Work

The Myth of the Academic Social Contract

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Conservative attacks on higher education have often expressed unique ire for feminist and gender studies as emblematic of a left-wing bias and overemphasis on identity in U.S. universities. Such critics of higher education long for a recentering of education that emphasizes the triumphs of Western civilization to restore universities’ social contract with the U.S. taxpayer. This brief essay offers a critique of the idea of an academic social contract, and notes that the targeting of gender may signal not just a right-wing ideological takeover, but an authoritarian one.

Source: Gender & Society

DOI: 10.1177/08912432261431258

Author: Karma R. Chávez

Institution: The University of Texas at Austin

Language: English

Topic: University Challenges and Reforms

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Gender equality, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,900