Affirmative Action

Term Paper # 111040

Hot Topics > Affirmative Action
Law
Political Science

Affirmative Action

An overview of the debate over affirmative action.

3,260 words () | 16 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper provides the history of affirmative action in the US, as well as explores how it has shaped and/or affected race, class & gender. The paper also explains how affirmative action has both helped and hindered our society in its goal to attain equality.

Table of Contents:
Historical Background
Slavery, Race and Affirmative Action
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"In 1969, President Nixon instituted minority hiring goals for federal contractors. Affirmative action policies were expanded by additional legislation and various Supreme Court decisions. In 1972, the Equal Opportunity Act extended Affirmative Action to include colleges
and universities. Ultimately, Affirmative Action encompassed women and the handicapped as well.
"By the 1980s, with the Regan-Bush administration, a wave of conservatism hit America, and commitment to Affirmative Action waned."

Sample of Sources Used:

Cancian, Maria. "Race- Based vs. Class- Based Affirmative Action in CollegeAdmissions." Journal of Policy Analysis and Management Vol.17 Winter, 1998 94-105.01 Nov. 2007 <http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0276-8739%28199824%2917%3A1%3C94%3ARVCAAI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-7>.
Chesteen, Richard D. "The Legal Validity of Jim Crow." The Journal of Negro History 56 (1971): 284-293.
Curry, George E. The Affirmative Action Debate. 1st ed. Reading, MA: Addison-WesleyPublishing Company, 1996.
Curry, Tim. Sociology for the Twenty-First Century. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ:Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005.
Harvard Review, "Rethinking Weber: The Business Response to Affirmative Action." Vol.102, No. 3(1998) November 20, 2007 <Stable URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici>.