Page 202 - Šolsko polje, XXVIII, 2017, no. 3-4: Education and the American Dream, ed. Mitja Sardoč
P. 202
šolsko polje, letnik xxviii, številka 3–4
jasniti, kako sta množična proizvodnja in potrošnja uvajali uniformnost
kot svoj novi potencial in kako je posledično konformizem izgubil svoje
eksplicitne značilnosti in dobil povsem nov značaj.
Ključne besede: komunikacija, družbeni inženiring, družbeni red, po-
trošništvo, konformizem
LIVIN’ THE MERITOCRATIC DREAM! OR WHY IT
MAKES SENSE THAT PERCENT PLANS IN COLLEGE AND
UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS REPRESENT THE FUTURE OF
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Cyril Ghosh
Affirmative action in university admissions is a polarizing dispute in the
United States. Its supporters claim it establishes equal opportunity – a
central tenet of the American Dream. Adversaries suggest that the policy
constitutes impermissible discrimination and preferential treatment for
underrepresented minority groups. Some argue for a reformed version of
affirmative action that takes socioeconomic background into account. Fi-
nally, there are those that advocate replacing affirmative action with Per-
cent Plans – which are race-neutral plans that nonetheless have the con-
sequence of ensuring racially and socioeconomically diverse classrooms
at state-run institutions of higher education. In this essay, I suggest that
of all these proposals Percent Plans are the most aligned with the widely
popular ideology of the American Dream and therefore has the potential
to have the broadest possible support from Americans across the ideolog-
ical spectrum. These plans also ensure representation of socioeconomic
and racial diversity in a way that does not accord “preferential” treatment
to any particular group of people, which in turn makes them more likely
to enjoy widespread support in the American population.
Keywords: affirmative action, percent plans, American Dream, equal op-
portunity, meritocracy
ŽIVETI MERITOKRATIČNE SANJE! ALI ZAKAJ JE SMISELNO,
DA NAČRTOVANI ODSTOTKI PRI VPISU NA VISOKE ŠOLE
IN UNIVERZE PREDSTAVLJAJO PRIHODNOST POZITIVNE
DISKRIMINACIJE
Cyril Ghosh
Pozitivna diskriminacija pri sprejemu na univerzo predstavlja v Združenih
državah spor, ki razdvaja. Njeni podporniki trdijo, da ustvarja enake
možnosti – osrednje načelo ameriških sanj. Nasprotniki opozarjajo, da
ta politika predstavlja nedopustno diskriminacijo in prednostno obravna-
vo slabo zastopanih manjšinskih skupin. Nekateri se zavzemajo za preo-
200
jasniti, kako sta množična proizvodnja in potrošnja uvajali uniformnost
kot svoj novi potencial in kako je posledično konformizem izgubil svoje
eksplicitne značilnosti in dobil povsem nov značaj.
Ključne besede: komunikacija, družbeni inženiring, družbeni red, po-
trošništvo, konformizem
LIVIN’ THE MERITOCRATIC DREAM! OR WHY IT
MAKES SENSE THAT PERCENT PLANS IN COLLEGE AND
UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS REPRESENT THE FUTURE OF
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Cyril Ghosh
Affirmative action in university admissions is a polarizing dispute in the
United States. Its supporters claim it establishes equal opportunity – a
central tenet of the American Dream. Adversaries suggest that the policy
constitutes impermissible discrimination and preferential treatment for
underrepresented minority groups. Some argue for a reformed version of
affirmative action that takes socioeconomic background into account. Fi-
nally, there are those that advocate replacing affirmative action with Per-
cent Plans – which are race-neutral plans that nonetheless have the con-
sequence of ensuring racially and socioeconomically diverse classrooms
at state-run institutions of higher education. In this essay, I suggest that
of all these proposals Percent Plans are the most aligned with the widely
popular ideology of the American Dream and therefore has the potential
to have the broadest possible support from Americans across the ideolog-
ical spectrum. These plans also ensure representation of socioeconomic
and racial diversity in a way that does not accord “preferential” treatment
to any particular group of people, which in turn makes them more likely
to enjoy widespread support in the American population.
Keywords: affirmative action, percent plans, American Dream, equal op-
portunity, meritocracy
ŽIVETI MERITOKRATIČNE SANJE! ALI ZAKAJ JE SMISELNO,
DA NAČRTOVANI ODSTOTKI PRI VPISU NA VISOKE ŠOLE
IN UNIVERZE PREDSTAVLJAJO PRIHODNOST POZITIVNE
DISKRIMINACIJE
Cyril Ghosh
Pozitivna diskriminacija pri sprejemu na univerzo predstavlja v Združenih
državah spor, ki razdvaja. Njeni podporniki trdijo, da ustvarja enake
možnosti – osrednje načelo ameriških sanj. Nasprotniki opozarjajo, da
ta politika predstavlja nedopustno diskriminacijo in prednostno obravna-
vo slabo zastopanih manjšinskih skupin. Nekateri se zavzemajo za preo-
200
