Professor analyzes academic 'caste system'
An Oregon sociologist
claims advancement in
the discipline is difficult
JESS WILLIAMS
FREELANCE REPORTER
Sociology professor Val Burris has
seen many of his students go on to
postgraduate work in 26 years on fac
ulty at the University. Concern for
these students' professional welfare
piqued his interest in the connection
between departmental hiring and
prestige, that elusive concept that
makes some colleges so desirable and
others unremarkable.
"The barriers to good jobs for our
graduates got me into this," Burris said.
Mis new article, "The Academic
Caste System: Prestige 1 lierarchies in
PhD Exchange Networks," published
in the June issue of American Socio
logical Review, suggests that Universi
ty graduates, at least within the social
sciences, may find it challenging to
advance a career in academia.
The University, which Burris called a
"middle-ranked school in the social
sciences," plays into a complex game
that privileges select "elite" schools and
disadvantages most others. For exam
ple, Burris said, when the sociology de
partment sets out to hire new faculty,
"We very consistently hire people from
the same five or 10 schools... Any sug
gestion that we hire from schools that
are ranked more like us usually meets
with great resistance." According to
Burris' research, this practice, which
he said buys into the notion that cer
tain high-ranking schools produce the
best scholars, does not benefit the
University: It and other middle
ranked schools are "caught up in
the prestige game that doesn't
serve their interests."
Burris' research looks at prestige as
a form of "social capital," which
circulates primarily between already
high-ranking schools. One-third of
the PhD candidates hired among the
94 sociology departments that Burris
examined came from the five
most prestigious departments.
Seventy percent of the new hires
graduated from one of the top 20
schools. Because graduates of
schools outside the top 20 don't
have access to the "old boys'
network" that extends among elite
schools across the nation, their
chances of finding a faculty position
are greatly reduced, Burris concludes.
This system is self-perpetuating
and stagnant, he said.
"A lot of faculty members have
gone to the same grad school," Burris
noted. "When they're looking to hire
somebody new, they know who to
turn to — each other. This creates a
sense of trust and obligation, a need
to reciprocate among graduates of
elite schools." The Ivy League, said
Burris, epitomizes this practice.
"They hire overwhelmingly from
other Ivy League schools, or at least
from private schools. They're hesitant
to hire even graduates of prestigious
state schools ... This network is more
a narrow, localized and regional" ver
sion of the larger network of exchange
across the nation.
I lis claims are based on overwhelm
ing quantitative evidence, Burris said.
"I wasn't surprised by what I found,
but I've never had any other sociologi
cal research project with such strong re
sults. The magnitude is a bit startling.
Most social research is messier," he
commented. His research applied
specifically to sociology, history and
political science departments.
"We don't really know if the pattern
is as strong in the natural sciences/'
Burris said, citing two reasons that hir
ing practices might differ. "In a lot of
the natural sciences there's an extra step
in which there can be some kind of up
ward mobility: post-doc work."
This step, Burris speculates, might
allow candidates to demonstrate
their individual abilities as opposed
to merely depending on their institu
tion of origin.
Secondly, "In academic areas with
more consensus around what's solid
scholarship, rewards [jobs] are more
likely to merit-based. In math, two
plus two equals four ... In a
discipline like [sociology], there's
more uncertainty and disagreement,
so decisions are based more often
upon prestige."
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Lorraine Davis finalizes hiring and
tenure decisions within the Universi
ty. She agreed that academic creden
tials play a significant role in the hir
ing procedure. "There is some degree
of credibility that goes along with
where you received your degree,
what research you did, and who your
mentor is or was," she said. Still, she
characterized University hiring
practices as equitable.
"We take pride in the fact that
many of the people that we hire are
from institutions that are our peers
or our aspirants."
Burris said he doubts that isolated
changes in hiring practices can top
ple the rigid hierarchy of prestige.
"Change isn't going to happen. It
can't. If schools like Oregon would
be better at hiring the best graduates
of other schools like Oregon, then
everybody would benefit and the so
cial network would be weakened
considerably. T5ut it's hard to imagine
a scenario when any one school
would do that. You need some de
gree of collaboration," he said.
It's difficult to devise ways to
change the system that favors prestige,
sometimes above merit, Burris said.
His article, which applies sociology's
theoretical tools to the functioning of
status hierarchies within academic in
stitutions, may be a small step toward
exposing it, he said.
"I think it helps to point out that
the emperor has no clothes," he said.
Jess Williams is a freelance reporter
for the Emerald.
Your Summer
Check out the September Experience Program
September 7-17, 2004
• Short on group requirements?
• Looking for a unique way to wrap up your summer?
• Want to get ahead in your course of study?
• Excited to get back in the swing of classes?
• Does $500 for 4 credits sound like a deal to you?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you need
to find out more about the September Experience
Program. Resident and nonresident students take one
course for 4 credits in nine days for just $500. All are
group satisfying! Classes meet from 8:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.
Monday - Friday. We have the courses you want, the
courses you need, and the courses you should take.
Courses are included in Summer 04 DuckHunt.
019281
Course Ho. Course Title
instructor CRN
ANTH 161 World Cultures
ANTH 170 Intro to Human Origins
GEOG 206 Geography of Oregon
HIST 382 Latin America
INTL 350 International Leadership
PSY 330 Thinking
PSY 375 Development
SOC 301 American Society
P. Scher 45407
G. Nelson 45366
M. Power 45365
C. Aguirre 45364
K. Carpenter 45361
H. Arrow 45363
J. Measelle 45362
M. Dreilling 45370
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON SUMMER SESSION
SEPTEMBER EXPERIENCE PROGRAM
Register using DuckWeb <http://duckweb.uoregon.edu/>. Visit our Summer Session
web site, <http://uosummer.uoregon.edu/SepExp.html>; call us, 346-3475, or send
us email, <septexp@darkwing.uoregon.edu.>
You're always close to campus.
> www.dailyemerald.com
Premier Travel
• Airfare Specials! •
Phoenix - $152.00*
San Jose, CR - $318.00*
Cancun - $399.00*
Cozumel - $498.00*
*tax and tecs ivoi included, restrictions apply.
Subject to change without notice..
Eurail Passes issued on-site!!!
E-mail: lares@luv2travel.com
1011 Harlow
i 747-0909
^Student Travel Experts ""—
\
write for the
Oregon Daily Emerald
For more information about freelancing
call 346-5511.
\_)
Musique Gourmet
Classical Music
Opera
Broadway
Filmscores
CD's
SACD'S
DVD'S
Open Noon - 5:20
Sundays Noon - 4:00
Closed Tuesdays
Behind Bradfords
Across from Library
0 942 Olive St.
| FREE PARKING
349-0461
New York City’s
Drag Entertainer of the Year
with
shcB<>"<!
"3 u | y 2 ”
Show Starts at *1 Opm
$5 Cover Charge