John F. Kennedy famously said, “All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talent.” The opinion of John F. Kennedy that everyone should be given an equal opportunity was once the commonly held view on equality. There has been a growing push in recent years toward "desired outcomes" in which no one is left behind. This latter view is known as equality of outcome or equity.
Equality of Opportunity:
Equality of opportunity looks at equality from the view point that people are not equal and that desired outcomes for all groups cannot be justly produced. Equality of opportunity looks to control that which can be controlled which is to provide all people without arbitrariness or prejudices the same opportunities based on merit. Equality of opportunity does not take into consideration quotas or giving preferential treatment to minority or historically marginalized groups within a society. Rather, it seeks to offer everyone a fair chance and to fill each position with the most qualified candidate available. For example, if a university is accepting new students, there should be a single set of criteria for all applicants, and only the best candidates should be admitted, even if the outcome is that one group is overrepresented. Equality of opportunity holds that as long as the process is fair and just, then the outcome is also fair and just.
Equality of Outcome:
The core essence of equality of outcomes is social justice. The objective of equality of outcome is not equality or justice but rather equity and social justice. It looks to set right inequities and bring balance in the representation of outcomes in a society, where all social groups are equally represented without giving much weight to merit. Some refer to it as social Marxism since it looks to create a singular social class. Equality of outcomes seeks to provide more resources, opportunities and lower requirements for those that are considered to be disadvantaged. If we consider the same example of a university, equality of outcome creates different acceptance criteria for different groups to ensure a more balanced representation amongst the student body.
The Pareto Principle (80/20 rule):
The Pareto Principle also known as the 80/20 rule is a well-established principle that holds 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. For example 80% of a company’s sales come from 20% of the sales team, or on a project team 80% of tasks are completed by 20% of the project team. This principle demonstrates that inequality is the natural order of things; even in the absence of manipulation, the majority of the pool of resources will end up in the hands of a small minority.
Conclusion:
Even though the idea of
equality of outcomes has good intentions, it does not consider the natural
order of dominance hierarchies that exists in nature. It looks to force unnatural outcomes that
often lead to unintended consciousness.
If a group of people are penalized due to historical privileges and new
privileges are bestowed upon previously marginalized groups, you do not create
a balanced outcome, but rather a new paradigm of privileged and disadvantaged
groups. The only way to ensure justice
for all is to give everyone an equal opportunities that is accessible to
everyone.