Equity and equality

In the context of social systems such as education, politics, and government, the terms equity and equality have similar but slightly different meanings. Equality refers to scenarios in which all segments of society have the same levels of opportunity and support. Equity broadens the concept of equality to include the provision of different levels of support based on individual needs or abilities.

Definition of equality and examples

The dictionary defines equality as the state of being equal in rights and opportunity . In the context of social policy, equality is the right of different groups of people, such as men and women or black and white, to enjoy the benefits of similar social status and to receive the same treatment without fear of discrimination.

The legal principle of social equality in the United States was confirmed in 1868 by the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution , which states that “neither state […] shall deny any person within its jurisdiction equal protection of laws «.

A modern application of the Equal Protection Clause can be seen in the 1954 Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education , which declared that separate schools for African American and white children were inherently unequal and therefore unconstitutional. The ruling led to the racial integration of America’s public schools and paved the way for the enactment of more radical social equality laws, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Definition of equity and examples

Equity refers to the provision of different levels of support, based on specific needs, to achieve greater equity of treatment and outcomes. The National Academy of Public Administration defines equity as “The fair and equitable management of all institutions that serve the public directly or by contract; the fair and equitable distribution of public services and the implementation of public policies; and the commitment to promote justice and equity in the formation of public policies ” . In essence, equity can be defined as a means to achieve equality .

For example, the Help America Voting Act requires people with disabilities to have access to polling places and voting systems equal to those of people without disabilities. Similarly, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that people with disabilities have equal access to public facilities.

Recently, US government policy has focused on social equity in the area of ​​sexual orientation. For example, President Barack Obama appointed nearly 200 self-declared members of the LGBTQ community to paid positions within the executive branch. In 2013, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development released the first estimate of discrimination against same-sex couples in housing opportunities.

Title IX of the Federal Education Amendments Act of 1972 establishes equity in the area of ​​gender discrimination in education, which states: “No person in the United States, on the basis of sex, shall be excluded from participating in denial. benefits from, or was subject to discrimination under, any educational program or activity that receives federal financial assistance .

Title IX applies to virtually every aspect of the educational experience, from scholarships and sports , to employment and discipline in approximately 16,500 local school districts, 7,000 postsecondary institutions, as well as charter schools, for-profit schools, libraries, and museums. In athletics, for example, Title IX requires that men and women be given equal opportunities to participate in sports