Michigan State University Extension
Diversity and Pluralism - 12210011
12/95/

ERIC TITLE NUMBER: 73-17048 AUTHOR: Kluegel, James R.


TITLE: "If there isn't a problem, you don't need a
solution": The bases of contemporary affirmative action
attitudes. Special Issue: Affirmative action: Past,
present, and future.

YEAR PUBLISHED: 1985
JOURNAL: American-Behavioral-Scientist; 1985 Jul-Aug Vol
28(6) 761-784

ABSTRACT: Contends that the commitment to equal employment
opportunity policy--affirmative action (AA)--can at best be
described as foundering and can at worst be seen as in
retreat. It is proposed that the reason for this situation
is found in an examination of the public's understanding of
the problem--the public perception of the substance of race
differences in socioeconomic status (SES) and how they
account for these differences. It is argued that Whites'
overall view of opportunity for Blacks leads Whites to
perceive AA as unnecessary or acceptable only as equal
opportunity policies that are individualistic in nature
(i.e., programs that change Blacks to better fit into the
current stratification order (SO) rather than calling for
change in the SO itself). Research on Whites' understanding
of AA and theory and research concerning the roots of
Whites' beliefs about Blacks' opportunity are reviewed.
Implications of the prevailing understanding of race
differences in SES for present-day AA attitudes and the
future course of AA policy are discussed. (39 ref) (PsycLIT
Database Copyright 1986 American Psychological Assn, all
rights reserved)

KEY DESCRIPTORS: RACIAL-AND-ETHNIC-ATTITUDES; WHITES-;
BLACKS-; SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS; AFFIRMATIVE-ACTION


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