Race for the Door

Posted on July 29, 2005 by andrewleigh

I do think it’s important to be clear about what should and shouldn’t be considered unacceptable at universities. Mac Uni’s Andrew Fraser is being shunted out not because he works on race and crime (as a casual reader of the SMH might assume), but because he hasn’t got solid facts to back up his allegations. He certainly doesn’t appear to have done any serious research on the issue. Were it otherwise, I for one might feel compelled to take the "I don’t agree with a bloody word you say, but I don’t reckon you should be sacked for working on controversial stuff" approach.

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5 Responses to Race for the Door

  1. Sinclair Davidson says:
    July 30, 2005 at 10:17 am

    That’s a slippery road you’re on. What about all those academics who are Marxists? Should we sack them? Why is it respectable to be a Marxist (even more respectable to be a ‘refomed’ Marxist) than a racist (who are normally just stupid)?

    Taking the view that the wise man avoids temptation, so we should avoid hounding people for their beliefs.

  2. Benno says:
    July 30, 2005 at 7:16 pm

    Having an uninformed opinion without back up research and evidence is one thing and broadcasting it is another, especially when it may reflect poorly on your employer.

  3. Sinclair Davidson says:
    July 30, 2005 at 9:52 pm

    Only the unemployed allowed to have opinions now?

  4. Sacha Blumen says:
    August 1, 2005 at 2:39 pm

    Agree with Benno.

    It’s not about your opinions, but rather presenting ideas as having validity without having done the necessary research. I have all sorts of ideas, say in politics, but I wouldn’t present them with the imprimateur of being an Honorary Associate in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Sydney (which I am) without the necessary research – and it that case I would feel uncomfortable presenting it unless there was some connection to mathematics.

    Unless Andrew Fraser can present the research underpinning his claims, he doesn’t have a leg to stand on.

  5. Andrew Leigh says:
    August 1, 2005 at 4:11 pm

    Sinclair, does this mean you’re generally in favour of rigidity in the academic labour market? I would’ve thought you’d be opposed to a little more churning…..

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