Discrimination and Affirmative Action
2. Why is sexual harassment considered a form of discrimination?
3. Define Affirmative Action. What are the benefits of and affirmative action plan? Give and example of a situation describing a) the wrong to be corrected and b) how an affirmative action plan helps rectify the situation.
Case: Sex Discrimination at Walmart
Read the case Sex Discrimination -At Walmart and answer the following questions:
4. How much should companies be held accountable for societal factors which promote discrimination such as stereotyping by race or sex?
5. Can statistics prove behavior, or are they just evidence of it? If they are evidence, are they weak or strong evidence?
6. Evaluate the statistics presented in the case. Do they support the charge of sex discrimination? How?
7. Assuming all six women bringing this suit were discriminated against, given that Wal-Mart has over one million employees, does that mean Wal-Mart is guilty of a bias against women?
8. Look up the Supreme Court decision on this case. Who won, Dukes or Walmart? What did the decision do about discrimination – will it be harder or easier for employees to bring a suit against their employer?
9. Employment rights
7. What is employment at will? Describe the three kinds of exceptions to employment at will.
8. How does the property rights argument support employment at will?
9. How might the property rights argument be used against employment at will?
10. What is the philosophical basis for freedom of contract? How might it support employment at will? What difficulties arise?
11. What is the utilitarian justification for employment at will? What is the primary drawback of this approach?
