[lbo-talk] stats on profs' class background?

[joanna bujes]

Looking back at my grad school/ academia days, I'd venture to guess that 
95% of academics come from the solid to upper-middle class or are 
children of academics. Poor people can't afford a dozen years of school 
and then poor pay for most of the rest of their lives; and people with 
any kind of ideals or conscience or integrity, will have a rough time in 
academia. If their parents did it, they are likely to be more reconciled 
to the "process."

I knew two people from "working class" backgrounds in academia. One 
killed himself and the other rose to a chair at Exeter.

So I don't know what it means to say that leftist professors are 
"privileged wealthy elitists" since most professors come from this kind 
of background. "Wealthy" is an exaggeration, but solidly middle class, 
they almost all are.

What am I trying to say?....that it is not class background that 
distorts the view of leftist professors....but the process of being 
incorporated into academia....which is a privileged, hierarchical, 
elitist, careerist milieu.

Joanna

Stephen E Philion wrote:


>Anyone know some good sources on class backround of profs, especially
>left leaning profs? On the Marc Cooper discussion blog, he and others
>are trying to claim that professors who are left leaning are mostly
>priveleged wealthy elitists with no working class background to speak of. 
>Of course, that they are mostly still working class, tenure, perks and
>all is a point entirely lost on this kind of person...
>
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