Affirmative action
Contemporary inclusion policies
It includes measures aimed at remedying exclusion or widening opportunities for underrepresented groups.
Historical context
Affirmative action policies arose in settings of exclusion from employment, education, and political life. Their design and justification vary between systems.
Overview
Reserving support, broadening outreach, and taking prior barriers into account are different mechanisms. Evaluating a measure means identifying whom it benefits and what problem it is meant to address.
Main claims
Some inequalities of access can justify measures specifically designed to reduce them.
Debates and nuances
Remedial, distributive, and diversity-based justifications are distinct.
This entry provides educational context.