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Selected Works

Deirdre M Bowen

Civil Rights

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Law

American Skin: Dispensing With Colorblindness And Critical Mass In Affirmative Action, Deirdre Bowen Feb 2011

American Skin: Dispensing With Colorblindness And Critical Mass In Affirmative Action, Deirdre Bowen

Deirdre M Bowen

This exploratory empirical work examines whether students of color enjoy the benefits articulated by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Grutter decision that rationalized the continuation of affirmative action based on diversity interests. Specifically, the Court stated that affirmative action was permissible because students of all backgrounds would increase their racial understanding and decrease their racial stereotyping of minorities. Neither side was happy with the decision—both skeptical that such benefits could transpire for minority students. Yet, in the heat of continuing debate, neither group has empirical support for their arguments until now. Using survey data of over 370 under-represented minority …


Grutter's Regrets: An Empirical Investigation Of How Affirmative Action Is(N'T) Working, Deirdre Bowen Aug 2010

Grutter's Regrets: An Empirical Investigation Of How Affirmative Action Is(N'T) Working, Deirdre Bowen

Deirdre M Bowen

This exploratory empirical work examines whether students of color enjoy the benefits articulated by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Grutter decision that rationalized the continuation of affirmative action based on diversity interests. Specifically, the Court stated that affirmative action was permissible because students of all backgrounds would increase their racial understanding and decrease their racial stereotyping of minorities. Supporters and opponents were skeptical that such benefits would really materialize for students of color. Supporters argued that minority students would merely be tokens in which only white students would benefit from a diverse classroom. Opponents argued that this diversity rationale …