Why Are Professors Liberal and Why Do Conservatives Care?

Neil Gross

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English

Harvard University Press
09 April 2013

Sociology; Colleges of higher education; Political ideologies

Some observers see American academia as a bastion of leftist groupthink that indoctrinates students and silences conservative voices. Others see a protected enclave that naturally produces free-thinking, progressive intellectuals. Both views are self-serving, says Neil Gross, but neither is correct. Why Are Professors Liberal and Why Do Conservatives Care? explains how academic liberalism became a self-reproducing phenomenon, and why Americans on both the left and right should take notice.

Academia employs a higher percentage of liberals than nearly any other profession. But the usual explanations-hiring bias against conservatives, correlations of liberal ideology with high intelligence-do not hold up to scrutiny. Drawing on a range of original research, statistics, and interviews, Gross argues that ""political typing"" plays an overlooked role in shaping academic liberalism. For historical reasons, the professoriate developed a reputation for liberal politics early in the twentieth century. As this perception spread, it exerted a self-selecting influence on bright young liberals, while deterring equally promising conservatives. Most professors' political views were formed well before they stepped behind the lectern for the first time.

Why Are Professors Liberal and Why Do Conservatives Care? shows how studying the political sympathies of professors and their critics can shed light not only on academic life but also on American politics, where the modern conservative movement was built in no small part around opposition to the ""liberal elite"" in higher education. This divide between academic liberals and nonacademic conservatives makes accord on issues as diverse as climate change, immigration, and foreign policy more difficult.

By: Neil Gross
Imprint: Harvard University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 210mm, Width: 140mm, Spine: 31mm
Weight: 558g
ISBN: 9780674059092
ISBN 10: 0674059093
Pages: 400
Publication Date: 09 April 2013
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Neil Gross is Charles A. Dana Professor of Sociology at Colby College.

Reviews for Why Are Professors Liberal and Why Do Conservatives Care?

The question is not whether college professors are liberal...The much more interesting question is why college professors are liberal, and sociologist Neil Gross has studied it for years. His results are worth considering...Gross is at his best when he's explaining his surveys and experiments and using them to evaluate competing theories of professors' liberalism--and fortunately, he spends a lot of time doing that. Readers will gain a nuanced understanding of the subject, and conservative readers in particular will find many interesting nuggets here.--Robert Verbruggen National Review (05/06/2013)