Chapter 7 Discussion: Ethics of Job Discrimination

Paul L. Schumann, Ph.D.

2004 by Paul L. Schumann. All rights reserved.

7-1

Nature of Job Discrimination

What does it mean to discriminate? What does it mean to discriminate in employment?
What are the 3 basic elements in defining discrimination in employment?

7-2

Extent of Discrimination
What evidence is available on the difference

in average income between:

Whites and Blacks? Men and Women? What if we limit the data to Men and Women with the same amount of education?

How do the poverty rates of Whites and

Blacks compare? What do we learn by looking at occupational comparisons?

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Extent of Discrimination
To what extent are the differences in pay

and occupations between Men and Women caused by Women voluntarily choosing lower paying jobs that are easy to leave in order to have time to raise children and then re-enter (e.g., secretary), or in order to change jobs to accommodate the demands of their husbands career?

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Ethics of Discrimination
Why is discrimination unethical according

to the:
Utilitarian Principle? Rights Principle?

Justice Principle?

What is sexual harassment? Why is sexual harassment unethical?

7-5

Affirmative Action
Equal employment opportunity (EEO)

policies are blind with respect to irrelevant characteristics such as sex or race. As such, EEO policies have the goal of preventing further discrimination. What, if anything, does EEO do to rectify the effects of past discrimination?

7-6

Affirmative Action
What is utilization analysis? What does it mean if a group (e.g., Women, or Blacks, or Latinos, or whatever) is underrepresented (or underutilized)? If a group is underrepresented, how is the

company supposed to use goals and timetables?

What can a company do to achieve the goals

and timetables in its Affirmative Action Plan?

7-7

Affirmative Action
How do the supporters of affirmative action

argue that affirmative action is morally justified because it is:

Compensation? How do the critics of affirmative action respond? An instrument for achieving social goals?

According to the supporters:

What is the basic goal of affirmative action? How is affirmative action a morally legitimate means for achieving these goal?
How do the critics respond?
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Case: Brian Weber

Is there evidence suggesting that Kaiser

might have been discriminating against Blacks before it set up the training program in 1974? How did Kaisers affirmative action plan for admission to the training program work?
What was the goal of the AA plan?

Was the AA plan temporary or permanent?

Did the AA plan create an absolute bar to

Whites who wanted training?

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Case: Brian Weber

Was the AA plan based on contempt,

hatred, or prejudice against Whites?

Was the AA plan reverse discrimination?

Did the AA plan actually hurt Blacks more

than it helped Blacks? If Kaiser had used an EEO policy instead of an AA policy, would it take substantially longer to eliminate the racial imbalance in Kaisers workforce?
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Case: Brian Weber

Was the AA plan justified: In order to speed the process of eliminating the effects of past discrimination? Based on compensatory justice? As a morally justified instrument (means) to a morally justified goal (ends)? If you were a US Supreme Court justice,

would you have ruled that the Kaiser plan was legal or illegal? Why?
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