Deck 3: Discrimination, Equality and Fairness in Employment: Social Policies and Affirmativepositive Action Programs

Question 1

Courts around the world have generally ______________ the concept of affirmative action/position action programs as an acceptable tool in the struggle to eliminate discrimination in employment.

A) Ignored
B) Refused to Consider
C) Supported
D) Agreed with the business

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The Government of Ireland Act of 1920 was the only legal protection against ____________for the citizens of Northern Ireland.

A) Gender discrimination
B) Colour discrimination
C) Religious discrimination
D) All of the above

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In India, the Persons with Disabilities Act of 1995 states that affirmative action legislation:

A) Requires that every appropriate government appoint a percentage of vacancies of not less than 3% for persons or class of persons with disability.
B) Allows employers to make use of affirmative action measure in order to eliminate discrimination and promote equality in the work place.
C) Requires organizations employing 25 or more employees to have at least one disabled person employed per every 25 employees.
D) Directs employers that conduct business with the federal government to develop affirmative action plans as a condition of securing a contract.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Social policies that aim to change the rules and provide advantages to groups that have traditionally been discriminated against are considered _____________ social guidelines.

A) Positive
B) Negative
C) Intrusive
D) Inconsequential

Question 5

In Europe, social policies that aim to change the rules and provide advantages to groups that have traditionally been discriminated are called:

A) Reconstructionist Policies
B) Positive Action
C) Affirmative Action
D) Positive Policies

Question 6

Australia's Affirmative Action Act of 1999 requires:

A) Equal opportunities for women in the workplace
B) The social wealth of the country to be equally distributed
C) Equalized groups in the workplace having different religious representation
D) Organizations to actively recruit minorities to the workplace

Question 7

In Malaysia, the affirmative action policies enacted after the 1969 race riots between the majority Malays and the minority ethnic Chinese Malays have come under attack in recent years for:

A) Malays controlling a disproportionately large share of businesses and trade.
B) Slowing down the economic development of the country.
C) A majority of Malay entrepreneurs taking control of the county.
D) For making it difficult to employee Chinese Malays in the country.

Question 8

In the United States, social policies that aim to change the rules and provide advantages to groups that have traditionally been discriminated against are called:

A) Positive Policies
B) Positive Action
C) Affirmative Action
D) Negative Policies

Question 9

Which statement below is a main argument in the public debate over positive/affirmative action policies?

A) Distributive Justice
B) Compensatory Justice
C) Social Utility
D) All of the above

Question 10

In what country does the legislation create special provisions for men in certain occupations, like child care and education, in which they are not well represented?

A) India
B) Norway
C) United States
D) South Africa

Question 11

In India, the 1998 Employment Equity Act specifies:

A) Corrections to current discrimination ensuring equal employment to members of minority groups and women.
B) A commitment to implement affirmative action measures in order to ensure equitable representation of "designated groups" in all occupational categories and levels of the workforce.
C) Creation of special provisions for men in certain occupations, like child care and education, in which they are not well represented.
D) Workforce representation of religious groups, equal to proportions in the population at large.

Question 12

Despite the public debate about these programs and the challenges presented in several judicial systems, governments around the world continue to legislate for ________ or ____________ in employment in favor of designated groups.

A) Affirmative; Positive Action
B) Positive Action; Positive Policies
C) Neutral; Hands-off Policies
D) Neutral Policies; Hands-off Action

Question 13

In what state did voters approve Proposition 209, which amended the state's constitution and stated, "Neither the State of _________ nor any of its political subdivisions shall use race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin as a criterion for either discriminating against, or granting preferential treatment to, any individual or group in the operation of the state's system of public employment, public education, or public contracting."

A) Illinois
B) California
C) Texas
D) Colorado

Question 14

Box. 3.4: Making the Case Against and for Affirmative Action: Eighteen White firefighters, including one Hispanic, sued the City of New Haven claiming racial discrimination. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case in 2009 and in a dramatic ruling declared the white firefighters were unfairly denied promotion because of their race, making this:

A) Non-discrimination
B) Anti-discrimination
C) Reserve Discrimination
D) Positive Discrimination

Question 15

South African affirmative action measures were implemented in order to:

A) Employ a system of quotas in the public service system, set aside for minorities.
B) Ensure equitable representation by "designated groups" in all occupational categories and levels of the workforce.
C) Deal with the struggle with hierarchical social structures in the form of its traditional caste system.
D) Create special provisions for men in certain occupations, like child care and education, in which they are not well represented.

Question 16

Affirmative/Positive Action Programs:

A) Are intervention measures
B) Cut across, and attempt to influence, the operation of free-market mechanisms
C) Aim to actively reverse past discrimination against specific groups
D) Are intended as temporary actions, which will be withdrawn once the situation is rectified
E) All of the above

Question 17

In the United States, Affirmative Action Programs Rule and the Executive Order 11246 (1965) states:

A) Private employers with 100 or more employees and higher-education institutions are required to create affirmative action programs.
B) Employers must make use of affirmative action measures in order to eliminate discrimination and promote quality in the workplace.
C) Employers who conduct business with the federal government are required to develop affirmative action plans.
D) The Boards of Public Limited Companies are required to have each gender comprise at least 40% of the representatives on the board.

Question 18

Which statement is true about "Neoclassical" economists?

A) Neoclassical economists assume that, in a competitive market, the "taste" of discrimination cannot be indulged because it would be too costly for employers.
B) Neoclassical economists believe that if employers continue to discriminate against special groups, their productivity will be reduced, ultimately resulting in reduced income for employers.
C) Neoclassical economists assume that employers would lose their competitive advantage if they do not utilize the wide range of skills and talents offered by women, members of minority groups, older adults, sexual minorities, and people with disabilities.
D) All of the above

Question 19

An excerpt in the July 1943 issue of Mass Transportation was written by male supervisors to:

A) Complain about the productivity of women in the workplace
B) Provide tips on getting more efficiency out of women employees
C) Warn supervisors to not hire women employees
D) All of the above

Question 20

Box. 3.3: Equal Employment Legislation and Religious Discrimination: The Case of Northern Ireland. What religious group was suffering severe disadvantages in Northern Ireland?

A) Anglicans
B) Jehovah's Witnesses
C) Protestants
D) Catholics

Question 21

What are the main arguments for and against the "equal opportunities" school of thought?

Question 22

The European Community passed the Equal Treatment Directive in 1976, but it was limited to equal pay and equal treatment and applied only to gender and not to race or any other groups.

Question 23

Groups that have traditionally been discriminated against suffer from three types of interconnected barriers that may perpetuate the discrimination against them. What are the interconnected barriers and why do these groups face these barriers?

Question 24

The United States has relatively short experience with affirmative action programs. The term affirmative action first appeared in President Barack Obama's Executive Order of 2009.

Question 25

What are the two goals of affirmative or positive action policies and what is the rationale behind the policies?

Question 26

The debate over affirmative/positive action programs has reverberated throughout the world, with some countries implementing new affirmative action policies, while others rolling them back.

Question 27

Discrimination cannot be overt and covert.

Question 28

Affirmative and positive action policies are designed to decrease the number of qualified applicants from designated groups in the workforce.

Question 29

Several principles of affirmative or positive action programs are common to all countries, although the program can greatly vary from one country to the next.

Question 30

South Africa, Namibia, India, the United States, and the European Union are similar in the way they are operating and implementing affirmative action programs.