The U.S. Supreme Court in Plessy v. Ferguson ruled that the Constitution begged for equality of all citizens. This permitted segregation as long as the facilities were equal. Minow suggests that the unstated assumptions and perceptions of the Justices affected their view of the meaning of the 14 th Amendment of the Constitution. Within the abnormal-persons approach and the rights analysis approach, the unstated assumptions and perceptions are blatant in how they affected the judges' rulings. The social-relations approach is an alternative to traditional legal treatments of difference.
Society tends to look at what is different from the norm, rather than looking at what is the same.
One way Minow suggests to perpetuate change is to understand other peoples' perspectives. These practical illustrations strengthened her interpretation of the dilemma of difference. This book was published in 1990, before the enactment of two major laws that helped bridge the gap that exists between normal and different. The interpretation and enforcement of the IDEA also continues in the courts. However, the implementation of these Acts has made the concept of inclusion more real.