Affirmative Action Around the World: An Empirical Study (Yale Nota Bene)

Book Description

In this important book, an eminent authority presents a new perspective on affirmative action, investigating its actual consequences in the United States and in other countries where it has been in effect. Evaluating his empirical data, Thomas Sowell concludes that race preference programs worldwide have not met expectations and have often produced the opposite of what was originally intended.

“A delight: terse, well-argued, and utterly convincing.”—Economist

“Among contemporary economists and social theorists, one of the most prolific, intellectually independent, and iconoclastic is Thomas Sowell. . . . Enormously learned, wonderfully clear-headed, he sees reality as it is, and flinches at no truth. . . . Sowell’s presentation of the data is instructive and illuminating—and disturbing.”—Carl Cohen, Commentary

“Another brilliant, bracing achievement by Thomas Sowell. With characteristic lucidity, erudition, and depth, Sowell examines the true effects of affirmative action around the globe. This book is compelling, important, mind-opening.”—Amy Chua, author of World on Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability

“A masterpiece that deserves to be one of the most influential books of our time. Any honest reader will be informed and enlightened.”—Donald Kagan, Yale University

“A gem of a book. A brilliant and learned analysis of the negative effects of racially preferential policies both in the United States and in several other countries around the world.”—Stephan Thernstrom, Harvard University

Customer Reviews:

The information is there if you want to learn..........2006-02-07

Thomas Sowell remains one of those quiet but hard hitting teachers for those who would learn. He lays his arguements out and then backs them up with pages and more pages of footnotes, sometimes half of his books are notes where one can recheck HIS background facts. I have had no illusions about the inconsistencies of "affirmative action" since I left home for the Army. Having been in many different lands with as many different cultures, I too have seen some of what he writes about.. The hypocritical use of victimhood to push a group of people "forward" at the cost of others to the detriment of all. He shows this repeatedly and does so by staying almost entirely out of the US for his examples. Singapore, Madacasgar, India etc...he lines up all the arguments and shows why discrimanation never seems to work out like it is supposed to. I read this book while travelling on an airplane here in the States..needless to say I got many unkind looks from many 'enlightened' fellow passengers. Read it and pass the word, this man is doing the Lord's work!

Data-Based, Analytical Assessment of Affirmative Action.......2004-10-06

Mr. Sowell takes an analytical, data-based approach to the assessment of affirmative action and avoids getting caught up in the obtuse, political rhetoric that too often defines the debate. He also details problems with other well known data-based studies on the topic, illuding to the purposeful skewing of the analysis. The book offers a comprehensive analysis of affirmative action across several countries with long track records. Mr. Sowell concludes by drawing a clear picture of the predominant failures of affirmative action across the globe and over time.

The book is filled with untapped data and new ways of looking at this topic. As the author notes, many of the question he seeks to answer with regard to the promised benefits of affirmative action are considered taboo in today's ultra-politically correct society.

A rare international study of affirmative action.......2004-09-11

Growing up in the 80's and 90's, all of the arguments I heard regarding Affirmative Action focused on what was fair and who deserved what. I consider it a real triumph of A.A. supporters to keep the debate over (1.) rationale and not results, and (2.) the local school district or state college system. My test scores and grades in high school might have been good enough for a full scholarship at Univ. of Illinois, had I been anything other than a white male. Yet, I was convinced in those days that A.A. was merely overextended and still valid in many situations. Years of working have since taught me that those who were artificially promoted/admitted/etc. through A.A. were not, in the end, done any real favors. It's not the late 1990's anymore: the severe costs of hiring and firing in this country make it increasingly likely that an academic degree is insufficient to land someone the job one wants. They have to demonstrate some real ability. Hence, I became very skeptical about A.A. before ever seeing Dr. Sowell's book, but I had grown well beyond any personal bitterness from those collegiate admission days. You don't have to have some bugaboo about A.A. to appreciate this book.

This study is the result of travelling and in-depth research. Dr. Sowell has obviously thought about India, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Malaysia for a long time, and met with the people on multiple "sides" in each country. Unlike the proponents of A.A., he went out and collected the data. Reviewers here bring up Zimbabwe, but I think Dr. Sowell has done enough to show the implications of the politicization of ethnic differences. Judgements of A.A. are based on the examination of the outcomes, and if all you've previously heard about A.A. is the rhetoric, these judgements are going to strike you as extremely controversial.

A highly recommended purchase. The price looks high for a small book, but the brevity and clarity are assets in this case.

Required AA reading.......2004-08-18

This book is required reading for anyone with an opinion on affirmative action. If you haven't noticed, most of the support and opposition for AA is somewhat theoretical and rhetorical, very little study has been made about the actual affects of these policies. Another interesting fact is that the US didn't exactly invent AA, and has been around more than twice as long in countries like India in much more stringent forms. So wouldn't it be a good idea to study these countries when creating our own AA policy? Not to mention, these countries, unlike the US, have kept much more detailed statistical records of their AA programs. This is exactly what Sowell does, and his conclusions are not favorable for the pro-AA crowd.

The book is well organized into an introductory chapter, and then single chapters each for the various country case studies. The final chapter summarizes the findings. Each case study is further subdivided into common subsections.

The overriding conclusion of every study is that AA does not work, almost universally hampers the progress of racial minorities instead of helping, and creates racial tension so severe it has resulted in the deaths of over a million people in Nigeria and India (the two worst cases). The severity of these consequences is directly proportional to the stringency of the AA rules. The US version of AA for instance is really quite weak when compared internationally, with its broad racial classes and use of normalizing quotas. Policies in other countries were far more severe and therefore damaging. For instance in Malaysia, the government literally forced Chinese business owners to give interests in their own private businesses to the ethnic Malays in order to promote their equality in commerce. Malaysia's policies eventually resulted in an unusual historic event, the first ever instance of a country voluntarily disowning part of its own territory, Singapore in this case, in order to separate the two now violently opposed racial groups. The case of Nigeria is the saddest of all, where there was formerly racial harmony of this multiethnic state, once the strict AA policies were imposed the country fell into one of the worst civil wars in history, breaking the country into separate territories and an enormous death toll.

Sowell's conclusion is that almost universally AA policies were intended for narrow use, and temporary in nature. Yet as with all government programs, they inevitably take on a life of their own, instead of lasting only a few decades they live forever, and grow in scope as in the US from helping blacks, to eventually helping every group that can lobby their way in from hispanics to native americans to white women. It is at this point that the real purpose of AA becomes all to clear, both in the US as in countries around the world, the wholesale purchase of minority votes at the expense of the entire country.

The unintended consequences of affirmative action.......2004-07-10

Thomas Sowell presents the results of his research of investigating affirmative action in various countries around the world. He looks at what really happens after affirmative programs are implemented, as opposed to the claims of what would happen. He finds there have been horrible costs from affirmative action programs.

There is a saying: "In theory there is no difference between theory and reality. In reality there is." Thomas Sowell shows the reader how the reality of affirmative action is greatly different from the theory.

The bulk of the book focuses on five countries; there is a chapter on each of the following: India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and the United States. In each of these chapters there is a brief overview, the historical setting, a detailed analysis of the types of quotas & preferences various groups got, an examination of what happened, and then some conclusions.

Again and again I would think of the Law of Unintended Consequences, for as Thomas Sowell points out that (especially in dealing with humans) you can not always predict the outcome of a particular action. One of Thomas Sowell's points is those who have been pushing for affirmative action have a very, very poor track record in being able to predict how the affirmative action programs will help. They will make great claims, but the reality has been very different.

Thomas Sowell finds there are some basic patterns in all of the affirmative action programs. Almost always the programs are promoted as being temporary, but they become permanent. The programs are supposed to be for a specific group, but other groups push for their cause to try and join the bandwagon (gravy wagon). Often those who are suppose to be getting the benefit miss out; a recent example in the United States has been the news that the blacks getting into Harvard are not the decedents of those who were slaves in the United States. Also the groups "needing" help were often doing better before the affirmative action programs than after the programs. He makes the point that there have always been differences in how various groups succeed, for example the Japanese suffered in the United States during World War II, and even more in Canada, yet they are very successful today. And groups that were doing well a hundred years ago aren't always the most successful today.

Thomas Sowell documents how the costs of affirmative action programs have been heavy. The relationships between the various groups get worse because of resentment and a sense of injustice. For example if 100 students for the "favored" group are admitted to a university, then the 800 who don't get in tend to be a bit hostile to the favored group. There have been race riots, and even civil wars. There has been an overall lost to society, as those that are favored tend not to try as hard because they have an edge, while the rest tend to give up because they don't have the extra help.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Ethics & International Affairs, published by Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs on October 1, 2004. The length of the article is 985 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Affirmative Action Around the World: an Empirical Study.(Book Review)
Author: Bernard Boxill
Publication: Ethics & International Affairs (Refereed)
Date: October 1, 2004
Publisher: Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs
Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Page: 114(2)

Article Type: Book Review

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Affirmative Action Around the World: An Empirical Study.(Book Review): An article from: Stanford Law Review

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Affirmative Action Around the World: An Empirical Study.(Book Review): An article from: Stanford Law Review
James P. Sterba
Manufacturer: Stanford Law School
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Stanford Law Review, published by Stanford Law School on November 1, 2004. The length of the article is 17972 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Affirmative Action Around the World: An Empirical Study.(Book Review)
Author: James P. Sterba
Publication: Stanford Law Review (Refereed)
Date: November 1, 2004
Publisher: Stanford Law School
Volume: 57 Issue: 2 Page: 657(37)

Article Type: Book Review

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Racial blind spots: the affirmative action path not taken.(The Pursuit of Fairness: A History of Affirmative Action)(Affirmative Action Around the World)(Book Review) : An article from: Reason

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Racial blind spots: the affirmative action path not taken.(The Pursuit of Fairness: A History of Affirmative Action)(Affirmative Action Around the World)(Book Review) : An article from: Reason
John Hood
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Reason, published by Thomson Gale on October 1, 2005. The length of the article is 2373 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Racial blind spots: the affirmative action path not taken.(The Pursuit of Fairness: A History of Affirmative Action)(Affirmative Action Around the World)(Book Review)
Author: John Hood
Publication: Reason (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 37 Issue: 5 Page: 60(4)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Affirmative Action Around the World - An Empirical Study

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Affirmative Action Around the World - An Empirical Study
T Sowell
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORUAXG

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Affirmative Action Around The World: An Empirical Study
Thomas Sowell
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSFLTI

Book Description

"An excellent desk reference for all school administrators regarding the role of paraeducators."
Kent Gerlach, Professor
School of Education
Tacoma, Washington

"Nancy French's new book provides wide-ranging information, ideas, and strategies to effectively utilize paraeducator support in today's schools. This guide is a helpful resource for administrators and teachers."
Michael Giangreco
Center on Disability and Community Inclusion
Burlington, Vermont

Specific Strategies for Utilizing the Talents of One of Our Most Valuable Resources—Paraeducators!

Paraprofessionals--or paraeducators--have long been an invaluable resource in our schools. A well-trained paraeducator not only boosts teacher morale and school-home-community relations, but also increases the amount and quality of instructional time as well as student achievement levels. But where are paraeducators' talents best utilized? Who will train them? And how can we best serve the ever-changing needs of the student population?

This comprehensive resource provides teachers and administrators with answers to these important questions and much more, supplying practical tools and strategies for how to best recruit, manage, and use paraeducators in their schools. French gives specific guidelines for working with paraeducators in Special Education, Title 1, Bilingual (ESL), School Library/Media Center, General and Special Education Classrooms, Speech/Language Pathology, and Health Care Services, helping teachers and administrators make the right decisions for their districts and schools.

Managing Paraeducators includes:

Practical, easy-to-use worksheets that identify the needs and readiness of a school to employ paraeducators, providing a platform for team communication and the development of personalized job descriptions
Self-assessment and support checklists that identify potential problems and how to surmount them
Guidelines for helping make sure paraeducators are being used in ways that most contribute to student achievement
Strategies for identifying best practices, timeframes, and person(s) best suited to training paraprofessionals

Quality Teaching in a Culture of Coaching

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Quality Teaching in a Culture of Coaching
Stephen G. Barkley
Manufacturer: ScarecrowEducation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1578861896

Book Description

Quality Teaching in a Culture of Coaching identifies and describes the role of coach in education. It outlines a coaching process and reveals specific skills needed to develop an effective coaching program whether in a classroom, school district, or other teaching environments. Backed by cited research, it also includes useful models, real-life anecdotes and examples, practical applications of coaching to various circumstances, as well as real-life examples of schools and districts with various types of coaching programs.

Ready for Anything: Supporting New Teachers for Success

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Ready for Anything: Supporting New Teachers for Success
Lynn F. Howard
Manufacturer: Advanced Learning Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0974734381

Book Description

Ready for Anything is a year-long, site-based professional development support model for new teachers. It incudes ready-to-use forms and checklists for the busy administrator.

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So You Want to Be a College Professor?
William Hayes
Manufacturer: ScarecrowEducation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Guides | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0810846632

Book Description

This in-depth study will help those students considering a career as a college teacher determine whether it is an appropriate career choice.

Beating the CSET!: Methods and Strategies for Beating CSET Multiple Subjects (Subtests I-III) Elementary Language Arts (Boosalis Series)

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Excellent test prep guide!
subtest 3 was harder than this book leads you to believe!!
Excellent Study Aid for the CSET

Beating the CSET!: Methods and Strategies for Beating CSET Multiple Subjects (Subtests I-III) Elementary Language Arts (Boosalis Series)
Chris Nicholas Boosalis
Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Pedagogy | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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ASIN: 0205430716

Customer Reviews:

Excellent test prep guide!.......2007-06-17

I read this Elementary Language Arts manual prior to taking the CSET when it first came out in 2005. I was able to pass all sections of the CSET in one setting due to the excellent advice in this manual regarding timing for each subtest. This book provided an excellent overview on linguistics and literacy instruction.

subtest 3 was harder than this book leads you to believe!!.......2006-11-02

The mutltiple choice questions were easy on the test after reviewing with this book...the written selections were very difficult...and this book did not prepare the student enough.

Excellent Study Aid for the CSET.......2005-03-12

This is a well-written, informative book on preparing for the CSET Multiple Subjects. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is that it has a couple of sections on the entire test and then focuses entirely on the Language Arts subtest. I really wish they would finish the book and cover ALL the subtests! But, for the Language Arts stuff -- it's great!

Preparing Teachers for National Board Certification: A Facilitator's Guide

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No longer useful

Preparing Teachers for National Board Certification: A Facilitator's Guide
Kathleen Anderson Steeves , and Barbara Cole Browne
Manufacturer: The Guilford Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Pedagogy | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Test Prep Central | Reference | Subjects | Books

Vocational Guidance | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Business & Investing | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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Reference | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 1572305428

Book Description

This practical book presents a comprehensive blueprint for preparing teachers to achieve National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification. An outgrowth of the authors' more than five years of experience working with teacher candidates, the approach described here enlists the collaboration of both university educators and professional staff development personnel. The book includes a detailed outline of a seminar to introduce teachers to the NBPTS process, complete with written samples and reproducible overhead transparency masters. Also featured are chapters contributed by Board Certified Teachers, who share portfolio samples and activities in four certification areas. Supported by research-proven best practices in professional education, the book includes extensive reference lists and helpful hints for facilitators.

Customer Reviews:

No longer useful.......2002-08-04

The required entries changed after this book was written. The reader has no way of knowing what information in this book is still reliable.

Non-native Educators in English Language Teaching

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This is THE book!

Non-native Educators in English Language Teaching

Manufacturer: Lawrence Erlbaum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 080583205X

Book Description

The place of native and non-native speakers in the role of English teachers has probably been an issue ever since English was taught internationally. Although ESL and EFL literature is awash, in fact dependent upon, the scrutiny of non-native learners, interest in non-native academics and teachers is fairly new. Until recently, the voices of non-native speakers articulating their own concerns have been even rarer.

This book is a response to this notable vacuum in the ELT literature, providing a forum for language educators from diverse geographical origins and language backgrounds. In addition to presenting autobiographical narratives, these authors argue sociopolitical issues and discuss implications for teacher education, all relating to the theme of non-native educators in ETL. All of the authors are non-native speakers of English. Some are long established professionals, whereas others are more recent initiates to the field. All but one received part of the higher education in North America, and all except two of the chapters are at least partially contextualized in North America.

Particularly relevant for non-native speakers who aspire to enter the profession, graduate students in TESOL programs, and teacher educators, the unique nature of this book's contributors and its contents will interest researchers and professionals in applied linguistics generally and in ELT, and all those who are concerned with the role of non-native speakers in English-language teaching.

Customer Reviews:

This is THE book!.......2002-03-27

For anyone interested in nonnoative speakers as teachers, this is the book! Dr. Braine has assembled a comprehensive and representative sample of writers, showing a diverse account of the challenges and successes of nonnative teachers from around the world. This is a "must read!"

Building a Quality Teaching Force: Lessons Learned from Alternate Routes

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Building a Quality Teaching Force: Lessons Learned from Alternate Routes
C. Emily Feistritzer
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0132382121

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Communicating With Students in Schools
Richard R. Burke
Manufacturer: University Press of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Plastic Comb

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Pedagogy | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Being able to communicate with students in schools is essential and critical. Richard Burke discusses the significance of communication and other issues in this integral work. In an innovative manner, "Communicating With Students in Schools" presents an extensive set of exercises for developing skills in communication, leading to better motivation, discipline, and rapport. Contents: The Significance of Communication; Childhood as Denial; Listening and Responding with Emphathy; Managing Behavior Problems with Verbal Skill; Some Special Problems; Preventing Problems with Verbal Skill; Calming an Angry Student; Praise, Recognition, and Encouragement; Communicating on Paper; Communication for Developmental and Instructional Purposes.

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The Cooperating Teacher
Balch Patrick E.
Manufacturer: University Press of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Pedagogy | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0819164240

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