[M. Dodge Thomas]

I found this study interesting because it jibs well with my own observations of the “cultural differences” between conservatives and liberals, for example IMO a young conservative considering an academic career outside the sciences and engineering will usually find that their friends and family are less supportive of the choice of a lower paying (relative to the other careers open to the same individual) job that makes very heavy demands on their time than a young liberal contemplating the same decision.

And while I find it depressing that the authors end up suggesting “subsides” of conservative students able to earn more in another profession, I suspect that they are correct that it’s the only way to attract substantially larger numbers of young family-oriented conservatives to such career paths.

[tear gas]

What about Dr. Sean Hannity?

[ClearCase_guy]

I see this as two sides of the same coin. I seriously considered a career in teaching. It's true the pay isn't great, but I thought it was adequate -- and I thought (since family is important to me) that the amount of time off would be a real plus. I was all set to go. That is, until my advisor took me aside and said that my values (conservative) would torpedo my career and that I would spend time and money preparing for a career that would never amount to anything.

I ended up pursing other career options. Because of worries over time and family commitments? Well, you could say that. But really I was worried about the bias.

[sinanju]

As they say: Ph.D = Piledhigher.Deeper

[RKB-AFG]

Very interesting. These are the type of engaging stories I like to read on FR. The intellectual conservative movement in the academy is very important to the health of the nation. Conservatives should not allow themselves to be portrayed as hicks.

If there were more conservative professors, Obama would not be sweeping the “college vote.”

[kaehurowing]

Gee, and all this time I thought it was because we’re stupid.

[Chode]

from what i've seen, unless you are an MD... for the most part, a dr degree is pretty much useless. and so are the people that have them.

[ansel12]

The family unfriendly, low paying (until recently), military always managed to find plenty of conservatives to devote their lives to it.

[wideawake]

Interesting. I specifically decided not to pursue doctoral studies because in academia, even if you are a good little leftist, one's career is endless political struggle and maneuver in exchange for not much money (at least in the humanities).

The financial world involves far less political nonsense than academia does, and pays much better.

[radiohead]

There has been a move at some schools to stop the tenure clock for both women and men who have new children. This is because today's woman expects the man to be of some help and for the first time, men are 'having' to take time off, or reduce the amount of time they can spend on tenure-track activities, because of family requirements. No longer do women, often tenure-track or professionals themselves, expect to carry the load themselves and it has started to affect men's working lives. Sad to say, if it didn't affect men, it wouldn't be considered an issue. /feminist rant

I went back for the PhD after a career as a lawyer. I'm fortunate to be in a field where you can do that - many fields are prejudiced against older students or hiring older faculty. Typical 'fairminded' libs who have no problem discriminating against the mature student/faculty member.

I think that for conservatives want to make enough money to take care of their families and contribute to academe, there are 3 paths: 1) keep your day job and be an adjunct; 2) get the PhD later in life; and/or 3)go into academic fields that pay a decent salary. You want to be an English prof and live on 35K, have fun. I examined my interests, looked to see where there was a market, and took myself in that direction.

[Hawthorn]

The headline is misleading:

PLENTY of conservatives have Ph.D.'s -- esp. in the hard sciences, engineering, computer science, finance, economics, etc. But probably 50% or more of these "doctors" work for businesses or in government agencies.

So the article isn't really talking about Ph.D.'s per se:

It's talking instead about university faculty members -- and a Ph.D. isn't even a requirement for all such jobs.

Therefore thanks to this article, now at last we know that university faculties aren't sufficiently rewarded for their labors and need subsidies. A striking new insight!

(Gee whiz!)

[krb]

pingus

[aruanan]

I’m a conservative and I have a doctorate from the University of Chicago’s Biological Sciences Division.

[Trajan88]

This thread reminds me of a book I just read (is a most worthy read)...

From Publishers Weekly "... Williams's remarkable 1965 novel offers a window on early 20th century higher education in addition to its rich characterizations and seamless prose. Sent by his hard-scrabble farmer father to the University of Missouri to study agriculture, William Stoner is sidetracked by an obsessive love of literature and stimulated by a curmudgeonly old professor, Archer Sloane. Sloane helps Stoner avoid service in WWI, and Stoner eventually becomes an assistant professor. He then meets and marries a St. Louis beauty, Edith, who quickly subjugates her contemplative, passive husband. As decades pass, Stoner entrenches himself deep into the life of the mind, developing into a master teacher but never finding solace in the outside world. Stoner's single joy is Grace, their daughter, whom Edith appropriates as a weapon in her very personal war against Stoner's quest for inner peace."

[okie01]

A fundamental difference between liberals and conservatives is their attitude toward and reliance upon government.

Most liberals have never received any adult income from anything other than a government or its institutions -- be it a paycheck or a grant. For purposes of this statement, foundations are akin to institutions of government.

Most conservatives have never received any adult income from a government or its institutions -- until they got their first social security check.

Liberals go to work for the government. Conservatives go to work for a business. Or themselves.

The two can really be accurately identified by their chosen career track, post-college.

[lonestar67]

It is silly not to understand that academics HATE Republicans, conservatives, and Christians.

[thefactor]

i am currently in a master's program. i interact with PHD students on daily basis. also, of course all my professors are PHD's as well. i do not know one who is conservative.

they are all very nice and they know where i am coming from and respect my opinion, but all they want to do is hide out in academia and publish research papers. the PHD students have been working on their degrees from anywhere from 3-8 years and lament how far they are from being done. but i know they love siting in their little offices all day going over spreadsheets.

me? i'll take the streets any day over that life.

[TChris]

"Since conservatives place an especially high priority on financial security and raising a family, the academy needs to make efforts to adopt more family-friendly policies...

"As graduate school is not financially lucrative and pre-tenure faculty careers often leave little time for family. Given these demands, the career of an academic is not especially appealing to individuals who place a priority on “raising a family.”

LOL!

The author sounds as if he believes this situation is unintentional.

Poor, naive thing.

[Da Coyote]

It does compute. A typical lib arts holder has little chance of doing well in any profession - EXCEPT - academia...where it appears that one can gain fame and some fortune by publicly making a fool of oneself (see Ward Churchill and friends). However, thanks to our lib friends in academia and public “service”, even we techie types will be out of work also...since all of our intellectual accomplishments are sold to China (to help pay for Clinton campaigns). If we want to put the hurt to liberal foolishness, let’s start making academic departments actually produce useful product. That should crimp the fuzzy folks.

[Antoninus]

Based on my experience, a PhD in the liberal arts is a worthless degree that practically anyone with a functioning brain can attain. Most of the folks (not all, mind you) that went through the process to get one did so for reasons of vanity and personal prestige rather than true intellectual curiosity. They just love to be called "Doctor" and the existence in the ivory tower suits them just fine.

Conservatives generally don't bother with such degrees because they tend to be doers rather than teachers. Most of the conservative PhDs I have encountered were people who were successful in a career, raised a family, then went back to school to get their doctorate in a field that really interested them. Most of the liberals with doctorates I've known were career academics who could barely fill up their own gas tanks.

[littlehouse36]

The Wizard: Why, anybody can have a brain. That's a very mediocre commodity! Every pusillanimous creature that crawls on the earth or slinks through slimy seas has a brain! Back where I come from, we have universities, seats of great learning where men go to become great thinkers. And when they come out, they think deep thoughts — and with no more brains than you have. But! They have one thing you haven't got! A diploma! Therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Universita Committeeatum E Pluribus Unum, I hereby confer upon you the honorary degree of Th.D.

Scarecrow: "Th.D."?

The Wizard: That's, er, "Doctor of Thinkology".

Scarecrow: [Rapid] The sum of the square roots of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side. [Normal, amazed] Oh, joy! Rapture! I've got a brain! How can I ever thank you enough?