Affirmative Action / Positive Discrimination

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Group Discussion

So having heard from your teacher and read Candice Colemans views, what are your views?

Discuss the issues surrounding affirmative action/positive discrimination when applied to ethnic/racial/cultural matters.

Go into small groups – have a secretary to make notes, a chair and a person to report back to the whole class.

Use ICT to present a summary of the perspectives of your class on the “fors” and “againsts” with affirmative action.

Here are some questions to help your discussion.

• What other social groups might feel that they too ought to have affirmative action?
• What is the position in the UK?
• What is a quota system?
• Is it a good idea or not?
• What do you think should happen in the UK?
• If institutional discrimination exists, how can it be tackled?
• Is there any alternative to positive discrimination?
• Do we need a whole raft of different policies to ensure equality of opportunity?