Re: ASA Publications' Committee

President Alejandro Portes
>       > >Department of Sociology
>       > >Princeton University
>       > >Princeton 08544-1010
>       > >
>       > >
>       > >Dear President Portes:
>       > >
>       > >          Since late February, I and my colleagues on the
>       > >Publications Committee have been wrestling with a
>       > >response to Council's peremptory reversal of our
>       > >recommendations for the editor of the American
>       > >Sociological Review. As you know, we sent forward two
>       > >candidates; Council rejected both and installed its
>       > >own. This complete reversal of the appointment decision
>       > >of the Publications Committee, an elected body
>       > >representative of the membership, is unprecedented in
>       > >the history of the association. I have listened to you
>       > >and my colleagues on the Publications Committee but I
>       > >still find resignation the only appropriate response.
>       > >
>       > >          While Council was formally within its rights to
>       > >over-rule the Publications Committee, this was
>       > >nonetheless an egregious violation of substantive
>       > >accountability, rendering our extensive work null and
>       > >void. Council did not explain its action, nor did it
>       > >request a consultation with us regarding our choice,
>       > >nor did it return the appointment to our committee for
>       > >reconsideration and/or further recommendations. It
>       > >simply chose a different editor, based on a short
>       > >discussion in the midst of a whole host of other
>       > >business.  What is the point of our ongoing
>       > >explorations of the trajectory of each journal, our
>       > >decisions about how to insure their continued high
>       > >quality, our careful examination of each candidate, and
>       > >then our lengthy deliberations, if Council summarily
>       > >overturns them?
>       > >
>       > >          Only two years ago the membership was asked
>       > >whether the Publications Committee should be appointed
>       > >by Council. The membership voted to continue the
>       > >practice of electing the Publications Committee. I take
>       > >this to be a mandate to maintain our independence of
>       > >Council. The membership should know that their
>       > >injunction has been ignored. To keep silent would be to
>       > >compound the already flagrant transgression of
>       > >substantive democracy.
>       > >
>       > >          I have listened to those who have argued that
>       > >making the membership aware that Council had
>       > >over-ridden the recommendations of the Publications
>       > >Committee would violate the confidentiality of the
>       > >process and the rights of candidates to anonymity. It
>       > >will be known that new editors of the ASR were not
>       > >chosen by the Publications Committee and that therefore
>       > >their appointment is tainted. I agree that
>       > >confidentiality should be protected but not at the cost
>       > >of keeping members ignorant of Council's thwarting
>       > >their determination to be represented by an independent
>       > >Publications Committee. I break the confidentiality
>       > >rule because Council unilaterally suspended the normal
>       > >rules of democratic decision making.
>       > >
>       > >I was elected to the Publications Committee to reflect
>       > >a variety of perspectives current in our discipline,
>       > >and to speak for the diverse interests of its
>       > >membership. In our deliberations we were following the
>       > >directives of Council itself which several years ago
>       > >urged the Publications Committee to insure the openness
>       > >of the American Sociological Review as our flagship
>       > >journal. Yet as soon as we recommend distinguished
>       > >editors with new visions that we believe would enrich
>       > >our discipline, we are arbitrarily over-ruled without
>       > >consultation, discussion or dialogue.
>       > >
>       > >I have every confidence that Professors Wilson and
>       > >Camic will do an excellent job as editors of the
>       > >American Sociological Review but, through no fault of
>       > >their own, it will not be one that reflects the
>       > >Publications Committee's efforts to carry out its
>       > >mandate. I can find no other response but to publicly
>       > >resign forthwith from the Publications Committee.
>       > >
>       > >Yours Sincerely
>       > >
>       > >
>       > >Michael Burawoy
>       > >Department of Sociology
>       > >University of California, Berkeley
>       > >
>       > >
>       > >cc.Members Council
>       > >      Members of the Publications Committee
>       > >      Professor Franklin Wilson
>       > >      Professor Charles Camic
>