The Academic Elite in Sociology: A Reassessment of Top-Ranked Graduate Programs

Abstract

Changing Times (1983) listed the top eleven graduate pro grams according to a National Academy of Sciences study. Given the questionable and subjective nature of the evalua tion process which produced these ratings this paper exam ined the composition of the faculties of these top eleven departments. It was found that these departments were sub stantially linked to each other by hiring each others' grad uates, and hence, enhancing each others' reputations.