Analysing the social conflict over affirmative action in South Africa and the United States, this text presents a theoretical approach, and demonstrates that different populations interpret and view core societal principles differently. It shows that these divergences represent the core conflict over the implementation of affirmative action.
The Hidden Debate is a fresh and cutting-edge comparative analysis of the ongoing and highly charged social conflict over affirmative action in South Africa and the United States. The debate over affirmative action has raged for over 30 years in the United States and since the early 1990s in South Africa with minimal agreement or resolution. In part this discord remains because scholars, journalists, politicians, and other social analysts have failed to properly specify and examine the problem.
