Question

What is equity in a society?

Answer 1

"The goal of equality is to make sure that everyone has the same things to be successful. It is similar to equity in that it is seeking fairness for everyone, but it assumes that everyone starts equally as well.Equity is trying to understand where people are coming from and give them what they need to be successful. This means not necessarily giving everyone the exact same thing, but rather just what they need to live happily. As seen in the illustration, the taller person, who can already watch the game, doesn’t have a box, while the shortest person, who could not see the game with only one box, now has two. The shortest person can enjoy the game like everyone else. This mentality is harder to grasp since initially it seems unfair. Since we are always working toward equality and making sure everyone gets the same thing, we have a harder time seeing fairness in equity and giving people unequal amounts to help everyone succeed.

Equality is about treating everyone the same whether or not it will help them succeed. Equity, on the other hand, is giving people the things they need to do well. Would the student that got upset do better on the exam if they could listen to, instead of reading, the instructions? Or are they just upset because someone else is doing something different and it seems unfair.

Everyone should have the chance to be successful and live a fulfilling life. We want to be treated equally and have the same opportunities for everyone. Unfortunately we don’t all start off in the same situations and have different lifestyles, backgrounds, wants and needs. And if each person was given the same things, no one would really benefit. Instead of focusing on the method and making that fair, we need to focus on results and increasing equity for everyone.

Educational equity, also referred to as equity in education, is a measure of achievement, fairness, and opportunity in education. ... Therefore, an academic system that practices educational equity is a strong foundation of a society that is fair and thriving."