Kan positiv särbehandling rättfärdigas? En normativ analys av etnisk kvotering till juristprogrammet vid Uppsala universitet
KvoteringPositiv särbehandlingJämlikhetEtnicitetEtikPolitical and administrative sciencesStatsvetenskapFörvaltningskunskapLaw and Political Science
Whether use of affirmative action can be justified is an ethical dilemma that hasbeen intensely debated. The question raises several conflict dimensions. Thepurpose of this thesis is to separate different arguments of the debate and classifywhich principles they are built upon. To accomplish this, an analytical instrumentis created where three different perspectives of equality, and deontology versusconsequentialism, are compared. A third conflict dimension, individual versusgroup ethical principles, is also considered. The analytical instrument issubsequently put to test in a case study. Uppsala University was charged fordiscrimination when allocating quotas based on ethnicity during admission to theirlaw studies. The arguments of the different parties of the case are analysed.The analytical instrument showed to be fruitful when analysing the argumentsof this issue. The analysis showed that the answer of the question whetheraffirmative action can be justified depends on what perception of equality, and tosome extent of the other ethical principles, the debater advocates. The argumentsof different sides in the Uppsala-case were based on different definitions ofequality. An interesting result was that two of three parties in the case seemed tobe inconsistent in the perception of equality.