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These forms drive me up the wall as well, but unfortunately in Canada--where we take a very PC,
United Church approach to everything--an equal opportunities question accompanies just about all
application forms for work and scholarships. In most cases, they ask the applicant if he or she is a
"member" of a "visible minority" group and then proceed by listing several of these. The problem is
that we should either base work applications on meritocracy, or provide concessions to all those in
society who may be disadvantaged. This would include poverty-stricken, working-class white males
with a lower-than-average level of education, who in the UK are sometimes in worse financial shape
than many ethnic minorities.
In the US, however, affirmative action probably played an important role in the 1970s and 1980s.
Nevertheless, I would argue that it would be high time to replace this policy, as soon as possible.
If anything, we should base equal opportunity concessions on one's economic background. This would
be a much more inclusive approach. |
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I hope you all know which form I mean, it accompanies every application in the UK. My mum even had
to fill out something similar when applying for a lottery grant for an old building she looks after.
It asked how many people of each ethnic sector (is that the word?) use the facility. What has that
got to do with anything, how would her answer affect the outcome of the application?
When going for a job you need to say about your ethnic background. Why? Why are we all so hung up
about ethnic backgrounds. Sure they are interesting at conversation level but they should have no
affect on an application for anything, Let's move on and get rid of them. |
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Clearly, race-based discrimination has existed in the past. Although it is now outlawed, there is
always a suspicion that it still exists in some quarters. If you look only at the outcomes, say the
proportion of civil servants who are black, you get a certain amount of information, but not enough
to draw definite conclusions.
For example, let's say you find the number of black civil servants is disproportionately low
compared to the share of black people in the population. Well, that's interesting. But is that
happening because a disproportionately low number of black people are applying for jobs with the
civil service? Or is because a normal number of black people are applying but, for some reason,
disproportionately being turned down? If the latter, you would need to look more closely to find the
reasons.
I think this kind of monitoring is not unreasonable, although it does make filling out forms a bit
more bothersome. |
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09 Apr 2008 15:21
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