The Academic Man: A Study in the Sociology of a Profession

by Logan Wilson

Overview

When it was originally published, The Academic Man was the first full-scale social science-based study on the American academic profession. The issues identified by Logan Wilson in 1942 remain central to any consideration of the American professoriate. Wilson demonstrates the usefulness of a historical perspective in understanding the present, as well as the considerable continuity in higher education. His acute observations remain a critical base for contemporary studies of higher education.

The Academic Man explores three mam aspects of higher education: the academic hierarchy, academic status, and academic processes and functions. He discusses the difficulty college graduates have in finding jobs, a problem still prevalent today. He also examines the small number of publications produced by graduates with Ph.Ds, showing that only a few account for the greatest percentage of publications, as well as the ratio of teaching activities to non-teaching activities performed by faculty members.

In his new introduction, Philip G. Altbach discusses the changes that have occurred in the college community during the past half-century, including the expansion of universities and the increasing diversity of students and faculty hi terms of gender, ethnicity, and religious background. At the same tune, he shows how Wilson's basic tenets continue to hold true for contemporary academic life. The timelessness of The Academic Man will make it a valuable resource for students, professors, university administrators, and sociologists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781560008101
Publisher:	Transaction Publishers
Publication date:	01/30/1995
Series:	Foundations of Higher Education
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Logan Wilson served as teacher and administrator at Tulane University, then as provost of the University of North Carolina, and finally as president of the University of Texas at Austin. During the 1960s he was president of the American Council on Education. He also authored American Academics: Then and Now.

Philip G. Altbach is J. Donald Monan, S. J. University Professor and director of the Center for International Higher Education in the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. He is the author of many books, including World Class Worldwide: Transforming Research Universities in Asia and Latin America.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION TO THE TRANSACTION EDITIONPREFACEI. INTRODUCTIONPART ONE: THE ACADEMIC HIERARCHY II. PROFESSIONAL RECRUIT III. STUDENT AND APPRENTICE IV. STAFF MEMBER V. PROFESSOR ADMINISTRANTPART TWO: ACADEMIC STATUS VI. STATUS APPRAISAL VII. PROFESSIONAL STATUS VIII. SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUSPART THREE: ACADEMIC PROCESSES AND FUNCTIONS IX. PRESTIGE AND COMPETITION X. PRESTIGE AND THE TEACHING FUNCTION XI. PRESTIGE AND THE RESEARCH FUNCTION PART FOUR: CONCLUSIONS XII. CONCLUSIONS APPENDICES INDEX