Redefining Equality - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195116658 ISBN 13: 9780195116656

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1998

Synopsis

The idea of equality is central to American civic life and one of the foundations of our national identity. Charges of unequal treatment continue to be voiced nationwide, in both the public discourse and the courts, yet there is no consensus on the meaning of equality. Competing views on this topic have erupted into a cultural conflict that looms large in contemporary American politics.
In this collection of insightful essays, distinguished scholars in law, history, and social science present varying perspectives on this fundamental concept. Addressing the specific cases behind the headlines and the abstract arguments within the legal texts, the contributors look closely at everything from school bussing programs and affirmative action to the role of the courts and the politics of equality. Various examples and definitions of equality, culled from America's past and present, are summarized and examined in ways that illustrate how and why equality issues directly affect men and women of all races and backgrounds.
Redefining Equality, a balanced array of assessments regarding our nation's historical and contemporary thoughts on equality and civil rights, will prove most informative to students of law, political science, and recent American history.

About this title

About the Author

Neal Devins is a Professor of Law and a Lecturer in Government at the College of William and Mary School of Law. He is the author, most recently, of Shaping Constitutional Values (1996).
Davison M. Douglas, also a Professor of Law at the College of William and Mary Law School, is the author of Reading, Writing, and Race (1995).

Review

"A very strong collection of essays....[These are] good summaries of positions that the book's readers ought to know about. They provide a fine overview of contemporary civil rights issues."--Mark V. Tushnet, Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Constitutional Law, Georgetown University

"Redefining Equality is a collection of well-written essays by prominent scholars on hot problems concerning judicial review and equality. [The book] neatly pinpoints many of the complex issues of legal equality that have arisen in the 1990s and presents readers with a variety of perspectives on those questions."--Mark Graber, Department of Government and Politics, University of Maryland, College Park

"The essays are interesting and helpful in presenting some of the major perspectives on equality....this book should prove useful to scholars, graduate students, and law students interested in exploring equlity issues."--The Law and Politics Book Review

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0195116658
• ISBN 13: 9780195116656
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256
• Editor: Devins Neal, Douglas Davison M.