The Status of Sociology within the Academy: Where We Are, Why We’re There, and How to Change It

We present data from a survey of deans at colleges and universities throughout the USA on the relative status of disciplines. Findings indicate that the relative status of Sociology within the academy is low, although there are several specific areas of high status—namely, concerning community involvement and engagement. Our analyses also investigate which areas of activity are most closely associated with the overall prestige of disciplines. Findings indicate that research-oriented activities are the most influential, while student-oriented activities have a more ambivalent association with status. Based on those findings, we offer suggestions for raising the status of the discipline, based on the cultivation of natural synergies linking research, community engagement, student training, and focusing on the benefits of establishing social science research centers associated with Sociology departments.     

Work–Family Balance and Tenure Reasonableness: Gender Differences in Faculty Assessment

Abstract

Perceptions of work–family balance and of the reasonableness of tenure expectations are key faculty retention factors. Using a national job satisfaction survey with 2438 tenure-track assistant professors, we explore whether faculty assessment of departmental and institutional support for family–work balance and their satisfaction with family-friendly policies influence their perceptions of the reasonableness of tenure expectations. We pay attention to the importance of gender in our models. Results reveal that women are less likely than men to report tenure expectations as scholars are reasonable and that departments and institutions are supportive of family–work balance. Departmental support for family–work balance, caring for an ill family member, satisfaction with family-friendly policies, and workload have the strongest association with reasonableness. Satisfaction with family-friendly policies has a significant relationship with reasonableness of tenure expectations only for faculty with family care responsibilities. Implications for family-friendly policies and practices in academia are discussed.     

If and When Sociology Becomes a Female Preserve

This article investigates recent data on the prevalence of women in the field of sociology in order to understand whether or not the discipline has become a female preserve. Data on the top sociology departments in the USA were collected in 2007. For each university, we document the number of full time, tenured and tenure-track faculty members and present the gendered makeup of the department. Our data present mixed findings with regard to the question of whether the field is tipping toward female. Women, overall, are underrepresented in the sociology programs sampled, but a larger percentage of women occupy tenured positions within the top liberal arts programs than at the top graduate programs. And, women occupy a slim majority of assistant professor positions but have lower numbers at higher academic ranks. We can say with reasonable certainty that, while the proportion of women doctorates and assistant professors indicate a feminization of sociology, the entire discipline has not yet tipped toward female.     

The salary structure of sociology departments

Department chairs have recently expressed concerns over the phenomenon of salary compression, or the narrowing of the gap between the salaries of assistant professors and those of senior faculty. Such a compression is thought to lower senior faculty morale. The paper explores salary data organized by academic rank (professors, associate professors, and assistant professors) on a sample of 78 graduate departments drawn from the 1988 ASAGuide to Graduate Departments. Significant differences in the highest, lowest, and average salaries of assistant, associate, and full professors exist between public and private universities and between schools in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. Few differences are found among regions of the country and between terminal M.A.- and Ph.D.-granting departments, the latter perhaps due to the shortfall in the supply of new assistant professors. Analysis of salary data reported over a fifty-year period by AAUP suggests that salary compression is not a recent problem in academia. Rather, it has typified academic salary structures for at least a half-century. Salary compression in sociology is somewhat less severe than in other fields, but effects of a lag in supply may eventually be felt in the 1990s. His most recent publications areTeacher Burnout in the Public Schools (1987), and a forthcoming book,Giving Up in School (1990) with Margaret LeCompte. He is working on the third edition of his text,The Minority Report, with Rosalind J. Dworkin. He serves as editor of a book series entitled “The New Inequalities” published by the State University of New York Press, and is president of the Southwestern Sociological Association.     

Equality for all? Support for equal opportunity among professors in Europe

Equal Opportunity programs (EO) continue to be at the center of the debate about promoting equality in higher education. While support for EO has been well-studied in American higher education, this research is the first to investigate the attitudes towards and support for a range of EO policies among professors in Europe. We specifically examine faculty support for seven different EO measures used in European universities that require varying levels of involvement and commitment. From a sample of 689 professors, findings show that women professors tend to show more support for all EO programs compared to men professors. We also see differences across disciplines. Professors from the humanities and social sciences are more likely to endorse such programs than their counterparts in STEM disciplines. Moreover, the differences across disciplines and gender decrease substantially when controlling for racial and gender attitudes. Finally, soft/differential programs, which prioritize merit but take group membership into account are preferred over hard/preferential programs which prioritize achieving equality by targeting members from marginalized groups. This research is innovative for its geographical location, sample of study, and range of included measures.     

Evaluating Ph.D. sociology programs: Theoretical,methodological and policy implications

Reputational surveys frequently are used in evaluating doctoral programs. A sample of faculty-rated graduate programs and the resulting data are used to rank the programs in the academic discipline being considered. As an alternative, we present a new and auspicious assessment methodology by analyzing sixty doctoral programs in sociology for 1975/80 on six measures of research productivity and graduate education. We calculate two proximity matrices and reduce each with ALSCAL. Two solutions are generated: (1) per capita and (2) gross productivity of departments. These analyses show that conventional ranks contain a number of deficiencies and more comprehensive measures of departmental performance add important dimensions. We empirically document a tendency for conflict between faculty productivity and graduate education. Finally, our analyses suggest that omission of several assessment variables may have penalized departments emphasizing qualitative research. Recommendations for improving the next national assessment are advanced. Address correspondence to Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, 61761-6901.     

Unionization and tenure and rank outcomes in Ohio Universities

We explore whether unionization affects tenure and promotion outcomes. Using data on 4,276 faculty from seven Ohio public universities, we find that unionization increases the probability that an individual will be tenured. Unionization also increases (decreases) the probability that an individual will be a full (assistant) professor. Moreover, unionization may standardize the promotion process across disciplines. The largest effect on the promotion process is related to length of service. Faculty who are with an institution longer are more likely to be tenured or in higher ranks. This result occurs for two reaization (1) The tenure and promotion processes are directly related to the number of years an individual works at an institution. Tenure decisions usually have time limitations, and although promotion decisions are not as directly tied to time, one generally becomes a full professor after the attainment of tenure and the rank of an associate professor; (2) Controlling for other factors, senior union faculty are more likely to be tenured or full professors, and they appear to be able to obtain higher ranks more easily. Our thanks to the session participants at the 1996 Missouri Valley Economics Association Conference, to Professor Michael Magura of the University of Toledo who provided most of the data and to an anonymous referree for insightful comments.     

Paradigm shifts,feminist phase theory,and the missing variable in women's studies curriculum transformation projects

Feminist phase theory describes the process of integrating women's studies scholarship as a series of identifiable stages, for both individuals and disciplines. Literature on the revolutionary and paradigm-shift potential of women's studies scholarship suggests important disciplinary differences in its construction, adoption, and diffusion. We reformulate feminist phase theory in paradigm shift terms, then operationalize and contrast two versions of it. Our analysis and review indicate that the missing variable in women's studies transformation projects is the participants' discipline. Data from our integration project show faculty in interpretive disciplines scoring higher on degree of integration of women's studies scholarship but not changing as a result of the project itself, while those in positivist disciplines do change but have lower absolute scores. These findings indicate a need for different integration strategies based on discipline. Empirical support for one sequential ordering in feminist phase theory argues for the importance and centrality of women-focused scholarship.An earlier version was presented at the 84th annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, San Francisco, California, August 1989.     

THE TYRANNY OF DEAD IDEAS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING: Midwest Sociological Society Presidential Address 2010

Clinging to dead ideas about teaching and learning limits our practice as professors. The resulting tyranny means we fail to educate our students as effectively as we might. This address challenges faculty to reconsider their understanding and habits in three areas: the preparedness of students, the impact of grading policies on learning motivation, and the role of technology in teaching. The good news is that learned behaviors, sociologically informed reflection, and the application of the research in the scholarship of teaching and learning can liberate us and improve the experiences of teachers and learners alike.     

Trends in the Research Productivity of Newly Hired Assistant Professors at Research Departments from 2007 to 2012

Has the sociology job market for assistant professors at research universities become more competitive in recent years? One approach to addressing this question is to consider the research productivity of new hires. This study reports on trends in research productivity and the proportion of hires that are ABDs from 2007 to 2012 using data collected from the CVs of 334 assistant professors employed at the top 98 sociology departments. The analysis reveals a substantial increase in the median number of publications, median number of peer-reviewed publications, and the median number of first- or sole-authored peer-reviewed publications over the past 6 years among newly hired professors. This is in part due to a decrease in the proportion of assistant professors hired out of graduate school (i.e., ABDs) and the fact that ABDs have fewer publications on average than non-ABDs. The article concludes with a consideration of the mechanisms that might underlie these trends and notes important limitations concerning selectivity that pertain to the analysis.     

Educational Linkages between Undergraduate Education in Social Welfare and Professional Social Work Education

Schools of social work in the United States and in Canada have for many years, supported and encouraged their faculty to accept visiting professorships or research appointments in foreign schools of social work. This program has benefited both faculty and students through enriched course content. However, only in recent years have more than a few faculty from foreign schools of social work joined the faculties of schools of social work in the United States and Canada as visiting professors. There is no question that these faculty members have made a contribution to social work education in the schools where they were resident. This author provides insights on how visiting professors might affectively contribute as members of faculty and questions the emphasis we are presently giving to methodology at the expense of our commitment to the ideological and moral base of social work.     

Disciplinary schisms: Subspecialty “drift” and the fragmentation of sociology

One component of the often discussed malaise in sociology has been the problem of subspecialty “drift” — applied specialties given birth originally within the field now forming separate departments or programs. The historical and ideological origins of this problem are discussed, focusing primarily on the schism early on in sociology between pure and applied work. Anecdotal evidence presented from interviews with faculty in social work and criminal justice programs suggests sociology has in many cases facilitated development of new programs. In order to evaluate the relative position of applied programs within departments of sociology, a comparative analysis of the 1986 and 1996 Guide to Graduate Departments of Sociology “special program” and department titles is undertaken. Contrary to the perception that applied programs are leaving sociology, results indicate an overall increase in special programs with an applied or practice component. Furthermore, masters programs are significantly more likely to have changed department names and to be in combined departments than doctoral programs. We suggest that while sociology has lost ground in the applied arena to more practice and policy-oriented disciplines, program changes within departments in the past decade may help to stem further subspecialty drift. The article concludes by suggesting that state sociological associations are particularly well suited to play a leadership role in addressing these issues. Dr. Bennett M. Judkins is currently doing research on community change and multiculturalism. Address correspondence to: Department of Sociology, Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, NC 28601. Dr. Carl M. Hand is currently doing research on changes in undergraduate and graduate enrollments in sociology. Address correspondence to: Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA 31698.     

How other academic disciplines approach teaching concerns and the consequences for sociology

Sociology is not the only academic discipline currently interested in teaching concerns. As teaching advocates consider future courses of action, knowledge of what other disciplines are doing provides possible departure points for sociology. This paper presents and discusses other disciplines' concerns and activities in teaching compared with sociology's activities and speculates about the implications of these various concerns and activities.     

Presidential Address: The Faculty Time Divide

The time demands of academic life are examined, drawing on data from a large national sample of faculty. I outline the divide between full-time faculty, who work long hours irrespective of rank or institution type, and part-time faculty, who work at low pay with little job security, status, recognition, or fringe benefits. The expectations of academic life in dual-career couples are hard to reconcile with the demands of parenting. This is a common problem because assistant professors are generally too old to wait until they have tenure to have children. The segmentation of academic life into an overworked core and a marginalized periphery tends to perpetuate gender inequality.     

Sociology at the University of Kansas, 1889–1983: An Historical Sketch

Sociology at the University of Kansas began in 1889, making it one of the oldest departments in the country. This paper sketches its first 94 years, with special attention given to courses offered, faculty development, and the expansion of its graduate program. Suggestions for further research are made regarding sociology not only at this university, but others as well.     

WILLFUL BLINDNESS: THE INEFFICIENT REWARD STRUCTURE IN ACADEMIC RESEARCH

This article examines how economics departments judge research articles and assign credit to authors. It begins with a demonstration that only strictly prorated author credit induces researchers to choose e?cient sized teams. Nevertheless, survey evidence reveals that most economics departments only partially prorate authorship credit, implying excessive coauthorship. Indeed, a half‐century increase in coauthorship may be better explained by incomplete proration than by any increased specialization among authors. A possible explanation for the reliance on incomplete proration is the self‐interest of economists who are more likely to engage coauthorship—full professors. The self‐interest of senior faculty may also explain the relatively small role given to citations in senior promotions. A rational response by economists to the under‐proration of author credit is to engage in false authorship. Although false authorship is of dubious ethical status, it may have the perverse impact of improving the e?ciency of team production. Grossly excessive coauthorship, where little attention is paid to most authors listed on a paper, as found in some other academic disciplines, may be the path down which economics is headed if the reward structure is not altered. (JEL A14, O30, I23)     

Union Professors: Framing Processes,Mobilizing Structures,and Participation in Faculty Unions*

This study traces the development of union loyalties among community college professors. Assuming that activism is motivated by contextual and ideological factors, the paper analyzes the ways that social networks, collegiate workplaces, and framing practices transform political bystanders into committed union members. Using data from a study of junior college professors in Kentucky (N = 329), the study finds that union participation is strongly linked to a distrust of campus administrators and having pro‐union friends and colleagues. Likewise, perceptions of union efficacy, a liberal identity as well the professor’s education level predicted the actual joining of their campus’ faculty union.     

Are minority women sociologists in double jeopardy?

We examine whether minority women in academic sociology face disadvantages that exceed those that would be expected by simply compounding the disadvantage of being a woman with that of being nonwhite or Hispanic. In a national survey of sociology departments, evidence of such “double jeopardy” appears in minority women’s severe underrepresentation among full professors, in both very small and very large departments, in undergraduate programs, in the Northeast, and in public institutions. Minority women are somewhat better represented among graduate students, but disadvantaged relative to minority men in their share of financial support. A pool of doctoral students now exists from which minority women faculty may be recruited, but these women appear to be leaving faculties faster than they are being replaced. His research interests include intergenerational family structure, social support across the life course, and U.S. antipoverty policy. He is currently collaborating on a longitudinal study of institutional predictors of the pace of affirmative action for women faculty in sociology. Her major research interest is in the area of work and personality. She is collaborating on a longitudinal study of women and minorities in U.S. sociology departments.     

The Relative Earnings of Contingent Faculty in Higher Education

Part-time and full-time non-tenure-track faculty currently represent almost half of all faculty in U.S. higher education, yet little is known about their earnings relative to traditional tenure-track faculty. I find that full-time non-tenure-track faculty earn approximately 26% less per hour from their academic institution and 18% less in total earnings from all sources per hour than comparable tenure-track assistant professors. Part-time non-tenure-track faculty earn 64% less per hour from their institution, but only 1% less in total earnings per hour, than tenure-track assistant professors.

The mass class and teaching assistants: A case for discussion exercises

Sociology courses, particularly introductory courses, with 200 or more students are increasingly being offered in U.S. colleges and universities. Within the “mass class” structure, teaching assistants are often utilized to instruct students in smaller discussion sessions. This creates unique conditions of instruction for both professors and teaching assistants. For instance, professors are faced with coordinating teaching assistants’ activities, while teaching assistants need to develop skills relating to provoking discussion. Both must deal with effects of a hierarchy of instruction. After discussing these conditions we present structured classroom exercises that focus on sociological concepts typically presented in introductory courses to help teaching assistants create an engaging learning experience, attain teaching skills, and facilitate the professor’s coordination of instruction.