(Fwd) ASA on Transaction and Rushton

This appeared on the ABS list.

Steve Rosenthal
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date:          Sat, 11 Dec 1999 10:05:00 -0800
Reply-to:      Association of Black Sociologists 
<ABSLST-L@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
From:          Carl Jorgensen <ccjorgensen@UCDAVIS.EDU>
Subject:       ASA on Transaction and Rushton
To:            ABSLST-L@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU

        I called the ASA Wednesday to ask the cost of obtaining a mailing
list of members. Jim Morrill of the Washington office was kind enough to
return my call Thursday, even though it was the last day and - at the time
of his returning my phone call - literally the last hour of his employment
at the ASA. (He left for a positive opportunity).

        Morrill imformed me that every person or organization that applies
to use the ASA mailing list must fill out an application so that ASA can
ensure that the mailing list will be used in a way that benefits its
members. According to Morrill, "a subsidiary of Transaction" (he did not
know which) applied for the mailing list stating that they would use it to
send a circular advertising Rushton's book for sale. Instead, a copy of the
book was sent out - which was not authorized. Further, the ASA central
office was concerned about the sending the mailing in an envelope without a
return address. According to Morrill, the ASA has written Transaction
seeking clarification on this mattter. I get the impression the central
office is upset about this matter. According to Morrill,it is the ASA's
intention to publish the results of their iquiry when it is completed. In
addition, Morrill states "the same thing" happened to the APA and the
Political Science Association. I did not check to ensure that the "same
thing" meant that the mailing lists were obtained under one guise and
another plan followed.

        This to me raises several questions which I will inquire about with
Transaction. It certainly makes me rethink the question of sanctioning
Transaction, if in fact rules were broken. However, I would urge that we
obtain still more information before deciding what action we might take.
How things look can change dramatically with small amounts of additional
information.

        At this point, Transaction claims that Rushton created the
abridgement on his own, but the questions of exactly who applied for the
ASA mailing list, under what pretense, who decided to send out a book
instead of a flyer, who decided to use an envelope without a return
address, and who actually did the mailing are still somewhat unclear.

        Transaction provides an alphabetical list of the sociology of race
relations books it publishes on its web page. The first 25 books on this
list are given below. This segment of their publication - and their whole
list of sociology of race relations books in print - demonstrates that
Transaction is a publisher that is a valuable asset to African Americans
both as consumers and as scholars looking for an outlet for publication.
They are willing to publish books as counter-hegemonic as the Blacks in
Science and Black Women in Antiquity reprints from the Journal of African
Civilizations. They are also keeping Charles Johnson's Bitter Caanan,
DuBois Dusk of Dawn, Washington's The Man Farthest Down, the anthology
African American Social and Political Thought and several other titles of
the Journal of African Civilizations in print. As far as I can tell, Race,
Evolution and Behavior is the only "hostile" title on their list.

        So, I state again. Harming Transaction would be harming ourselves
and the Black community. If we are against the use of "three strikes" in
criminal law, then we should not try to implment a "one strike" policy in
academic politics. If Transaction did in fact violate proceedure in their
contribution to the distribution of Race Evolution and Behavior, perhaps we
could demand that they distribute a response from us for free. However,
that response would - in my opinion - have to be an academic response, not
one based in "We do not like that book." One element in that response might
be the argument that the Rushton tradition is that of referencing which
continuously re-elevates of discredited works and authors as if the
discreditation had never taken place.

        That is where I am for now.We do not yet know the full story and we
should hold our fire - but keep our powder dry - until we do. Hoping I have
not just used a dead metaphor, that is all for now.


        1. Afghan immigrants in the USA and Germany
        2. Anti Semeeitism in America
        3. A Blend of Contradictions
        4. Burmese Supermnationalism
        5. Covenant and Constitutionalism
        6. Ethnic Politics and Civil Liberties
        7. Icelandic Spirtualism
        8. The Jewish East Side: 1881-1924
        9. Puritan Boston and Quaker PHiladelphia
       10. Witenss of the Brothers
       11. Jews and the American Slave Trade
       12. Structual Adjustment Agrarian Change and Nigeria
       13. Jews and the American Slave Trade
                (Some books are listed more than once, perhaps because they
are                                                     available in cloth
or paper or are differen editions)
       14. Hispanics in the United States
       15. Pathwasy to Manhood
       16. Right Turn
       17. An American Dilemma
       18. An American Dilemma
       19. An American Dilemma
       20. Afriacn Americans and Post-Industrial Labor Markets
       21. Ethnicity Counts
       22. Race and Representation
       23.The Inner City
       24.Blacks in Science
       25. Black Women in Antiquity






 By the way, the cost of obtaining the mailing list is 10c a name for 1,300
names, or $130.