Reverse discriminationReverse discrimination is a colloquial term used to describe discriminatory policies or acts that benefit a historically socially undominant and/or minority group, rather than the historically socially dominant and/or majority group. The term "reverse discrimination" is sometimes considered synonymous with the terms affirmative action and positive discrimination. In the late 20th century, as numerous societies and countries began to believe that both contemporary and historic discrimination had resulted in an unfair and unjust social structure, some companies and governments instituted policies intended to reverse the negative effects. Some, having established that the policy of equal opportunity had failed to bring about real social equality, argued that more aggressive reversal policies were needed. The most pervasive of such policies is known as affirmative action. Such policies are often perceived to decrease the proportion of opportunities within the society available to members of the traditionally dominant group in comparisoin with their historical level of opportunities. While proponents of such policies would argue that they bring about a closer equality of opportunities among groups, members of the historically dominant group who feel negatively affected by that change in proportion often refer to the policies as "reverse discrimination". Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, have used the term "reverse discrimination" to describe affirmative action. As "reverse discrimination" is still fundamentally a form of discrimination, reverse discrimination is considered illegal there, under the same terms as "traditional" discrimination.
See alsoDiscriminationCounter-discriminationCases involving counter-discriminatory practicesExternal links
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