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Author Profile

Fabio Rojas

fabiorojas
Fabio Rojas is professor of sociology at Indiana University, Bloomington, and is the co-editor of Contexts: Understanding People in Their Social Worlds. He is a scholar of organizational behavior, higher education, and political sociology. His most recent book, Theory for the Working Sociologist (2017, Columbia University Press), explains modern social theory in a friendly and accessible manner. Professor Rojas has won awards from his institution for having high teaching evaluations.

Articles by Fabio Rojas


We Need to Teach About the Socialist Alternative…and Its Failure

Jun 16, 2021 · Fabio Rojas · Comments Off on We Need to Teach About the Socialist Alternative…and Its Failure

Karl Marx is a common fixture on college course syllabi. From English to sociology to philosophy, the German socialist’s writings are explained, analyzed, and dissected. I find myself, a teacher … Continue reading “We Need to Teach About the Socialist Alternative…and Its Failure”


The Sociology of the Academic Outrage Mob

Aug 21, 2020 · Fabio Rojas · Comments Off on The Sociology of the Academic Outrage Mob

The academy seems built for public controversy because professors are encouraged to question ideas and popular beliefs. It shouldn’t be surprising that academic outrage has a long history. In the … Continue reading “The Sociology of the Academic Outrage Mob”


Credentials, But Not Community, for Conservatives in the Academy

Apr 8, 2020 · Fabio Rojas · Comments Off on Credentials, But Not Community, for Conservatives in the Academy

People like to tell a few stories about academic conservatives. Within the progressive left, one story is about the influence of corporate interests and “neoliberalism” on the university. In their … Continue reading “Credentials, But Not Community, for Conservatives in the Academy”


Intellectual Desegregation: What Heterodox Thought Requires from Academics

Jan 1, 2020 · Fabio Rojas · Comments Off on Intellectual Desegregation: What Heterodox Thought Requires from Academics

A few years ago, Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist, realized that most of his colleagues were on the Left. This is not necessarily a bad thing. People are allowed to … Continue reading “Intellectual Desegregation: What Heterodox Thought Requires from Academics”


It’s Time to Abolish Letters of Recommendation

Jul 19, 2019 · Fabio Rojas · Comments Off on It’s Time to Abolish Letters of Recommendation

Every year, professors around the world write millions of letters of recommendation. They write letters for admission to graduate schools, law schools, and medical schools. They write letters for tenure … Continue reading “It’s Time to Abolish Letters of Recommendation”


Conservative Arguments in Support of Undocumented College Students

Apr 19, 2019 · Fabio Rojas · Comments Off on Conservative Arguments in Support of Undocumented College Students

In 2011, the leading Republican presidential candidates met for a debate and former Texas governor Rick Perry was booed by the audience. During the debate, he was asked to explain … Continue reading “Conservative Arguments in Support of Undocumented College Students”


Why Humanities Programs Suffer as the Humanities Themselves Do Great

Sep 19, 2018 · Fabio Rojas · Comments Off on Why Humanities Programs Suffer as the Humanities Themselves Do Great

In recent years, the media has given us dire warnings about the “crisis of the humanities.” In article after article, one reads about falling enrollments in college English departments and … Continue reading “Why Humanities Programs Suffer as the Humanities Themselves Do Great”


Defining Faculty Roles: Scholarship First, Activism Second

Apr 13, 2018 · Fabio Rojas · Comments Off on Defining Faculty Roles: Scholarship First, Activism Second

Editor’s note: This is the first of a three-part series on faculty roles in higher education. Part II by Jay Schalin is here and Part III by John Wilson is … Continue reading “Defining Faculty Roles: Scholarship First, Activism Second”


Should We Stop Asking College Students to Evaluate Their Instructors?

Feb 16, 2018 · Fabio Rojas · Comments Off on Should We Stop Asking College Students to Evaluate Their Instructors?

At the end of every semester, at nearly every college in the country, millions and millions of students fill out student evaluations of teachers. These forms ask very sensible questions. … Continue reading “Should We Stop Asking College Students to Evaluate Their Instructors?”

More in Academics

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    Across the country, an increasing number of universities now require scholars to submit “diversity statements” in hiring, promotion, and tenure. Many have abandoned or downplayed standardized tests in the name … Continue reading “When Discipline-Specific Accreditors Go Woke”

  • Professor Maitland Jones and Declining Standards in Higher Education Jan 25, 2023

    As a direct result of student complaints that his course was too difficult, Maitland Jones will no longer be teaching organic chemistry at New York University (NYU). Jones has a … Continue reading “Professor Maitland Jones and Declining Standards in Higher Education”

  • Schools Should Think Twice Before Punishing Faculty for Their Speech Jan 23, 2023

    Public educational institutions are constitutionally forbidden to retaliate against faculty members because of their speech. A professor can’t be fired, demoted, or otherwise penalized just because he or she has … Continue reading “Schools Should Think Twice Before Punishing Faculty for Their Speech”

More in Politicization

  • At UNC, More Good News on Free Expression Jan 30, 2023

    With new policies and a new school, the UNC System, the UNC Board of Governors, and UNC-Chapel Hill are making history. UNC is the first state university system in the … Continue reading “At UNC, More Good News on Free Expression”

  • When Discipline-Specific Accreditors Go Woke Jan 27, 2023

    Across the country, an increasing number of universities now require scholars to submit “diversity statements” in hiring, promotion, and tenure. Many have abandoned or downplayed standardized tests in the name … Continue reading “When Discipline-Specific Accreditors Go Woke”

  • Don’t Racialize the College-Affordability Crisis Jan 26, 2023

    College affordability has long been an issue in this country. Given that the federal government’s subsidizing of higher education has allowed the cost of college to increase exponentially, many prospective … Continue reading “Don’t Racialize the College-Affordability Crisis”

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Recent Articles

  • At UNC, More Good News on Free Expression Jan 30, 2023

    With new policies and a new school, the UNC System, the UNC Board of Governors, and UNC-Chapel Hill are making history. UNC is the first state university system in the … Continue reading “At UNC, More Good News on Free Expression”

  • When Discipline-Specific Accreditors Go Woke Jan 27, 2023

    Across the country, an increasing number of universities now require scholars to submit “diversity statements” in hiring, promotion, and tenure. Many have abandoned or downplayed standardized tests in the name … Continue reading “When Discipline-Specific Accreditors Go Woke”

  • Don’t Racialize the College-Affordability Crisis Jan 26, 2023

    College affordability has long been an issue in this country. Given that the federal government’s subsidizing of higher education has allowed the cost of college to increase exponentially, many prospective … Continue reading “Don’t Racialize the College-Affordability Crisis”

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