Toward Unity and/or Diversity? Comparing Affirmative Action Policies in Chinese and U.S. Higher Education

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable Session 11:25 am
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Analyses of Legal Decisions Across Settings (Table 32)

Abstract

Affirmative Action (AA) in college admissions continues to be a complicated and controversial topic worldwide. In particular, multicultural nation-states likely have to grapple with questions about who they are and what they value. This comparative analysis investigates similarities and differences in AA policies and practices across two countries: The United States and China. We review the disparate contexts to better understand distinctive features in AA policy rationales, tools, and effects. This study offers a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing these polices, and the ways in which they are shaped by political and social contexts.

Authors

• Kai Zhao, Lingnan University

• Marc Johnston Guerrero, University of Denver