Some reflections on Smith and Crosby's “affirmative action: Setting the record straight”

Conclusion Through it may initially seem simple and straightforward, affirmative action is an extremely complex concept linked to a variety of programs that attempt to address central institutional sources of injustice. Smith and Crosby (1994) have identified several important and contentious issues that have emerged in the debate over affirmative action programs and their effects over the past 30 years. They have also contributed to the continuing need to refine our understanding of injustice and the individual and institutional obstacles that often frustrate attempts to confront injustice. By reflecting critically on their contribution, I have tried to add to that understanding. Several of the ideas in this paper were originally prepared for and presented at the Stuckenberg Conference on Social Policies and Social-Psychological Research on Human Values, held at Washington University, St. Louis, in April 1992.