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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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    It has become so generally known that the Left has infiltrated our colleges and universities that people seldom bother to produce the evidence of it. Without evidence, many who would … Continue reading “A Devastating Exposé of America’s Colleges”

  • The State of AI-Chatbot Detection Jun 1, 2023

    On April 4 of this year, the academic-services firm Turnitin activated a software designed to catch a certain kind of student plagiarist. As has been widely discussed on the Martin … Continue reading “The State of AI-Chatbot Detection”

  • The Strange World of “Citational Justice” May 31, 2023

    The latest fresh hell is citational justice. Which is quotas for footnotes. Now we’re supposed to track the group identity of the authors we cite and make sure there are … Continue reading “The Strange World of “Citational Justice””

More in Politicization

  • A Devastating Exposé of America’s Colleges Jun 2, 2023

    It has become so generally known that the Left has infiltrated our colleges and universities that people seldom bother to produce the evidence of it. Without evidence, many who would … Continue reading “A Devastating Exposé of America’s Colleges”

  • The Strange World of “Citational Justice” May 31, 2023

    The latest fresh hell is citational justice. Which is quotas for footnotes. Now we’re supposed to track the group identity of the authors we cite and make sure there are … Continue reading “The Strange World of “Citational Justice””

  • Undoing “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” Requires Alumni Effort May 29, 2023

    An historic battle is waging over the future of higher education in the U.S. And the stakes couldn’t be higher. The presenting issues are critical social justice theory and freedom … Continue reading “Undoing “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” Requires Alumni Effort”

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Recent Articles

  • A Devastating Exposé of America’s Colleges Jun 2, 2023

    It has become so generally known that the Left has infiltrated our colleges and universities that people seldom bother to produce the evidence of it. Without evidence, many who would … Continue reading “A Devastating Exposé of America’s Colleges”

  • The State of AI-Chatbot Detection Jun 1, 2023

    On April 4 of this year, the academic-services firm Turnitin activated a software designed to catch a certain kind of student plagiarist. As has been widely discussed on the Martin … Continue reading “The State of AI-Chatbot Detection”

  • The Strange World of “Citational Justice” May 31, 2023

    The latest fresh hell is citational justice. Which is quotas for footnotes. Now we’re supposed to track the group identity of the authors we cite and make sure there are … Continue reading “The Strange World of “Citational Justice””

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