ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on examination of the empirical grounds for assertions about affirmative action. There has been a great deal of confusion and controversy surrounding affirmative action, the phrase commonly used for much public and private action aimed at remedying race and sex discrimination. One reason for the confusion may lie in the fact that, although the term was apparently coined in the early 1960s, a specific definition and requirements for government administrative implementation did not appear until late in the decade. Expanded efforts for equal opportunity and affirmative action, however successful or unsuccessful, have sparked great controversy in regard to both employment and student policies in higher education. Finally, the controversies surrounding affirmative action may be viewed as both an outgrowth of and reaction to the protest movements since the early 1960s.
