The Knowledge Polity: Teaching and Research in the Social Sciences

Three renowned scholars develop a rich and surprising portrait of who produces research, teaches students, and contributes to the business of higher education in The Knowledge Polity. They envision academics as members of a polity where the primary output is knowledge, and citizenship comes with rights and responsibilities. The 2017 Professional Activity in the Social Sciences (PASS) Study provides data that enable an unparalleled understanding of inequalities by gender and racial or ethnic identification in the disciplines of sociology and political science in the US. The authors consider academics as embedded in institutional and social contexts and carefully consider their personalities and changing compositions of the academic workforce.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 14 June 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Drawing on comprehensive surveys of diverse social science faculty, three esteemed scholars have crafted a profound and often unexpected portrayal of the individuals who engage in research, impart knowledge to students, and contribute to the operations of higher education. In their groundbreaking work, The Knowledge Polity, Paul A. Djupe, Amy Erica Smith, and Anand Edward Sokhey envision academics as integral members of a society where knowledge serves as the primary product, and citizenship is accompanied by rights and obligations. By leveraging the insights from the 2017 Professional Activity in the Social Sciences (PASS) Study, the authors present a theoretically and empirically robust account of the individuals who generate knowledge and the mechanisms through which this knowledge is produced. The extensive data collected provide a unparalleled understanding of the nature and origins of gender and racial or ethnic inequalities within the disciplines of sociology and political science in the United States. To elucidate these disparities, the authors examine academics as embedded within institutional and social contexts, including their personal lives, and carefully consider their personalities and evolving compositions of the academic workforce. A comprehensive and far-reaching analysis, this book uncovers patterns that have long been obscured by anecdotal evidence, empowering scholars across the social and behavioral sciences to make informed decisions about their individual and collective futures.

Weight: 456g
Dimension: 235 x 155 x 224 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197611920