Networks Among Black Networks Among Black Studies ProfessorsStudies Professors

Fabio RojasFabio Rojas

Department of SociologyDepartment of Sociology

Indiana UniversityIndiana University

Black Studies: Discipline in Black Studies: Discipline in FormationFormation

For the last five years, I’ve been working on the evolution For the last five years, I’ve been working on the evolution of Black Studies programs.of Black Studies programs.

See my conditionally accepted book manuscript: See my conditionally accepted book manuscript: From From Black Power to Black StudiesBlack Power to Black Studies. (Johns Hopkins Press). (Johns Hopkins Press)

Articles at www.fabiorojas.comArticles at www.fabiorojas.com

The history of Black Studies allows us to answer The history of Black Studies allows us to answer important questions about the academy’s response to important questions about the academy’s response to social movements.social movements.

Discipline in FormationDiscipline in Formation

The evolution of Black Studies also The evolution of Black Studies also provides data on the formation of new provides data on the formation of new disciplines.disciplines.

How is a new discipline created from other How is a new discipline created from other disciplines?disciplines?

The HypothesisThe Hypothesis

Black Studies is an “interdiscipline”Black Studies is an “interdiscipline”

What is an interdiscipline?What is an interdiscipline?

An academic community that is strongly An academic community that is strongly integrated with other disciplines.integrated with other disciplines.

In contrast, a discipline is self-contained.In contrast, a discipline is self-contained.

Let Me Elaborate a LittleLet Me Elaborate a Little

If you look at central disciplines, such as English If you look at central disciplines, such as English or philosophy, you notice that they have their or philosophy, you notice that they have their own academic units, elite training (PhD own academic units, elite training (PhD programs) and certification (the journals and programs) and certification (the journals and presses).presses).

In contrast, the interdiscipline is not socially In contrast, the interdiscipline is not socially closed – it either teaches, trains, or certifies in closed – it either teaches, trains, or certifies in other disciplines. It has a distinct institutional other disciplines. It has a distinct institutional identity, but is deeply rooted in other fields.identity, but is deeply rooted in other fields.

What are some examples?What are some examples?

Disciplines: English, philosophy, civil Disciplines: English, philosophy, civil engineering.engineering.

Interdisciplines: Black Studies, public Interdisciplines: Black Studies, public policy, cognitive science, American studiespolicy, cognitive science, American studies

Research communities: network studies, Research communities: network studies, artificial intelligence, medieval studies.artificial intelligence, medieval studies.

How am I going to show that Black How am I going to show that Black Studies is an “interdiscipline”? Studies is an “interdiscipline”?

Use publicly available data on Black Use publicly available data on Black Studies professorsStudies professors

Analyze survey data that I collected.Analyze survey data that I collected.

This data will show that Black Studies This data will show that Black Studies recruits and is socially connected to other recruits and is socially connected to other disciplines. disciplines.

Institutional DataInstitutional Data

I’ll keep this brief so I can get to the I’ll keep this brief so I can get to the network data…network data…

Black Studies has some disciplinary Black Studies has some disciplinary features:features:

Journals, degree programs, and even a Journals, degree programs, and even a few Ph.D. programs. few Ph.D. programs.

But it is interdisciplinaryBut it is interdisciplinary

Most professors recruited from other Most professors recruited from other fields. fields.

They tend to publish in other disciplinary They tend to publish in other disciplinary journals.journals.

They teach many, many courses in They teach many, many courses in departments other than Black Studies. departments other than Black Studies.

Let’s Get to NetworksLet’s Get to Networks

You can look also look at the informal You can look also look at the informal structure of an academic group.structure of an academic group.

One would hypothesize that disciplines One would hypothesize that disciplines would be more socially open than other would be more socially open than other academic groupings. academic groupings.

Disciplines and Social ClosureDisciplines and Social Closure

Members of an academic discipline should Members of an academic discipline should have common training, institutional have common training, institutional histories, and ideology. Therefore, they histories, and ideology. Therefore, they should be more likely to cooperate with should be more likely to cooperate with each other, than outsiders. each other, than outsiders.

The interdiscipline, in contrast, is socially The interdiscipline, in contrast, is socially connected to other academic connected to other academic communities.communities.

Let’s visualize it!Let’s visualize it!

Discipline

Interdiscipline

Black Studies

Black Studies

The Data: The Survey of Issues in The Data: The Survey of Issues in Africana StudiesAfricana Studies

In 2004-2005, every single professor of In 2004-2005, every single professor of Black Studies received an invitation to Black Studies received an invitation to participate. Check it out ! participate. Check it out ! www.africanasurvey.indiana.eduwww.africanasurvey.indiana.edu

200 professors participated in the study.200 professors participated in the study.

Survey included a battery of network Survey included a battery of network items.items.

The network itemsThe network items

Respondents were asked the following Respondents were asked the following questions:questions:

Important professional matters Important professional matters Career decisionCareer decisionScholarly feedbackScholarly feedbackConflictConflict

Some Descriptive StatisticsSome Descriptive Statistics

140 people provided information about 140 people provided information about “importance” network“importance” network

Average # of ties in “importance” network Average # of ties in “importance” network is 9.63is 9.63

Almost 1400 people mentioned. Almost 1400 people mentioned.

First QuestionFirst Question

How often do Black Studies professors contact How often do Black Studies professors contact others in their own program to discuss others in their own program to discuss “important” matters?“important” matters?

Answer #1: 15% of alters were in the same Answer #1: 15% of alters were in the same program. program.

Answer #2: Average ego-neighborhood has 9.6 Answer #2: Average ego-neighborhood has 9.6 people in it, 8.1 are outside the person’s people in it, 8.1 are outside the person’s program. program.

Second QuestionSecond Question

How often do Black Studies professors contact How often do Black Studies professors contact other Black Studies professors in regard to other Black Studies professors in regard to important matters?important matters?

Answer #1: 25% of alters are not Black Studies Answer #1: 25% of alters are not Black Studies professors at all.professors at all.

Answer #2: Average person has 9.6 in Answer #2: Average person has 9.6 in neighborhood, 7.13 are not in any program.neighborhood, 7.13 are not in any program.

Let’s investigate a little more…Let’s investigate a little more…

Who are the most central Black Studies Who are the most central Black Studies actors?actors?

Who are the professors most likely to be Who are the professors most likely to be nominated by their peers in this survey?nominated by their peers in this survey?

Many people mentioned once or twice… Many people mentioned once or twice… but a few stood out. but a few stood out.

The Afrocentric centerThe Afrocentric center

Dr. Molefi Asante – former chair of theTemple Univeristy Black Studies program.

PhD in communications, prolific author, but most importantly – creator of the field’s first PhD program and inventor of Afro-centric theory.

Intellectual prominence corresponds with social centrality.

It doesn’t stop there…It doesn’t stop there…

Other highly central scholars tend to be Other highly central scholars tend to be afro-centric.afro-centric.

Example: #3 in centrality is Maulana Example: #3 in centrality is Maulana Karenga of CSU Northridge. Founder of Karenga of CSU Northridge. Founder of the US organization and prominent Black the US organization and prominent Black Nationalist of the 1970s. Nationalist of the 1970s.

What about Skip Gates?What about Skip Gates?

Some universities have tried to improve Some universities have tried to improve their Black Studies Programs by hiring their Black Studies Programs by hiring highly visible mainstream scholars like highly visible mainstream scholars like Henry Louis Gates, Jr. So how central is Henry Louis Gates, Jr. So how central is he in the Black Studies network?he in the Black Studies network?

Only mentioned once by another scholar, who works at a research university.

Let’s think about that…Let’s think about that…

The Survey picked up about 25% of the The Survey picked up about 25% of the total population and participation was total population and participation was random.random.

The founder of the afrocentric movement The founder of the afrocentric movement is on personal terms with probably 4-5% of is on personal terms with probably 4-5% of the entire profession. the entire profession.

Sources of the NetworkSources of the Network

We’ve gleaned some vital information We’ve gleaned some vital information about Black Studies professors and their about Black Studies professors and their connections. We learned some important connections. We learned some important things about the field’s social structure.things about the field’s social structure.

What factors might explain an individual’s What factors might explain an individual’s # of ties within the profession? What about # of ties within the profession? What about ratio of “in” ties to “out” ties?ratio of “in” ties to “out” ties?

Hypothesis 1: DemographyHypothesis 1: Demography

We expect some gender & racial We expect some gender & racial differences.differences.

We also expect time since PhD to have an We also expect time since PhD to have an effect – people who have been in the field effect – people who have been in the field longer have had more chance to develop longer have had more chance to develop networks within the field. networks within the field.

Hypothesis 2: Disciplinary Training Hypothesis 2: Disciplinary Training & Institutional Effect& Institutional Effect

It might also be possible that disciplinary It might also be possible that disciplinary training might have an effect.training might have an effect.

Maybe specific disciplines encourage a Maybe specific disciplines encourage a more interdisciplinary orientation, leading more interdisciplinary orientation, leading to many more out ties.to many more out ties.

Public/private & research/non-research Public/private & research/non-research effects. effects.

Hypothesis 3: Self-selectionHypothesis 3: Self-selection

People who believe in a self-contained People who believe in a self-contained Black Studies field will be more likely to Black Studies field will be more likely to have ties inside the field.have ties inside the field.

Call this the “afro-centric” effect.Call this the “afro-centric” effect.

DataData

Dependent variable: # of ties within Black Dependent variable: # of ties within Black Studies & proportion of all ties within Black Studies & proportion of all ties within Black Studies.Studies.

Demography: gender, race, year of Ph.D. Demography: gender, race, year of Ph.D. Discipline: Area of PhD Discipline: Area of PhD Self selection: measure of belief that Black Self selection: measure of belief that Black

Studies has its own ideasStudies has its own ideas

Summary of Poisson ModelsSummary of Poisson Models

VariableVariable Ego Nbhd Ego Nbhd Ties inTies in Ties outTies out

MaleMale Yes: +Yes: + NoNo Yes: +Yes: +

BlackBlack NoNo NoNo NoNo

PhD YearPhD Year NoNo Yes: +Yes: + NoNo

Social Sci.Social Sci. NoNo NoNo NoNo

PublicPublic NoNo NoNo NoNo

ResearchResearch NoNo Yes: +Yes: + NoNo

AfrocentricAfrocentric Yes: -Yes: - NoNo Yes:-Yes:-

MethodsMethods NoNo NoNo NoNo

Note: “Yes” means significant effect. Poission regression results. Alpha=.05. Complete Data on about 130 respondents.

Summary of OLS ModelSummary of OLS Model

VariableVariable Ratio of In/TotalRatio of In/Total

MaleMale NoNo

BlackBlack NoNo

PhD YearPhD Year Yes: +Yes: +

Social Sci. Social Sci. NoNo

PublicPublic NoNo

ResearchResearch Yes: +Yes: +

AfrocentricAfrocentric Yes: +Yes: +

MethodsMethods NoNo

SummarySummary

Research question 1: Is Black Studies an Research question 1: Is Black Studies an “interdiscipline?” “interdiscipline?”

Yes – when you measure networks, most Yes – when you measure networks, most ties are from Black Studies to non-black ties are from Black Studies to non-black Studies.Studies.

Summary Summary

Research Question #2: What factors explain Research Question #2: What factors explain Black Studies networks?Black Studies networks?

Answer: Gender plays a pretty big role. Recent Answer: Gender plays a pretty big role. Recent PhD’s have bigger “inside” networks. Same for PhD’s have bigger “inside” networks. Same for profs at research schools.profs at research schools.

Afrocentric orientation correlates with smaller Afrocentric orientation correlates with smaller networks which have few outside ties.networks which have few outside ties.

Future ResearchFuture Research

Do these results holds for other types of Do these results holds for other types of ties? ties?

Explore further the effect of Afrocentric Explore further the effect of Afrocentric ideology on field’s social structure.ideology on field’s social structure.

Link network structure to observable Link network structure to observable behavior. behavior.