How to handle affirmative action is one of the most intractable policy problems of our era; touching on controversial issues such as race-consciousness and social justice. Much has been written both for and against affirmative action policies—especially within the realm of educational opportunity. In this book; philosopher Michele S. Moses offers a crucial new pathway for thinking about the debate surrounding educational affirmative action; one that holds up the debate itself as an important emblem of the democratic process. Central to Moses’s analysis is the argument that we need to understand disagreements about affirmative action as inherently moral; products of conflicts between deeply held beliefs that shape differing opinions on what justice requires of education policy. As she shows; differing opinions on affirmative action result from different conceptual values; for instance; between being treated equally and being treated as an equal or between seeing race-consciousness as a pernicious political force or as a necessary variable in political equality. As Moses shows; although moral disagreements about race-conscious policies and similar issues are often seen as symptoms of dysfunctional politics; they in fact create rich opportunities for discussions about diversity that nourish democratic thought and life.
#694771 in Books Brad R Fulton Richard L Wood 2015-12-01 2015-12-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .90 x 6.00l; .0 #File Name: 022630602X256 pagesA Shared Future Faith Based Organizing for Racial Equity and Ethical Democracy
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Growing Into Democracy's Promise of EquityBy Chao ChangThis is book both for those familiar with community organizing and those new to this field. Wood documents one of the most hopeful trends in revitalizing the U.S. democracy by giving a detailed inside and outside look at faith based (or institution based) community organizing today. Particularly enlightening is how Woods demonstrates the growth in diversity and capacity to exercise power at the local;state and national levels by organizing networks like PICO; is beginning to re-shape the debate on issues of economic inequity; political stalemates and racial inequity. Wood is at his best when he situates the real life struggles of campaigns to end gun violence; expand economic opportunity for the marginalized and middle class; and enfranchise new immigrants; in the larger context of helping democracy live up to its promise as an "ethical democracy". Ron White1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Ram CnaanThe best source ever for understanding the role faith-based organizing coalitions play in keeping the US more egalitarian.
