Equality of opportunity

In the modern world the concepts of equality and equity are gaining momentum as the residents of a global village are gaining more consciousness of their

Equality of opportunity
Equality of opportunity

In the modern world the concepts of equality and equity are gaining momentum as the residents of a global village are gaining more consciousness of their rights. Now each person in a community knows what his rights are. He also knows that based on his qualification, skills and abilities he has a right to equal opportunities to grow in that society.

The idea of equality is not new to humans. Some 1500 years ago, the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) revolutionized the ignorant world with the idea of the equality of all humans by announcing that no one of us has a privilege over others due to our caste and creed. The history is a proof that only those nations progress who offer the opportunities to grow to all its citizens without any discrimination.

The idea of equality of opportunity stands opposed to class hierarchy. The assumption behind this idea is that societies have a hierarchy of superior and inferior or desirable and less desirable positions. A caste society fixes the placement of its individuals in social hierarchy according to their birth.

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The child whose parents™ union is socially sanctioned, acquires a certain social status. In such a society social mobility is possible yet the process of admitting individuals to different levelsin hierarchy depends on the early social status ascribed by birth. Contrarily, in a society with prevalent equality of opportunities, individuals™ place in social hierarchy gets determined through competitive process.

Such a hierarchy presents all members of that society the eligibility to compete among one another on equal terms. Dissimilaroutsets of equality of chanceinterpret the idea of contending on equal terms differently.