Affirmative Action: A Feminist Economics Policy to Counteract Implicit Bias in Employment

Abstract

Despite the research surrounding implicit bias and its effects on employment decisions,and the acknowledgement that solutions are needed to reduce the existence of this bias, specific measures are rarely discussed, and few mention affirmative action, a policy long advocated by feminist economists. In this paper, I argue for the recognition of pure affirmative as a useful tool for counteracting the role of implicit bias in employment decisions. My hope is that by understanding how affirmative action can assist in neutralizing implicit bias, it will increase the acceptance of affirmative action.