Alex Owens is a welder in a steel mill who is an aspiring professional dancer. She is an underqualified applicant for dance schools, and is unfairly given an audition due to her boyfriend, Nick’s, connections. In the movie, Flashdance, Alex is faced with a tough ethical dilemma that illuminates areas of corruption and inequity when it comes to certain opportunities. This film also portrays how the basic right of equal opportunity was violated and how authoritative systems are being ruled more and more by the wealthy upper class. Nick uses his connections with the arts council to get an audition for Alex at the Pittsburgh Conservatory of Dance. I do not believe it was ethically appropriate for Nick to use his connections with the school to get Alex an audition. Even though his intention was good, by getting her an audition based on his connections rather than her merit he is helping her cheat the integrity of the audition process. Alex was obviously underqualified and would not have gotten an audition based on her application. Getting an audition based on a connection she had is unfair to Alex because she …show more content…
Once again these officials are responsible for admitting the most talented and qualified applicants to maintain the integrity of their respective schools’ application process and to uphold the reputation of the institution as an equal opportunity provider. Getting beneficial treatment due to status and wealth occurs in society, but it is detrimental to those students who coast through life on the status of their family. The college admission process should be a merit and achievement based process, so every average student can remain motivated to become successful. Allowing people to buy or influence their way into college takes away the pureness of the ideal that opportunities for education should be fair and equitable for all