Book contents
- Reviews
- Benign Bigotry
- Benign Bigotry
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1 “It’s Just a Few Bad Apples”: The Denial of Systemic Inequality
- 2 “Those People All Look Alike”: The Myth of the Other
- 3 “They Must Be Guilty of Something”: The Myth of Criminality
- 4 “Feminists Are Manhaters”: Backlash Mythmaking
- 5 “LGBTQ People Flaunt Their Sexuality”: The Myth of Hypersexuality
- 6 “I’m Not a Racist, I’m Colorblind”: The Myth of Neutrality
- 7 “Affirmative Action Is Reverse Racism”: The Myth of Meritocracy
- Conclusion
- Index
7 - “Affirmative Action Is Reverse Racism”: The Myth of Meritocracy
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 November 2024
- Reviews
- Benign Bigotry
- Benign Bigotry
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1 “It’s Just a Few Bad Apples”: The Denial of Systemic Inequality
- 2 “Those People All Look Alike”: The Myth of the Other
- 3 “They Must Be Guilty of Something”: The Myth of Criminality
- 4 “Feminists Are Manhaters”: Backlash Mythmaking
- 5 “LGBTQ People Flaunt Their Sexuality”: The Myth of Hypersexuality
- 6 “I’m Not a Racist, I’m Colorblind”: The Myth of Neutrality
- 7 “Affirmative Action Is Reverse Racism”: The Myth of Meritocracy
- Conclusion
- Index
Summary
Chapter 7 examines the belief by some that affirmative action amounts to reverse racism and reverse sexism. The distinction between affirmative action and equal opportunity is described, as is the common belief that affirmative action involves quotas (quotas are illegal). Practices that undermine meritocracy in both college admissions and in employment are explored. These practices include legacy admissions, donors, and, in the context of employment, biases in job selection. Chapter 7 makes the case for the need of affirmative action because subtle forms of bias infiltrate all aspects of employment. The chapter critically examines the argument that diversity benefits organizations. The chapter ends with a discussion of goal-oriented versus process-oriented affirmative action plans, and other strategies to reduce bias in admissions and employment.
Keywords
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- Benign BigotryThe Psychology of Subtle Prejudice, pp. 269 - 309Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024