the tasks professionally. It is not like people are just going to go hire random people with different ethnicities off the street to abide by affirmative action. I do not think that affirmative action hinders enough whites from the schooling they want and deserve and the jobs they want to make this a major issue. Whites have stopped African Americans from going to school and getting certain jobs for a lot of American history. I believe this is a way bigger issue to solve than affirmative action. Affirmative action is looked at in such a negative way when people really do not even understand its real affects.
Now talking about nepotism, I feel that this is a bigger issue than affirmative action. This is because when dealing with nepotism, you will have cases when a person completely unskilled and unqualified for a certain job is hired, whereas with affirmative action they are at least qualified for the job. I could say I think nepotism is horrible and should be stopped, but that would be very hypocritical of me. If my parents have any way of getting me a job through connections you better believe I will take it. But then again, I am an eighteen year old looking for summer jobs. I think nepotism is ok in some circumstances, but once you start to deal with huge jobs that require many years of learning and many difficult tests, these places have no place for nepotism. It is completely unfair to allow someone a top job opportunity who is less qualified because you have family relations. I do not think there is any way to really stop nepotism or even contain it, but I believe that the bosses will suffer from their decisions. If someone picks their sister for a huge job and she proves under qualified and incompetent, it hurts the boss and company. I do not think many companies can afford mistakes like this, especially in this economy. Nepotism is done everywhere and I am sure most people have experienced it in some point in their years of jobs.
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Nepotism is much more unfair than affirmative action but much more difficult to prevent. I agree that most jobs I got and most jobs people I know have gotten were mainly because of who we knew not necessarily what we knew. However since I was young it has been preached to me to form relationships and network almost as much as it was to learn and good grades. Every person I knew that gave me a job was because of a relationship I went out of my way to earn. That was not given to me. If I was an employer I would feel more comfortable hiring someone I knew and I knew they would be a good employee than someone who may be a little more qualified but I just met. I think it is human nature because you feel more comfortable with people you already know. This is why it is so hard to prevent.
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I believe that the problem that you mention is one to consider, but I believe that the idea of affirmative action is much more important within its context. Though I do not know that much about affirmative action, I am aware that it is on what is similar to a case by case basis. This makes it seem, to me, as if the problems that you outline are not as serious as you make them out to be. I say this because I believe that it is not as simple as a program as you make it out to be, and because the way people are qualified and the things that you seem to think that they are qualified for seem to be a lot different than what you have imagined.
My idea of affirmative action breaks down into affirmative action within jobs and from there, within schools. I believe that they are very different, and I will begin with schooling, because I feel that this has more dimensions. Firstly, I believe that High School is relatively easy to pass, and that it really does not determine how smart an individual is because of various reasons and natural occurrences that happen during this time in every high school student’s life. This means that I think that almost in any case, every person who graduated is just as qualified as the next to go to college. I think that from there, when these individuals receive the same education in college as any other individual, and if they are able to graduate, they will be just as qualified as any other person with a medical degree or any other degree. Also, I believe that if they go to graduate school or some type of continuing education, the same will apply.
In relation to professions, I believe that qualification and training is definitely considered, especially in fields of such importance. Furthermore, I am aware that there is intense training and medical schools for doctors, surgeons, and other high level employees at hospitals and other medical institutions, so I believe that if these individuals that you are addressing would come to have a job in a medical institution, they would most certainly play a lesser role, such as a nurse or possibly even lesser. I do not think that the idea that healthcare quality decreasing is a very realistic one, because in the cases that these people are accepted, these individuals are trained adequately for the position that they are receiving or assigned. From there, I believe that your concerns can be quelled so far as they can take into account that sometimes, jobs need to be filled, and at any moment, there may not be enough medical school students to fill them.
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I believe that this student posed a good question. The topic of affirmative action is definitely one with many gray areas in our society today. When it comes to addressing quality in thee schools I think that it is a slight possibility that it could affect the quality of workers. Truly understand the concept of affirmative action is to try and help diversify our society and is there to help people who need it. But I believe that there could be better ways of doing that. I have always believed that if someone is qualified enough whether it was to get into a college or get the job position they desired, they should get it. I am a firm believe that if you work hard and are qualified then you should get that spot. When my sister was applying to colleges, she learned that she did not get accepted to her dream school, Notre Dame. Later on she found out that a friend of a friend, who was African American, got accepted but had a lower GPA, lower SAT scores and was not involved in as many clubs. It was really frustrating to learn that someone who had not excelled as well as my sister got into the school based upon their color. I truly do understand that colleges such as Notre Dame or even Penn State need to try to make the campus more diverse but I’m not sure if this is the right way about doing it.
When it comes to medical school, like the question asked in the video, I do not think it will affect quality that much. Medical schools have minimum requirements and if one does not reach those qualities then they will not receive a chance in that area. Medical schools are not going to take people in just because they are of a different race. They are going to make sure that the people they take are qualified and good enough to excel in that area. On the other hand, it can possibly hurt the quality because they might be taking one individual over another who had better attributes. When it comes down to it I honestly believe it is best to give these spots or positions to the person with the best resume whether they are white, black, Asian, Hispanic, or any other race out there. It becomes unfair to the people who are trying their hardest and working hard to achieve their own goals. I know I have stated this before, but I don’t think that affirmative action is the right way to go about helping diversify our society. I don’t have an alternate plan or suggestion but either way I think that everyone should be given a fair chance at pursuing any opportunity they wanted.
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I think affirmative action might have a little bit of an effect on the quality of business such as that of health care. It is true that affirmative action plays a factor for med schools and is not always fair to those who are not considered under affirmative action. However, I think that those who do become accepted because of affirmative action are also qualified for the position, but may not have been the best choice. I think Nepotism is even worse than affirmative action because the person's abilities most likely will not be taken too much into consideration and there is probably a large amount of people who would be more qualified for the position than the person benefiting from Nepotism.
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I think that he has got the whole thing wrong on affirmative action. Affirmative action helps those who do not have the same opportunities that we have, to have the chance to move up in this world. Instead of just staying where they are and letting that cycle continue for generations to come. Affirmative actions allows those who do have the qualifications but do not have the sources or the networking to get their foot in the door, to pursue their dreams and understand that they do not have to settle for anything less than what they work. So no I do not think that affirmative action will decrease the quality of health care or down grade any field out there…because its not like these employers are hiring unqualified or incompetent people, they are just hiring people who would have a harder time getting to that position than most other people.
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I mean I think affirmative action is more aimed at giving opportunities to people who are just as qualified as those not receiving the benefit. Like I don't think institutions are just looking at the fact that these people deserve something because there's this law–but because they are just as qualified as someone else they should get priority because their path was harder…if that makes any sense? I don't know I always have thought affirmative action as one of the most sensitive topics when discussing race and there is no real solution to the problem of inherent systematic racism but it may be better than the alternative. I think its hard to stomach the fact that someone is getting something because of the color of their skin…isn't it?
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I don’t think things are nearly as dramatic as we sometimes think it is as far as affirmative action is concerned. Now I should start by saying that I’m honestly ignorant of a lot of the issues regarding affirmative action, namely who benefits and how. But as far as getting into schools or hospitals, those that are clearly the superior candidates will get in regardless of Affirmative Action. No hospital in their right mind is going to turn down ANYONE coming from Johns Hopkins for instance. The kind of people that we often hear about getting rejected when it comes to Affirmative Action are those that were only barley qualified or average. Likewise even with Affirmative Action someone that isn’t qualified isn’t going to get in, it’s not like hospitals and colleges are scooping up the first black or brown person they see.
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Affirmative action, in many circumstances, will correct itself in the long run. In this example, those that are unqualified will prove to be unprepared once they get their foot in the door, and will essentially weed themselves out. The ones that succeed after being given that chance will prove that the system does work, and that all they needed was a little affirmative action to give them a chance. Thus, the quality of people isn’t necessarily going down when you consider that anyone that goes through medical school and successfully becomes a doctor apparently had the necessary qualifications to begin with. The main problem is that there are plenty of better qualified people that also would have made it that got rejected and never got a chance.
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I disagree that using affirmative action lowers the quality of a particular field based on the people that are employed. I never saw affirmative action as accepting less qualified people rather than qualified people for the job. Affirmative action is geared to allow those who would not normally have the opportunity, due to certain factors, to be accepted in certain aspects rather than be rejected. Those who are accepted into different areas are not to be accepted merely on the undeniable factors that they cannot control but based on their qualifications, prior experience, achievements and etc.
Affirmative Action was developed to help those who were qualified, in particular a minority, into different fields of life that would not be normally granted to them because of a certain uncontrollable factor. Never is it suppose to be used to give less qualified people a chance over those qualified because of their circumstance. I think many people confuse the purpose of affirmative action with nepotism. Unlike affirmative action, nepotism may allow people to receive an opportunity regardless of whether or not they are qualified. With nepotism it is all about who you know regardless if you are qualified. Affirmative action allows a minority (woman, black or person) to be picked over someone who is not considered a minority based on their better qualifications and the fact that they would not normally be picked. So to answer your question, affirmative action helps pick the best qualified and if they happen to be a member of a minority it just means that they were better than competition that might have been part of the majority.
When Sam asked who ever received a job because of nepotism or affirmative action, I never realized that I was part of the nepotism group. Although I was qualified for the job that was not the main reason why I received it; I ken someone of importance and was given the job. I benefited from nepotism in this circumstance but not in every circumstance. There could have been someone better qualified for the job but did not receive it because of who I knew. If this is the case why do we make affirmative action such a big? After thinking about this it saddens me to a point because we were worry so much about affirmative action when we should be concerned with nepotism. At some point of all our lives we will be on the receiving the negative end of nepotism. However I am on the fence with this issue because I’m not sure if nepotism is completely bad because most of us benefit from it in some way. I think the problem may be when we become greedy and never work to get what we want and instead wait for it be given to us.
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Affirmative action is a subject that really can get me going at times. From the day people were born, nepotism has affected our lives. No matter what a person does in life it is all about whom you know and politics. By being born into a certain family, a person will be helped out or hurt in the long run. Being born into a family of CEO’s and high class people, a person will have a better chance of being well off in life. The process of having advantages begins when a person is still younger and in school. If his/her parents are good friends with a soccer coach or even with a teacher from back in the day; automatically there is a benefit. I dislike how our society is determined around this nepotistic lifestyle, but there is no way to change it. No matter how you look at it, you are determined to do well in life on who you know, who can pull some strings for you, and who is going to go out on a limb to help you out. If someone is getting the benefits of nepotism I know they do not necessarily mind it all. Reversely though, when someone is absolutely qualified for a position, and they do not receive it because, for example, the boss’s son was a shoe-in for the position, this is where I feel it is wrong. Once more, I feel there is no real way to stop this process.
Affirmative action can also be seen in relation to nepotism. This process puts less qualified people in positions that they may not deserve. Now an argument would be that it puts everyone on an even playing field. There are pros and cons with this statement though. I feel that in college selection processes having an even playing field with affirmative action is a good idea. I do not believe affirmative action should be implemented in jobs. I would rather a person who is performing heart surgery be the best of the best, not the second or third best that got in because of affirmative action. The college level is the playing field, you need to do well there first, and after when searching for jobs everyone is equal and the best should be taken. Now if a person, who affirmative action protects, is the most qualified for the job he or she is going to get the job regardless of affirmative action. Where affirmative action hurts our society is when there are not enough people of one race working at a company and the company must hire said race over a more qualified candidate. This hiring of an employee because of affirmative action not because of qualification ultimately hurts the society at a whole. College should be the playing field and everyone should get a fair opportunity to make their mark, but once college is over I feel affirmative action can hold companies back from being the best they can be.
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I agree with him completely. I mean I like the fact that I might get a job because I’m a middle class white female, but the thought of less qualified people getting jobs in hospitals makes me rethink my opinion on affirmative action. The smartest, most qualified people should get the job. Yes this means the people on top will stay there but it also means you are getting the best service possible. If I pay a huge hospital bill I want my money’s worth. If you had the choice you are not going to choose someone less qualified. Everyone will choose the most qualified person for the job.
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I pretty much agree with this guy. I am not sure how diversifying an environment like the health care industry is helping anyone. If the best person for the job happens to be a person of color or a woman, then I fully support them getting the position. But if the best person for the job happens to be a white male, how the hell can you give it to a less qualified individual citing affirmative action? Sounds like we are trying to cover up our lousy history of discrimination by rewarding the ancestors of the discriminated instead of accepting them as equals.
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I definitely think that you hit the nail on the head. Certain professions and careers are rather mindless, not to say that they are not challenging, and very repetitive. Everyone in that field is an equal in both education level and actual IQ level. However if we were to compromise this for doctors the effects could be horrific. If I need surgery on my brain I don’t care what skin color, sex, or religion the best doctor is. Affirmative action would dilute the quality of doctor’s available. It is a simple fact of life that some people are smarter than others regardless of skin color, sex, or religion.
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It is true that some people will unfairly benefit from affirmative action for medical school but that does not mean that they are going to succeed in medical school. Affirmative action can help them get into the school but it is up to them to do the work and make sure that they know the information well enough in order to pass the tests and prove that they are able to work in a hospital. And even if they make it to a hospital, if they mess up badly, then they will be fired. It is as simple as that. Affirmative action can only get their foot in the door, it is up to them to get through the door.
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I don’t think affirmative action necessarily lowers the quality of workers. I think companies typically make sure a potential worker is qualified for the position. For example, if it comes down to a man and a woman of equal credentials, they might pick the woman to meet the quota. Even then though, the woman will probably work harder than the man would have because in the work force, especially in a field dominated by men such as engineering, women need to prove themselves so they are taken seriously, whereas a man who is hired will be more likely to slack off because he wouldn’t worry as much about what others thought. Unfortunately though, there are other cases where employers just pick a minority to meet the quota. In this instance problems can definitely occur if the new worker’s qualifications are not up to par. I know this from experience because my dad works for the government and in his job if he interviews people of all types of races and backgrounds and does not end up picking a person of the minority then he has to fill out a large stack of papers saying why the white person was more qualified than the black person. And his argument had better be convincing or else he could be fired. My dad was actually put on trial at his job because a black woman accused him of being racist….for choosing a black man over her. This is absolutely ridiculous. I don’t think there is any way to justify this. Sometimes affirmative action can be a good thing because it keeps diversity in the workplace, but anytime the quality of the company or product is neglected, affirmative action can have very negative effects.
In regards to Nepotism, I think quality is often compromised. Usually when people help their family or friends, they are doing so because the person in need of assistance cannot find work or does not have the skills to get a job on their own. This means that the person will be given a position for which they probably do not qualify. This is not fair to other people trying to get the same position who are qualified, and it is also not fair to the employer or company. The new worker will probably do a below average quality level of work, and this will hurt the business. I definitely agree with the guy on this video that industries like healthcare can suffer. Nepotism should be used lightly, because if you help someone who is struggling to get into medical school and he/she becomes a doctor then eventually makes a big mistake such as killing someone during a surgery, you are somewhat to blame for helping them get to that position. I know this sounds extreme but there are instances where dramatic things like this can occur, and it’s not worth taking the risk. If someone isn’t qualified for a position, they shouldn’t be accepted into it. A big problem with nepotism is that it is like lying because it often involves writing fabricated recommendations for people who do not deserve them. Doing this can have a chain negative effect and hurt many people including consumers or patients.
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