STEMkid和東南西北來看看 先看看AA和DEI的區別

Affirmative Action: The Original Framework

Historically, affirmative action (especially as shaped in the U.S. from the 1960s onward) was about:

• Preventing discrimination against historically marginalized groups.

• Ensuring equal access to education and employment.

• Applying race-, gender-, or identity-conscious practices when all else was equal to remedy past injustices or to promote diversity.

• Courts often emphasized "narrow tailoring"—meaning race/gender could be considered, but not rigidly or as quotas.

So yes, affirmative action was not about quotas or lowering standards, but about ensuring fair consideration and broadening outreach.

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Modern DEI: A Shift in Emphasis

What many now label as DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) has expanded beyond affirmative action. In practice today, it often includes:

• Diversity hiring goals or "representation targets," which can resemble quotas.

• Race- or gender-conscious recruitment and retention strategies.

• Training and policy changes intended to reduce systemic bias.

• In some cases, adjusting criteria or standards (e.g. in job requirements or test scoring) to account for historical disadvantages.

This shift is where critics argue that DEI may, at times:

• Prioritize demographic outcomes over strictly merit-based standards.

• Risk creating reverse discrimination or lowering expectations.

• Move from equality of opportunity to equality of outcome—a key philosophical difference.