Social Science and the Public Interest

Excerpt

Toward the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014, a considerable ferment ensued in several academic professional associations, including the American Studies Association and the Modern Language Association. Each of these groups debated and engaged in votes about whether or not to issue resolutions about foreign policy matters that pertained in particular to the policies of the government of Israel and its relationship with the Palestinians. The subject of boycotts of Israeli academic institutions was the major focus of contention. The negative responses to these resolutions from the academic establishment (e.g., presidents of colleges and universities; the American Association of University Professors; et al.) was univocal, calling attention to the insult to academic freedom that such resolutions represented. …