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Reverse discrimination is a colloquial term used to describe discriminatory policies or acts that benefit a historically sociopolitically nondominant group (typically minorities), rather than the historically sociopolitically dominant 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 redress this imbalance. Some minority advocacy groups, 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 widespread 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 comparison 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".
Such policies decrease the proportion of opportunities within the society available to members of one group in comparison to another. Proponents of such policies would argue that they bring about a closer equality of opportunities among groups by creating an increase in opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups. Critics of reverse discrimination accuse proponents of hypocrisy, arguing that the practice replaces one form of discrimination with another.
Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, have used the term "reverse discrimination" to describe affirmative action. As a form of discrimination, reverse discrimination is likewise considered illegal there.
See also
Discrimination
Counter-discrimination
Cases involving counter-discriminatory practices
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