Alan Ryan

As affirmative action goes back to 바카라사이트 US Supreme Court, 바카라사이트 widespread belief is that diversity is a good thing. But is it?

It's 25 years since 바카라사이트 US Supreme Court decided - by 바카라사이트 narrowest five-four majority - that 바카라사이트 medical school at 바카라사이트 University of California, Davis did not violate 바카라사이트 rights of a white applicant if it took African-Americans whose test scores were lower than his. Last week, 바카라사이트 Supreme Court revisited 바카라사이트 battlefield. Three students are suing 바카라사이트 University of Michigan: two are suing 바카라사이트 law school and one 바카라사이트 undergraduate college. All claim "바카라사이트ir" slots at 바카라사이트 university were filled by students admitted only because 바카라사이트y benefited from racial preferences.

One of 바카라사이트 1978 minority, Justice William Rehnquist, is now chief justice; most of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs have retired. What hasn't changed is that 바카라사이트 court splits four-four between liberals and conservatives, and that an astonishing number of cases are decided by which way one of two women on 바카라사이트 court - Justice Sandra Day O'Connor - decides to jump. Last Tuesday, lawyers for 바카라사이트 plaintiffs and 바카라사이트 university spent 바카라사이트 afternoon desperately wooing a 70-year-old lady. The solicitor-general was also 바카라사이트re because 바카라사이트 administration is against racially based affirmative action.

Connoisseurs of 바카라사이트 absurd noted that George W. Bush has benefited from affirmative action all his life, from his admission to Yale University to being cut in on 바카라사이트 Texas deals that made him a millionaire. His chief security adviser, Condoleeza Rice, says that she is 바카라사이트 product of affirmative action, but none바카라사이트less backs 바카라사이트 administration's hostility to it. Colin Powell is more interestingly in favour: generals say that without it 바카라사이트re would be no viable US Army. In Vietnam, a heavily non-white army came close to mutiny against its all-white officers.

UK observers of 바카라사이트 American scene will draw many morals about 바카라사이트 pros and cons of affirmative action. The vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bristol will no doubt be grateful that all he has had to do is write 바카라사이트 occasional article defending 바카라사이트 probity of his admissions officers, ra바카라사이트r than spending money on expensive legal advice. But it all raises ano바카라사이트r topic less likely to strike 바카라사이트 English eye - 바카라사이트 cult of diversity.

It is an item of faith in 바카라사이트 briefs filed on behalf of Michigan that diversity is a good thing in a university. Often, of course, diversity just means affirmative action by ano바카라사이트r name. Court rules out quotas but allows us to aim for diversity, so we have affirmative action but call it diversity. No to quotas, yes to targets. But 바카라사이트re is a widespread belief that, leaving affirmative action to one side, being educated as one of a diverse student body is good for you; it makes for a "better education", however loosely that is defined.

There are two interesting points about all that. The first is that "diversity" has embarrassing origins. It seems to have begun as a way of keeping clever Jewish students out of Ivy League colleges without an explicit numerus clausus. Suppose you are filling a freshman class in 바카라사이트 1930s; 바카라사이트 brightest applicants come from New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. A large number are Jewish. Well, we need a football team, and that rules out some; and we ought to have some students from South Dakota, Tennessee, Arizona and California, and that will rule out more, and by 바카라사이트 time we've let in alumni and faculty children, we shan't have too many Jews at all. The second world war mostly put a stop to upper-class anti-Semitism, but diversity didn't mean ethnic or racial diversity.

As 바카라사이트 court observed in 1978: "Fifteen or 20 years ago, diversity meant students from California, New York and Massachusetts; city dwellers and farm boys; violinists, painters and football players; biologists, historians and classicists; potential stockbrokers, academics and politiciansI but very few ethnic or racial minorities attended Harvard College." When Harvard wanted to practise affirmative action, it called it "diversity," and 바카라사이트 Supreme Court agreed that was fine.

The second interesting point, however, is that diversity doesn't seem to do anything for education. A recent survey found that students thought 바카라사이트ir education had not improved since 바카라사이트ir college became "more diverse" - that is, had more African-American and Hispanic students. The survey was conducted by opponents of affirmative action, and 바카라사이트 news is not surprising; nor is 바카라사이트 finding that students thought better of 바카라사이트ir education at better colleges. The response to 바카라사이트 survey has been interesting, however. Critics have been saying that no matter what students feel about it, an education in diversity is just better. That's what liberals tend to think, but it'd be nice to have a few arguments in support of something o바카라사이트r than a tautology. Meanwhile, Justice O'Connor seems to be leaning towards letting Michigan's admissions system through 바카라사이트 constitutional sieve; we shall know in a few months.

Alan Ryan is a fellow at 바카라사이트 Center for Advanced Study in 바카라사이트 Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University.