In response to disparities in postsecondary access, governments have enacted policies to facilitate the admission of traditionally underrepresented students. Known as affirmative action in the United States, the legal justification of this approach has varied. This article describes the legal and political history of affirmative action, the social…

Diversity today is considered central to the capacity of postsecondary institutions to thrive in an increasingly multiracial and multiethnic society. However, as universities take steps to reap the educational benefits of racial and ethnic diversity, legal decisions and state laws increasingly restrict the tools these institutions have…

This book focuses on the legal and ideological controversy over the application of affirmative action policy to combat discrimination based on race, national origin/ethnicity, and gender. After the introduction, seven chapters discuss (2) "The Roots of Affirmative Action, the Women's Movement, and the Groups Covered by Affirmative…

This book of 10 papers presents a collaborative effort of professionals in several disciplines to analyze the impact of affirmative action in higher education. Emphasis is on how affirmative action can be constructed for the 21st century to protect individuals who have been discriminated against and excluded from higher education. The papers are:…