Marxist Interpretation of Affirmative Action

This research examines the concept of affirmative action in the American work place within the context of the Marxist interpretation of conflict theory. A brief discussion of conflict theory and the Marxist interpretation of the theory is followed by an analysis of the affirmative action concept within the context of the theory interpretation.

Conflict theory is a sociological proposition offered as an alternative to structuralfunctional theory (Heller, 1987, p. 3). Proponents of conflict theory contend that structuralfunctional theory either neglects the empirical fact that conflicts of value and interest or inherent in all forms of human society or treats such conflicts in only a secondary context (Dahrendorf, 1987, p. 417).

The conflict paradigm describes social life as a struggle among competing individuals and groups (Babbie, 1992, p. 57). The Marxist interpretation of the conflict paradigm is made within the concept of class struggle. Early Marxism defines classes as wage laborers, capitalist, and land owners (Tucker, 1978, p. 441). Later Marxist interpretations, however, recognized that some degree of blurring frequently occurs between these classes. Such blurring between classes provides a basis for the analysis of the affirmative action concept within the context of the Marxist interpretation of conflict theory, as dominant gender, racial, and ethnic population g

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in the interest area of employment discrimination in the contexts of hiring, promotion, retention, and compensation (Jenner, 1994, p. 11). The regulation of business and industry in these contexts is intended to eliminate overt discrimination on the basis of gender, racial or ethnic background, religious preference, or age, and, in many instances, as stated above, such regulation is also intended to rectify the effects of past discrimination based upon these same characteristics. In practice, the greatest emphasis is placed on discrimination which is based on either on sex or on racial or ethnic background. In theory, government regulation designed to eliminate employment discrimination should have no adverse impacts on business and industry, for in theory discrimination between individuals in relation to hiring, promotion, retention, and compensation would be based only upon performance or upon performance potential (Carrell and Mann, 1993, pp. 755764). In 1983, a study found that firms would enjoy increased profitability as a result of the elimination of compensation differentials based upon sex or upon racial or ethnic background (Lundberg and Startz, 1983, pp. 340347). This study assumed, however, that the distribution
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Approximate Word count = 2235
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)

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