Changing of the Guard on Campus as Boomer Professors Retire

The New York Times loves stories that show large social trends at work--so the reporters can show their sociological as well as journalistic skills. The following article on how the so called 'left wing' or 'liberal professors' are now retiring and leaving the campus to their more conformist colleagues contains the same kinds of over simplifications about the boomer era many of us are used to by now.

First the tag 'liberal' or 'liberal activist' without the use of a corollary term for the radical right wing activist--the excuse is that this is the way they supposedly describe themselves--but when they are filling out a survey you only get to choose the terms the survey writer uses. Of course more people would define themselves as 'moderate' as that seems more in line with rational discourse and the duties of a professor.

In general, information on professors’ political and ideological leanings tends to be scarce. But a new study of the social and political views of American professors by Neil Gross at the University of British Columbia and Solon Simmons at George Mason University found that the notion of a generational divide is more than a glancing impression. “Self-described liberals are most common within the ranks of those professors aged 50-64, who were teenagers or young adults in the 1960s,” they wrote, making up just under 50 percent. At the same time, the youngest group, ages 26 to 35, contains the highest percentage of moderates, some 60 percent, and the lowest percentage of liberals, just under a third.

When it comes to those who consider themselves “liberal activists,” 17.2 percent of the 50-64 age group take up the banner compared with only 1.3 percent of professors 35 and younger.

The reporter wonders what this is all due to? Encroaching corporate forces seem to be the most to blame for the new conservatism on campus.


Gerald Graff does not see such a drastic change Gerald Graff, president of the Modern Language Association and author of the 1992 book “Beyond the Culture Wars,” is more skeptical, saying he hasn’t seen evidence of change at the University of Illinois in Chicago, where he teaches English. “You’d think that the further we get away from the ’60s, where a lot of our political attitudes are nurtured, there would be,” he said, “but I have to say it doesn’t seem to be happening.”

What is your impression--major change--or not much? What did the boomers add to the academic conversations--we are told in the article--it was their ability to look at large social forces and develop theories around them--as opposed to today's interest in building out (but not very far I would argue) from small empirical studies--lets start a discussion on this in the News wiki..