Affirmative Action in Higher Education

For centuries, people around the globe have been
subject to unequal treatment and discrimination
because of their sex, race, skin color, ethnicity or
national origin. The second half of the twentieth
century, however, has seen an increase in efforts to
combat such inequalities via antidiscriminatory legal
action and public politics of inclusion. Brazil has
only recently joined the list of nations that have
implemented affirmative action policies. After a
period of military governance that ended in 1985,
efforts to acknowledge and combat racism and
inequality as part of the process of democratization
are still at an early stage. In the United States, by
contrast, African Americans have benefitted from the
achievements of the civil rights movement. However,
though the development of an African American middle
class is widely acknowledged, North American Blacks
remain disproportionately represented among the
economically and socially disadvantaged. This book
offers an insight on the history of affirmative
action in Brazil and in the United States and
compares the debates about policies of inclusion at
Brazilian and American universities and colleges.

Autorentext

Ann Christin Schneider, M.A., studied American Politics, Society and Linguistics, Media Communications and Portuguese at the University of Leipzig. She is currently enrolled as a Ph.D. student at the University of Bremen.

Klappentext
For centuries, people around the globe have beensubject to unequal treatment and discriminationbecause of their sex, race, skin color, ethnicity ornational origin. The second half of the twentiethcentury, however, has seen an increase in efforts tocombat such inequalities via antidiscriminatory legalaction and public politics of inclusion. Brazil hasonly recently joined the list of nations that haveimplemented affirmative action policies. After aperiod of military governance that ended in 1985,efforts to acknowledge and combat racism andinequality as part of the process of democratizationare still at an early stage. In the United States, bycontrast, African Americans have benefitted from theachievements of the civil rights movement. However,though the development of an African American middleclass is widely acknowledged, North American Blacksremain disproportionately represented among theeconomically and socially disadvantaged. This bookoffers an insight on the history of affirmativeaction in Brazil and in the United States andcompares the debates about policies of inclusion atBrazilian and American universities and colleges.