Affirmative Action Initiative in South Africa

Affirmative Action Initiative in South Africa Affirmative action is an initiative adopted by the South African government, which seeks to correct the imbalance of wealth and provide opportunities to the people who were adversely affected as a result of the apartheid regime. It has created a situation where organizations are required to meet specific employment targets for persons of colour in order to operate to the satisfaction of the state. As a result, these people are able to participate in the corporate environment at an accelerated rate. On the contrary, many white South Africans are finding it difficult to obtain their most select employment. The efficiency of affirmative action is best analyzed by assessing its objective of promoting black representation in the workplace and comparing it to empirical evidence. Figures provided by the government indicate that the unemployment rate has steadily declined annually since the inception of the study (September 2001). The September 2007 average unemployment rate of 23% is significantly lower than 29.4% in September 2001. This provides evidence that the policy is doing well to provide work to more South Africans. (www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0210/P0210September2007.pdf) However, a more in-depth study reveals the change in unemployment rates amongst each population group. The best results have been for black people with a decline from approximately 35% (September 2001) to 26.8% (September 2007). The Indian people in the country also improved from approximately 19% to 10% over the same period. White and coloured unemployment rates have remained relatively static over this period at approximately 5% and 20% respectively. This bodes well for black and Indian people and is a strong indicator that affirmative action is achieving its goals. The policy seems to be failing in its attempt to compensate the coloured population. (www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0210/P0210September2007.pdf) However, there are problems that are emerging from affirmative action that is having a detrimental effect on the performance on enterprises and the overall success of the economy. The instantaneous and rapid enactment of affirmative action has seen unqualified persons attaining important positions. Many of these people were/are incapable of fulfilling the roles they have been assigned. This has a negative impact on, firstly, the corporation employing these people as they incur costs without the required level of service from their employees. It also adversely affects the consumer, who is dependant upon those employed by organizations to make the best decisions in order to obtain maximum reward. A situation exists whereby unskilled employees are filling skilled positions. (www.sairr.org.za/press-office/institute-opinion) Another concern is that many white South Africans are leaving the country, resulting in a major shortage of fundamental skills. The South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) revealed that between 1995 and 2005, one million white South Africans moved abroad. The lack of adequate services has left the country in desperate need of professionals. These people also served as mentors/teachers to inexperienced employees and accelerated their development in the organizations thus exacerbating the problem of their departure. (www.fin24.com/articles/default/display_article) Many contend that a weakness of the affirmative action policy is that it creates a minority of rich black people and does not help the rest (www.new.bbc.co.uk). The majority of the black population are unskilled workers without educations. These people are likely to struggle even with affirmative action in place as their employment options are limited to low income earning sectors due to educational and language problems. It is anticipated that the current generation of black children will reap the benefits of the policy. The government has put facilities in place to ensure these people are schooled and can attain funding for universities. These are the real beneficiaries of the system as their employment options are diverse. It would therefore seem that the efficiency of affirmative action should only be interpreted to a significant extent when the current black youth reaches adulthood. A contentious issue arises when deciphering whether affirmative action is fair. The reality is that apartheid deprived groups of basic needs such as education which hindered their development in the economy. It is necessary that policies are in place to accelerate their participation due to their unfortunate position. Therefore it seems fair that such policies are in place. The people of colour suffered through the white government. Many will never have a fair opportunity of creating a rich lifestyle for themselves. Affirmative action could be perceived to be unfair to the current and future white youth. These people are borne into a system whereby they are automatically limited in their options. The effective state of affairs is that many white people are paying the price for crimes for which they (the youth) did not commit and played no part. Although the task is more difficult, these people are still able to lead wealthy lifestyles in South Africa. One could engage the matter from another perspective with regards to ‘fairness’. Perhaps the current white generation are beneficiaries of the apartheid system. This is due to the fact that during that era, white people were able to acquire employment very easily which often paid high incomes. As a result, much of the white youth of South Africa have attended good schools and experienced financially stable upbringings. This has substantially increased their ability to attain a high level of education at universities leading to success in the working environment. Therefore, white people have an unfair advantage over others due to the inequalities of the past. It would therefore seem appropriate that this advantage were lessened, which is achieved through the affirmative action system. There is definite reason to believe that affirmative action has had a ‘demeaning’ effect on persons from all groups. On the one hand, many white people lose faith in their future as they get rejected by enterprises. This would likely result in a loss of confidence in not only the system but in themselves. White people would feel inadequate and begin to doubt their abilities. This presents a situation where affirmative action has impacted the self-esteem of individuals. Similar consequences could occur for persons of colour, although for different reasons. The fact that people are employed by organizations solely due to the colour of their skin may well have a negative psychological impact on these employees. They are made to feel undeserved of attaining their positions by much of the public through widespread publications in the media. At the same time, many of these employees are in fact incapable of performing the roles that they are required to do, exacerbating their feelings of unworthiness when asked to perform such functions. Therefore, the affirmative action policy is potentially depriving these people of natural emotions of success, especially feelings of self-pride or achievement in the workplace as well as a sense of belonging to their organizations. There is a key issue to analyze prior to assessing the overall accuracy of accusing affirmative action to be inefficient, unfair and demeaning. One needs to clarify the purpose of the policy which is best defined through court law, â€Å"The purpose of affirmative action is not to make identified victims (of past discrimination) whole, but rather to dismantle prior patterns of employment discrimination and to prevent discrimination in the future. Such relief is provided to the class as a whole rather than to individual members. No individual is entitled to relief and the beneficiaries need not show that they were victims of discrimination† (www.deneysreitz.co.za). The intentions of affirmative action are not to make white people worse off, but instead improve the economic position of other groups. There are no ideals in place that seek to harm or discriminate against white people. The other key question that must be asked is whether affirmative action is necessary for South Africa? The country suffers from widespread poverty, especially the black people. These people make up a majority of the population, yet they continuously struggle to assert themselves in the economy. There is an obvious need to alter the difficult living conditions of these people, both now and in the future. The long term solution to the survival and success of these groups is to get them involved actively. Affirmative action ensures that this occurs. The current ‘exodus’ of white people makes it even more important that persons of colour are learning the skills necessary to ensure South Africa is able to run effectively and experience adequate growth. Affirmative action cannot be perceived as unfair, it should rather be perceived as a necessary initiative for the benefit of the country as a whole. The white group should be willing to forfeit ‘absolute equality’ as a result of their past racism which greatly harmed and setback the country. However, as noted above, there are inefficiencies and demeaning repercussions that have emerged due to affirmative action. It is still too early to interpret overall efficiency. It would make sense to expect improvement in the future as more black children come through the educational system which creates a solid platform for their development and participation. It is clearly not a perfect method, but seems to be the best available solution to counter the current economic imbalance. References Statistics South Africa, Labour Force Survey, pg 11,24, September 2007, [Online],  Available: http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0210/P0210September2007.pdf [2008, June 3]. Deneys/Reitz Attorneys, Affirmative Action Case Law Developments, Sheet Metal Workers Industrial Association v EEOC, 11 May 2004 [Online],  Available: http://www.deneysreitz.co.za/seminars/item/affirmative_action_case_law_developments,446.html [2008, June 3]. Vuyo Jack, Business Report: The Income Gap is Closing but not Fast Enough, 16 March 2008, [Online],  Available: http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=2512fArticleId=4304342 [2008, June 3]. Peet van Aardt, FIN24.com: Million Whites leave SA –Study, 24 September 2006, [Online], Available: http://www.fin24.com/articles/default/display_article.aspx?Nav=nsArticleID=1518-25_2003186 [2008, June 4]. South African Institute of Race Relations : Signs that South Africa’s affirmative action debate is growing up, [Online], Available:  http://www.sairr.org.za/press-office/institute-opinion/signs-that-south-africa2019s-affirmative-action-debate-is-growing-up.html [2008, June 4]. BBC News: SA Poverty Gap Remains, 27 July 2000, [Online], Available:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/854306.stm [2008, June 4].

Self Interest Motivates

Humans have always wondered what drives them to make the choices the make. One of the theories people have come up with is that self-interest primarily motivates mankind. This theory is defended in the actions of Luba and her suitor in Angels of Bergen-Belsen, the decisions made by Ilsa Hermann and Hans Hubermann in The Book Thief, and the struggles with death in Night. In Angel of Bergen-Belsen, Luba, a Polish Jewish woman, loses her son as she is taken prisoner into a concentration camp in Bergen-Belsen where she saves the lives of forty-eight abandoned children in the camps in hope that someone is caring for her son as she cares for them. She takes care of the children because she misses her son, Isaac, who was taken away from her at the time of the selection process during the entrance to the camp. To make up for the loss, she fulfills her motherly instincts by feeding and comforting the children who were abandoned. The children also motivate her to live because they are dependent on her and make her feel obligated to keep living for them. If Luba dies, they will be less likely to survive in the hardships of the camps. They make her feel wanted and needed. With this her she is able to answer her urge to live and can face the harsh situations presented to her. Her desire to live lets her adapt to harsh circumstances presented to her so with the misfortune of losing her son, she lets the new children she finds replace her son. Her suitor, a German officer in charge of her barrack, however, was not able to gain her affection like the children. He does his best to try and capture her heart by bringing her gifts like wood, which Jews were not allowed to have. It seems as if he is trying to help the woman he loves get what she needs, but the real motive for it is that he is trying to win her heart. Even though he does actually want to help Luba, he wants to satisfy his own desire and self-interest for her love more. In The Book Thief, Ilsa Hermann does not report Liesel to the authorities for taking a book from a bonfire during Hitler’s birthday in Molching because she is intrigued by her. She does that not because she cares about Liesel’s future, but because she has taken an interest to Liesel and wants to get to know her. To get closer to Liesel, she invites her into her library and shares her book with her. She tries to keep Liesel close because Liesel’s provocative behavior distracts her from her depression from her son’s death. She basically wants Liesel around because Liesel is able to draw away the depressing thoughts Ilsa has. On the other hand, Hans Hubermann helps hide Max Vandenburg from being captured by the Nazis because â€Å"he had Erik Vandenburg to thank† (Zusak 176) for saving his life during the First World War. He offers Erik’s wife to call him whenever she needs help as compensation. He feels obligated to do this because he would feel guilty if he did not do anything in return for the man that saved his life. When Max’s call for help comes, Hans wants to fulfill his promise to the Vandenburg family so that he won’t feel any guilt for being the sole survivor of the battle. In order to fulfill his sense of justice, he agrees to hide Max in his house. He does not want to shoulder the burden of knowing that he allowed his savior’s son to die when he had an opportunity of saving him or at least increasing his chances of survival. He also wants to be true to himself and do what he believes is the right thing to do because â€Å"A Jew once saved his life and he could not forget that† (Zusak 180). Furthermore, in Night, Elie and his father struggle to keep each alive because they give each other a reason to continue living in the world. Elie does his best to persuade his father to keep living, and he tells himself that he â€Å"[has] no right to let [himself] die† because he â€Å"is his [father’s] sole support† (Wiesel 87). They both do not want to be left to fend for themselves in the work camps and to have to face the harshness of the world themselves. Their dependency for each other is shown when the â€Å"father and son often walk together holding hands in the camps, afraid that they will be separated. They ask for the same work assignments, sleep in the same building, share food, and sing Hasidic songs together† (Wiesel 29). Elie looks towards his father for guidance, and his father looks towards Elie for strength. They keep each other alive for their own self benefit so that they will have someone to lean on for help. Despite Elie’s close relationship with his father, that wasn’t the case for all fathers and sons. As the Jews were being transported to a different camp, German workers would take â€Å"a piece of bread out of [their] bag and [throw] it into a wagon† (Wiesel 100). The men inside the wagon fight like animals for a few crumbs. One old man manages to get a piece. His son sees and attacks his own father for the bread. He is motivated to kill his own father for it for his desire to survive and live on. He is not interested in the well-being, but only of his own. He will do whatever is necessary for survival. Angel of Bergen-Belsen, The Lunch Date, The Book Thief, and Night all show the same trait of self-interest being the main cause for motivating people to make the decisions they make. Even though their actions will have a good effect, their intentions behind them are actually for their own self-interests and benefits.

Essay about Determining Causes and Effects of Stress on...

My research on the major causes and effects of stress on college students is compiled at the request of The President of Strayer University. The purpose of presenting this research paper to senior administration is to help students have a more constructive college experience. Students starting their college careers consist of major adjustments to the daily routine; sleep patterns and eating habits, time-management skills, and stress levels are different in one way or another. The American Institute of Stress, compiled a 2008 mental health study by the Associated Press, stated that eight of ten college students stated that they have occasionally, or often experienced stress in their daily lives (AIS, 2014). A periodical article Tamar†¦show more content†¦They usually take a long time to figure out there on they own and the work load is much greater. College is expensive and many student will experience financial stress. Financial issues such as books, tuition, fees, lodging, and commuting expenses, the usual minimum wage employment will enhance financial stress for students. Finding sufficient money to pay for tuition as well as acquiring the funds needed for the costs of living while attending college can proof to be a struggle. Although most students qualify for adequate financial aid to handle immediate college expenses, student still need to cope with the financial stress. This is normally a result of knowing that they will have to repay a large sum of money following graduation. This source of stress associated with debt from student loans affects many student long before finishing school and entering the business market. The effects of the cause on the economy The subject of financial literacy is critical today, particularly in an age of student loan avoidance. The Department of Education recommends that schools provide repayment education during their students’ college careers, as to teach them how to manage money, create a budget, track spending, compare interest rates, and lenders. These are necessary skills students need, however, a survey compiled by ‘Inceptia’ shows they don’t currently have a good familiarity on this subject (Lincoln, 2014). Pervious years has been remarkablyShow MoreRelatedDetermining Causes And Effects Major Cause And Effects Of Stress On College Students797 Words   |  4 Pages Assignment #3.1: Determining Causes and Effects Major cause and effects of stress in college students Vanity Talbert ENG 115- English Composition Olivia Clark August .17, 2015 Dealing and living with stress has become almost a way of life of many people today, as they combine busy lives with the high demands of work or study while trying to make time for family and friends. 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Many people think of stress as being overworked or overwhelmed, but stress can be caused by all facets of everyday life. Through the evaluation of my stress self-assessment and the course readings, it has become abundantly evident that stress impacts the body, is affected by motivation and emotions, and by understanding the psychologyRead MoreEating Disorders Are Becoming A Serious Problem On High School And College Students944 Words   |  4 Pageshigh school and college students, especially anorexia nervosa. Individuals suffering from this mental health disorder are not fully aware of the severe symptoms and risk factors this disorder brings, or the treatment available to them. Stigmatization and from friends, family and society like self infliction and addiction lead to an internal battle for a person suffering with anorexia. According to the Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association, â€Å"40% of female college students have eating disorders

Regular Expression - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 298 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/09/13 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? Write a regular expression for binary strings with at least two 0s but not consecutive 0s. 1*01+01* Write a regular expression that matches all strings over the alphabet {a, b, c} that contain: Starts and ends with a a(a*b*c*)a /( a / a(a/b)*a) At most one a b*c*/b*c* a b*c* At least two as b*c* a b*c* a b*c* An even number of as (b*c* a b*c* a b*c*)+ Number of as plus number of bs is even Write a regular expression to describe all dates of the form Month DD, YYYY, where Month consists of any string of upper or lower case letters, the date is 1 or 2 digits, and the year is exactly 4 digits.. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Regular Expression" essay for you Create order The comma and spaces are required. Write a regular expression for each of the following: Strings over the alphabet {a, b, c} where the first a precedes the first b. c*a[ac]*b[abc]* Strings over the alphabets {a, b, c} with an even number of a’s. (b*c* a b*c* a b*c*)+ / (aa/b/c)* Binary numbers that are multiples of four. ( 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0)* / (0*[01]*00 | 0+) Binary numbers that are greater than 101001. Strings over the alphabet {a, b, c} thar don’t contain the contiguous substring baa. [ac]*b(c/a[^a])[ac]*b*)+/[ac]+ Identify the lexeme that makes up the tokens in the following programs. Give reasonable attribute vcalues for the tokens. Pascal Function max ( i, j : integer) : integer ; { return maximium of integers i and j } begin if i j then max := i else max := j end; C Int max ( i, j) int i, j; /* return maximium of integers I and j */ { return i j? i:j; } Draw the Transition Diagram for relational operators.