Hey everyone,
Hope you have enjoyed the second mini-holiday! We won't have another day off for a whole 4 weeks now! =-)
It's time for our next online discussion, and this week's moderators are Ayca and Efe.
The topic will be:
Affirmative action in education: Should universities use positive discrimination to increase diversity?
As usual, please include your original opinion and respond to the ideas of 2 of your classmates. All comments should be completed by Thursday so the presenters can have time to summarize your ideas for Friday's lesson.
Don't forget to bring your homework tomorrow on choosing academically reliable sources. Also, last week we did not review the article for your Gun Crime essay. Please bring in the article and any notes you prepared for last week. Tomorrow we will discuss the main ideas of the article to ensure that everyone fully understands the ideas in the text.
Have a great night everyone and see you all tomorrow!
=-)
Jennifer
Dear everyone.I'm delighted to be here and share views with you.
ReplyDeleteTo this topic, I definitely support that universities should use positive discrimination to increase diversity.
To some extent, some students may benefit from the positive discrimination cuz they were motivated by the satisfied results. I think it's a practical way to maintain their self-confidence. Think of it as the equivalent of the motivation in a company, the students are the employees who need to be encouraged and tutors seems like the managers who should take responsibility for preserving confidences of 'employees'.
What's more, as students are full of self-confidence, creativity can be improved at the same time. In some cases, 'diversity' is derive from creativity.In order to raise the diversity, positive discrimination should be considered by universities.
But, one thing need to be mentioned is individual's characteristic and attitude should be taken into account to avoid becoming unfair to others and students being arrogant.
Thx a lot
regards
Joe
Hi, it's already Thurseday,,,
ReplyDeleteI partly agree with the affirmative action. This policy has been introduced for a correction of a gap between a majority race, especially white, and minority races. This action can provide minority people with the opportunity to get a good education in universities. In USA, as compared with white people, it is more difficult for others to enter the university because of a long period of discrimination. Although high school students need to get high marks in the SAT to enter the university, some non-white people have not taken a good education, so that it is hard for them to get higher score than white students.
On the other hand, the affirmative action is not for Asian people in USA. Asian people are often discriminated against as well. But most Asian people can usually get higher mark in SAT than other students. Therefore, this action is not applied to Asian people. Although it is much more difficult those Asian students go to the high level universities than white students.
I consider that the affirmative action in education is for protecting non-white people from decreasing opportunities to study but that this action also prevent some minority people who study very hard from studying in university.
thank you
Best,
Megumi
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHey everyone,
ReplyDeleteWell the word positive makes me feel warm, but the word discrimination makes me feel sad.
As I searched that positive discrimination is the extra rights which are given to the minority disadvantaged group. In short one, it exists to take away/remove the imbalance between people. It gathers up all of these terms as race, disabled, etc…
I agree with the statement if I understood the topic as I thought, but I want to give other examples for the positive discrimination to make diversity in the online discussion :)
For example every students need to attend their classes, but the disabled people may have difficulties in taking stairs or passing narrow places, etc... So universities should make a ramp in front of the buildings to ease their life.
Secondly, positive discrimination puts forward the combination of different cultures. There shouldn’t be any race discrimination in the universities cause of the positive discrimination. This is the most important part of it. If we handle the subtopic “race”, we can see that all of the students form a new common race which combines different cultures. So there will be more opportunities for the academic growth of all students if the population is culturally diverse.
As consequently, everyone deserves a chance of having education.
Thanks,
Best Regards
Sinan Kuris
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone ! Seems everybody has different interpretation to the topic. I’m not sure if my understanding is correct though, here is my opinion:
ReplyDeleteLiterature is important in today’s modern society. Everyone should deserve having a chance for school including the minority. One should not be eliminated from his educational opportunity because of his race, religion, disability or even social status issue. Positive discrimination will enable students getting into the school regardless of their background. But of course, in the sense that they are qualify in certain standard. What I mean is not just looking at the numerical figure (how high his score is), but also looking at his ability and talent. For instance of someone very talented on arts but got low score on his academic subjects, is it fair to level him as unqualified student ? Some people oppose to the “positive discrimination” for supposing that the true equality has been taken away. But I believe that “ability” tells everything.
So I agree in the point of view of using positive discrimination to increase diversity, particularly that better learning process always occur when there is competition and diversification.
Best regards,
Winnie
Hi, every lovely classmates~ Thank Joe for writing a shorter comment this time. I met same problems with other classmates that I’m not sure I understood this topic well but I will try my best to write some.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, about the positive discrimination I think universities can try this. As it’s not the traditional meaning about discrimination that dividing people into different groups in unfair ways. If the positive discrimination can increase diversity, I think it’s good for not only universities but also students. Students can get inspirations from other different style schoolmates. If they can learn some skills from others then it will be a good way to use positive discrimination to increase diversity.
However, I also agree with Megumi’s opinions about American’s universities. They protect white more than others. So those who study harder have fewer chances to enter in high level universities. I really hope one day we can find good ways to change this.
Thanks,
Best Regards
Hello my dear classmates,
ReplyDeleteOnly 5 comment!! thanks to everybody who did not write, you are saving my time :P . i am kidding, everybody should write something cmon!!
About the topic;
This is very sensitive topic due to this everybody wants to be sure about it. i nearly agree all of the comments but i want to ask something to Megumi and Jessica. Megumi gave an example about the discrimination in USA. You said that non-white people cannot enter the universities as white people even they got high results. But positive discrimination will not make them equal. it will be more than that, it means non-white people will be accepted by universities even they don't have enough score or ability. So is this fair or not?
Thanks
Efe
Seems I misunderstand the topic, I would try again to see if I can get this right for second time.
ReplyDeleteBut first,seems lots of us not actually understand the topic,I will try to give the definition for positive discrimination.
This is from Times Higher Education on the internet,-
Positive discrimination means treating one person more favourably than another on the ground of that individual’s sex, race, age, marital status or sexual orientation.
Here is my opinion,
I agree that University should use positive discrimination to increase diversity.To be hornest,as we study in a foreign country, have you ever thought of racism to be happen? I would say yes, because that was happen when I was in college when I was study in England. As you are different from them, no matter who you are, what types of skin colour you have,since you are not British and you are not speaking the language as they speak,you are always marked as "Outsider". That is why positive discrimination could help foreign student to have a better study life in University, as we understand, University is a place to study, not a place to bully,it can help them to build their confidence and so it will help on their study standard throughout their university life.
When different culture's student form together on the same level,talking on study, it can increase their level of study since student from all over the world will have different education style which means,some will good at this kind and some will good at other kind,from that they can learn from each other,the skills of study can be increased,since they are on same level,the competition between them will get stronger, this can make them work harder and so to get a better score for the outcome,this outcome won't just affect students themselves,it also affect the University, the standard of study for Univeristy would increase and so as reputation,at the end, this could be a both win situation.
Thank you,
Best Regards,
Victor Ng
Hello everyone, nice to meet you on this blog. Fistly I wanna say thanks to Victor for giving us a clear definition for 'positive discrimination'.
ReplyDeleteAs Victor said, it's better for us international students to study and build confidence in positive discrimination. I agree with this, but I think there are also disadvantages.
Firstly, it is unfair for us not have opportunities to receive the same education. I use the international students as an example. The reason why we choose this country to study in is that we like the study style and environment here and we want study here with native students. Although as Victor said we will be marked 'outsider', it will be a good study experience to study with native or high level students.
I don't have any exact attitudet to this topic. It is difficult to say it is good or not. Positive discrimination has both benifits and drawbacks to increase diversity.
In my opinion it seems very difficult for universities to use positive discrimination in practice so I wont say they should use or should not use. It can be worse if they can not organise it perfectly so it seems better to be in the equilibrum for every kind of students.
ReplyDeleteSee you
Oguz
Hello my friends, I am happy that there already have some comments. Because I saw the topic 2 days ago, but I didn’t really understand this topic, so I waited more comments to inspire me :p ~
ReplyDeleteBut I find some guys are also not sure they understand the topic completely as me, so I just talk about my own comprehension and opinion about this topic.
I totally agree this topic that university should use positive discrimination to increase diversity. First of all, this is a fair society, everyone has his human right. No matter people are in different culture, race or gender. Society especial the university has responsibility to make person throw the old concept of discrimination. People all over the world are equal, do not have any differences. The second, to be a good university, the culture is a most important part of it. So only a university use positive discrimination, then they can attract a variety of students all over the world. Students could have a relaxed and confidence environment, at the same time, they will bring different style of culture. The benefit is not only for university’s diversity but also for the every student. Person in school can easily know about different country, language and make more friends.
These are my all opinion about this topic, thank you~
Regards
Parry
Hey, guys, lots of you agree with universities should use positive discrimination to increase diversity but I do not think so. I totally disagree that positive discrimination is a good way for universities to increase diversity. Firstly, positive or negative discrimination is not good way for universities to increase diversity. Discrimination is a negative attitude and I don't see in any way that it would be considered positive.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I feel that universities are places of learning, so there should not be any kind of discrimination. Universities should create admission policies that giving everyone the same chance to gain admittance. Furthermore,
people should be admitted to college based on their ability to do the work and their desire to complete the program and obtain a degree, not because they're a member of one group or another.
Evening, guys.
ReplyDeleteSeems lucky to not be the last one, otherwise i have to read nighteen comments. All of your understanding and misunderstanding make me confused about this topic. Ok, that's a joking.
It is quite hard to show my opinion about this topic. To be honest, I wish there would be some help separately from local students and international students in the university. As Victor and Kerry metioned above, as to be treat the "outsider", positive discrimination might does work on contribute international students' confidence and better settle in the university life.
But, on the other hand, what cannot be ignored is that the university should be what it like no matter which person is there or not. The situation and culture in one university won't be changed before a student join or leave. The University of Cambridge and the University of Harvard could be the examples. Another point what I cannot agree of positive discrimination using by university to increase diversity is that this action tend to be unfair to different. I believed that the reason why the university have been built is to get people the right to access education, the fair right to every student. And what i donnot wanna see is there might be the alteration on the history and spirit of a university.
A short conclusion could be that I partly agree with this topic. Thanks.
Best regard,
Sophie
Uhhh...generally I hold the same opinion as Joe, universities should use positive discrimination to increase diversity. However, I also have the same worry as Sinan about the "positive discrimination"! Actually, the positive discrinmination would benefit the disadvantaged minorities a lot, and help them to gain the deserved right; but, if the preferential treatment differ from others' too many, this might harm the others, moreover, it might indirectly produce the other disadvantaged group! Otherwise, for some people, they also do not wish to have a different treatment, even they are in the disadvantaged group. It may be due to self-respect! (No one likes to be different, especially while being in a compared weak situation!!) Hence, how to find the balance will be more important.
ReplyDeleteAbove all, I agree the universities should use positive discrimination to the disadvantaged minorities, but they should find a better way first!
Hi, Acya, Efege,
ReplyDeleteHope you two will have great presentation.
With regard to this topic, I would like to say; university should not always have affirmative action to increase diversity. in other words, it doesen't need to take long time to implement such positive discrimination in education. In the first instance, increasing of positive discrimination might cause new discriminations in a sence. As I know, many countries in the world have various affirmative action for minority group but it will may lead to unsatisfication of the rest of group.In some countries, Despite the fact that the justification for affirmative action is to conpensate for past discrimination, persecution or exploitation by the ruling class of a culture, it is not fair play in long term period. For eaxmple, admission to university is actually determined by the strict entrance exam in Korea, however, few candidates are admitted without taking exam because they are ethnic minorities. These policies are apparently unfair for student who are included in group of majority.
Thus, unilateral consideration will interfere fair competion even developement of society.
First of all, I wanted to mentioned as Sinan mentioned before about the word:discrimination. Yes, actually it is as a word does not seem like a good meaning. Generally,discrimination is being used negative way.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand,discrimination in universities fort o increase diversity that used different side which is positive way.All about the topic: University is the last educating place for people like us. The last enjoyable student life before the real life . in this term, we leave teenager behaviour and prepare being adult. We choose our attıtude as a characteristic to the world and learn together.
In positive discrimination in university, firstly we are all sharing our culture and attıtudes to together also even we understand the people all rest of us. Sinan talked about disable people. The person who is healthy and has not any experience being disable ,he can realise how is difficulties with being disable that studying with disable classmate. İt provides that he emphatize with this.
Overall, positive discrimination makes people more sensetive to each other. As Winni and Sinan said that everyone deserves a chance of having education. And thanks to Megumi fors he mentioned negative discrimination in US.
Hi,everyone,first of all,I need to say I'm so sorry that so late. And I'm glad to share my opinion on this bolg.
ReplyDeleteBasically, I agree with universities use positive discrimination to increase diversity.Above all,different people like different things and have different talent.Using positive discrimination can make sure everyone has the most appropriate way of studying.It can make someone to be success easier.So I think,in a certain sense,it is better to save educational resources.
But like Joy and Tsai said,using positive discrimination is unfair to another people
.And no one likes to be different, especially ,it maybe means that others are better than you.
Therefore,universities can try to use positive discrimination and to find a best way to perform.
Thanks
Victor WANG