Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 19:49:27 -0400
From: Thomas F Brown <tombrown@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu>
Subject: Re: tracking
To: socgrad@csf.colorado.edu
Message-id: <97Jun23.194946edt.2101-7@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu>
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
Ivy wrote:
>An African professor interviewed at our school a few years back and was
>offered a job as half sociology/half African-American studies -- this despite
>the fact that he does no work on African-Americans.  In talking with him a
>couple months ago, I learned that at *every* institution where he was offered
>a job, it was contingent on his being joint appointed with A-A studies.  He
>had to take one of them, but is currently looking for a place where he can do
>what he wants to do -- African studies.

There is little demand for Africanists of any race. I don't consider lack 
of demand to constitute tracking. If we expand the definition of tracking 
to include everyone who couldn't do what they wanted to do because there 
was no demand, I think the concept becomes useless.  We open the door to 
arguments such as: "I'd like to be paid $1 million to daydream, but there's 
no demand, therefore I'm tracked into sociology." 

>Another African professor who was, for a number of years, the only person of
>color on a particular sociology department's faculty, was asked to be on
>many, many committees for her specialization of race -- again, this despite
>the fact that she specializes in gender, not race!  

This is an example of racial or cultural assumptions. It doesn't address 
the tracking question. This person's disciplinary choices weren't up
for grabs, and that's what we're talking about here.