Sex, Race, and Merit: Debating Affirmative Action in Education and Employment (Paperback)

~ Faye J. Crosby (Editor), Cheryl VanDeVeer (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Since its inception, affirmative action has been a controversial policy, and on all sides of the issue passions run high. Sometimes commentators have looked with clarity at the deep and complex issues surrounding affirmative action, but too often facts have been in shorter supply than misinformed opinions. Sex, Race, and Merit: Debating Affirmative Action in Education and Employment is designed to enhance intelligent discussion of the issues, presenting all sides of the controversy and working to separate fact from fiction.
Sex, Race, and Merit brings together a rich array of material, including newspaper articles and essays by leading scholars. including William Bowen, Derek Bok, Barbara Bergmann, Christopher Edley, Barbara Reskin, Claude Steele, and Patricia Williams. Also featured are excerpts from primary sources, including the legislative documents that established affirmative action policy; the text of California Proposal 200, which ended such policy in that state; and excerpts from key legal cases, including the Bakke case and other recent cases.
Sex, Race, and Merit is a useful tool in eliciting thoughtful, informed, and useful debate on the subject of affirmative action. It neither advocates in favor of affirmative action, nor does it speak against it. Rather, by including both factual and polemical materials, the book allows readers to explore the contours of the debate as well as the facts being debated. It is designed for an audience of nonspecialist readers, including students from secondary school through college, but will also be useful to scholars interested in the evolution and current status of this critical policy debate.
Faye J. Crosby is Professor of Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz. Cheryl VanDeVeer is Director of the Document Publishing and Editing Center, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: University of Michigan Press (May 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0472067346
• ISBN-13: 978-0472067343
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,407,033 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for teaching about affirmative action, February 22, 2005

By	David A. Ward "David A. Ward" (California) - See all my reviews

This terrific anthology provides much needed information about the realities of affirmative action in the United States. Not only do the editors provide text from actual court cases such as the Bakke decision, but they also have excerpts from various media accounts for and against affirmative action as well as scholarly dicussions including people such as Lani Guinier, Patricia Williams, Shelby Steele, Richard Rogriguez, and many others. I use this in my course on the history of affirmative action in the United States and it is very accessible for undergraduates. Also, an excellent resource for anyone who wants to learn about this social policy.