Register
If you haven’t already, register to start contributing news and events, and to search the Member Directory. Registration is free, but only open to current members of the American Studies Association.
Resources: Doctoral Dissertations Bibliography
Individual ASA Member Survey, 1990-1991
Highlights of Survey Findings
- Of those responding to the survey, women represented approximately half of the overall membership.
- The Association is attracting individuals from a wider variety of disciplines and interests including music, sports history, material culture, and the fine arts.
- The median age of the membership is 44.
- Minority groups still represent a small proportion of the overall membership. In 1990, minority membership totals 9%, inclusive of foreign scholars.
- 69.8% of the members are employed full-time with 61.4% employed in educational institutions.
- 52.2% of the membership are employed full-time in two-year and four-year colleges and universities.
- American Studies/American Civilization degrees account for 33.6% of the academic backgrounds of the members, followed by English/literature (24.1%), and history (20.4%).
- 15.5% of the members are students.
- 71.6% of the members hold doctorates in the humanities.
- 48% of those responding to the survey have belonged to the Association for less than 6 years.
In the fall of 1990, the Individual Member Survey was mailed out to all members renewing membership in the American Studies Association. At the time the survey was conducted, the Association’s membership totaled approximately 3,200. The return rate for the 1990-1991 survey was 33%, or 1,081 out of 3,276 members. While 33% constitutes a statistically valid sample of the population, some caution should be taken in how the data is interpreted, reported, and utilized. The findings reported here reflect the academic backgrounds, careers, and professional activities of those who took the time to respond to the questionnaire, and should be used as a point of departure for continuing discussions on the dynamics of Association membership. The IMS data includes statistics on employment, salary, professional activities (i.e. conference participation, memberships in other organizations, teaching/research specializations), year/field/place of degree, and demographic data.
Throughout this report, comparisons are offered between the Association survey and the surveys conducted by the National Research Council for the same period on earned doctorates in the humanities, and inclusive of all fields. While such comparisons are useful, it must be kept in mind that the American Studies Association is a multi-disciplinary organization with a diverse membership. At the local, state, and national level, American Studies, as a discipline and a profession, has attracted academics, and other professionals, with degrees from a wide range of academic programs and specializations. The statistics on the ASA represent a cross-section, or subset, of general trends in the humanities. In National Research Council statistics, those with doctorates specifically in American Studies have been lumped in “Other Humanities,” which provides aggregate data for “Religious Studies,” “Linguistics,” “Archaeology,” and “Unspecified Other Humanities.” For comparative purposes, a subset of IMS data composed of those with doctorates has been created. Additionally, a focus on academic employment is provided.
Individual Member Survey- General
The ASA membership is composed of individuals from a wide variety of academic backgrounds including, American Studies/American Civilization (35%), English (24.4%), History (20.4%), Art History (4.6%), and Other (13.4%). The highest degree attained by individual members includes the Doctorate (71.6%), the Masters (22.5%) , the Bachelors (3.0%), and Other (.5%). The Master’s category includes both continuing students (12.4), and Other/Other Professional (10.9%).
TABLE 1-Type of Employer-ASA Members-General
Employed Full-Time-69.8% of the membership
Academe-61.4%
Secondary 1.4%
Two Year College 1.1%
Four Year College 21.8%
Four Year/Phd Granting 31.7%
Not Identified 5.4%
Other Professional-8.4% of the membership
Business .6%
Government 1.1%
Historical Societies .6%
Independent Scholar .7%
Museum 1.4%
Other 4.0%
Other-30.2% of the Membership
Employed Part-time 6.1%
Academe 4.7%
Other 1.4%
Students 15.5%
Retired 3.8%
Other-employed 3.4%
Not Identified 1.4%
Demographics
Statistics on race and ethnicity show that overall the Association continues to attract women and minorities from a variety of academic backgrounds. In a 1987-88 Women’s Committee Report on the status of women in the Association, women represented 46% of the total membership. The IMS figures reveal a gender ratio of 50.3% men, and 49.9% women in overall membership, though subset data of the doctoral population indicates greater disparity with a ratio of 55% men and 45% women. Minority representation throughout the humanities has grown, but remains low, both in the American Studies Association and throughout the humanities (see Doctoral Profile). In the ASA, whites constitute 85.2% of the overall membership, while minority representation includes African-Americans (2.7%), Asian Americans (1.1%), Hispanic/Latino (.9%), Native Americans (.5%), Other (2.4%), and Foreign (2.2%). The “Other” category contains members who identify multiple racial/ethnic backgrounds, and those preferring a religious/cultural (primarily Jewish) classification.
Age distribution within the membership, as well as in the humanities generally, has undergone a shift upward over the last 20 years. In 1991, 34.6% of the Association’s membership fell in the “40 to 49” age range, the single largest age category, with the median age at approximately 44 (See Table 2). The National Research Council 1989 Profile of Humanities doctorates indicates that between 1977 and 1989 the “Under 40” group shrank from the largest segment of the population (36.5%) to the smallest (14.9%). The drop at the lower end of the age range can be partially explained by both the decline in the number of doctorates being awarded over the last ten years, and the rise of the median age of degree recipients. The NRC statistics reveal that Ph.D. production in the Humanities climaxed in 1973, and then began to drop. IMS figures indicate a rise in the median age for degree recipients from 32 in 1973 to 35 in 1988. These figures correspond to the National Research Council Report for the same time period. Given that the Association’s membership is drawn from the humanities generally, and most specifically from humanities doctorates (71.6%), these two factors could partially account for the large concentration of the population in the “40 to 49” range. Subset data of members holding the doctorate and employed full-time in academe shows an even greater concentration in the “40 to 49” range, and the median age rises to 46.
The concentration of members in the “40 to 49” range can also be explained by increasing participation on the part of individuals tenured in a variety of programs and departments who find the Association a supportive home for interdisciplinary/multi-disciplinary scholarship at the national level. Over 50% of the American Studies Program Surveys indicate that it is not possible for an Assistant Professor to have a full-time teaching career specifically in American Studies on the campus, however, there is still ample opportunity for research and scholarship at the national level, and among like minds at the local level.
It is also clear that many graduate students know little about the American Studies Association above the department/program level. It is essential to continued growth that the Association familiarize younger scholars with the activities and interests of the Association and the field. While the national conferences attract student interest and participation, student responses to the IMS indicate that while 75.3% of students go to 1 or 2 conferences a year, less than half (42%) have attended national or regional ASA meetings between 1988 and 1991. Students are more likely to go to meetings of the OAH, AHA, or MLA because the conventions provide a forum for job announcements and interviews. The ASA also provides interview space, but over the last three years, few interviewers have utilized the space. This is due, in part, to the development of a new job market cycle. Often programs do not know if they will have funding for a particular position until late in the spring. This summer, for example, we have reports that some programs are still conducting interviews over the summer months for this fall.
The IMS figures on age also indicate a profound shift in the gender ratio in the “40 to 49” age range, with men and women virtually even in representation. Under the age of 40, women are represented in greater numbers, particularly when considering students as a subset of the data, while above the age of 49, men have a greater representation. Matriculation figures drawn from the American Studies Program Survey (PS) for academic years 1990-91 and 1991-1992 confirm that women are entering the field of American Studies at the doctorate level at a higher rate than men (54% to 46%).
Employment
As Table 1 indicates, 69.8% % of the membership are employed full-time with 61.4% employed in educational institutions primarily 4-year colleges, and 4-year, Ph.D. granting institutions, and 8.4% employed in Other/Other Professional. The remaining 30% are either employed part-time in Academe or Other/Other Professional (6.1%), 15.5% are students, 3.8% are retirees, and 3.1% are “Other Employed.” Of those holding the doctorate, 79.7% are teaching full-time in academe, while 9.4% are employed in Other/Other Professional, including primarily museums, historical societies, and government. Roughly 55% of those holding the Masters and Bachelors degrees are continuing students, while 18% are employed in education institutions, and 16% in Other/Other Professional or in split appointments. For the overall membership, the median salary is in the $31,000 to $40,999 range for all groups.
Doctorate Profile
Of those responding to the survey, the academic backgrounds for those holding doctorates parallel the figures on the general membership. American Studies/American Civilization together constitute the single largest group at 37%, with English/literature (25%) and history (22%) representing a sizable portion of the overall population. There are slight differences by gender. Men are more concentrated in history and English, while women are more in evidence in art history. Men and women are equally represented in American Studies/American Civilization.
Statistics on race, ethnicity and gender have to be reported two ways. The results of the Individual Member Survey (PhD subset data) were compared with NRC figures for the general humanities, specific fields within the humanities, and with data inclusive of all fields. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the Association’s membership, statistics drawn from the NRC reveal trends in the humanities generally which could, and do, have an impact on the cross section of individuals interested in American Studies. It is also important to examine matriculation figures provided by American Studies programs to project future trends.
Among the IMS respondents, whites represent 85.7% of the membership and minority representation totals 9%, inclusive of foreign members. The figures generally reflect the same percentages evident in the General Report: African-Americans (2.7%), Asian-Americans (.6%), Hispanic/Latino (.9%) Native Americans (.6%), Other (2.3%), and Foreign (1.7%). The NRC indicates that overall minority groups in the humanities have not significantly increased in representation over the last 12 years. In 1977, minorities totalled 4.7% of humanities doctorates and in 1989, this percentage had only risen to 6.8%. The highest concentration of African-Americans in the humanities is found in music (3.3%) and speech/theater (2.8%). Asian Americans are concentrated in art history (3.3%) and “Other Humanities” (3.5%), and Hispanics/Latino/a show the largest concentration in Modern Language and Literature with 11.6% (primarily doctorates in Spanish and Portuguese). In figures from the “1990 Survey of Earned Doctorates” (inclusive of all fields), the percentage of minorities is much higher at 9.4%, with Asian Americans concentrated in engineering and life sciences, and other minority groups, particularly African-Americans, centered in education. Overall, the number of African-Americans, particularly African-American men, receiving doctorates decreased by 17.1%.
The American Studies Program Surveys (PS) indicate that American Studies programs are enrolling foreign and minority students at a higher rate than in years past. The matriculation rates for the 1989-90 and 1990-91 academic years reflect an increasing diversification of the student population, not only in the minorities represented, but also in the increase in the percentages over a wider range of minority groups, particularly when considering Latino/as (4.2%) and Asian Americans (4.2%). In the 1990-91 academic year, African-Americans totalled 9.3% of doctorates awarded, and American Studies doctorates awarded to foreign students accounted for 1.2% of the total doctorates awarded in 1989-90 and 8.6% of the doctorates awarded in 1990-91.
Employment
Approximately 72% of the membership hold doctorates, and 80% of this population are employed full-time in educational institutions (See Table 4). Forty-three percent are employed full-time in 4-year, PhD granting institutions, followed by 28.8% in 4-year institutions, 1.2% in 2-year, and .7% at the secondary level. Roughly 50% are employed in public institutions versus 30.9% in private. A large number of individuals (18.6%) did not answer this part of the question.
TABLE 4: Employment-ASA Members-PhD Profile
Type of Employment %
Full-Time-Educational Institutions 80.2
Split Appt.-Education and Other 4.2
Part-Time-Educational Institutions 1.6
Part-time-Other/Other Professional 8.0
Retired-Total 4.7
Not Identified 1.3
Median Salary
The salaries for doctorates in the American Studies Association employed full-time in educational institutions and Other/Other Professional range from the $21,000-$30,999 category to (believe it or not) over $92,000 a year. The median salary for those holding doctorates is in the $31,000 to $40,999 salary range. This figure is slightly lower than the $42,000 median for humanities doctorates overall . The greatest difference in salary parallels figures on age and academic rank with greater numbers of women at the lower end in the $21,000-$30,999 and $31,000-$40,999 ranges, and men much more likely to fall in the $51,000-$60,999 range. However, there is little difference in salaries by gender when salary is plotted against time since degree. Women are represented in greater numbers below “11 years from degree,” and men above “16 years from degree.” In the “11 to 15 years from degree” category, the representation is even. A narrower focus on academic employment results in similar figures, except that women are slightly more likely to have higher salaries in the “5 years or less category” ($31,000-$40,999 range) and the “21 to 30” category ($61,000-$70,999 range). There is no difference in median salary when ethnicity and race are considered. National Research Council figures indicate a different trend within the humanities when salary figures are charted against “Years Since Degree.” In the general humanities population, women earned less than men in most fields, with the greatest disparity in the “21-30” and “Over 30” categories. Only in the “5 years or less” category, were men and women virtually even.
TABLE 5: ASA Members and NRC-Ph.D. Profile-Median Salary by Years Since Degree
Years Since Degree ASA-% of Population ASA-Median Salary Range NRC-All Fields In thousands
5 or less 18.8 21-30,999 31.2
6 to 10 20.3 31-40,999 36.7
11 to 15 17.9 31-40,999 41.3
16 to 20 18.8 41-50,999 47.0
21 to 30 20.4 51-60,999 55.0
Over 30 3.9 51-60,999 59.8
Memberships and Professional Activities
The Association was chartered in 1951, and there are individuals who have been members of the Association for over 40 years. Thirty-five percent of the membership have been members for over ten years. The Association is also attracting new members with 25.1% members for 1 to 3 years (1988-1990), and 23% members for 3 to 6 years (1985-1988). The statistics indicate a drop off in interest joining the Association between 1981 and 1985 with only 13.5% of the membership located in this category. This drop in interest accompanies a decline in the number of American Studies programs at the national level. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the decline in membership and interest across humanities organizations can be tied to a depressed job market, and a settling within the field of American Studies. Every organization goes through different periods of growth. American Studies expanded greatly during the late 1960s and 1970s, with the greatest number of new American Studies programs emerging between 1970 and 1975. During the 80s, economic conditions caused the elimination of many smaller programs, and the reorganization of others.
Ninety-two percent of the doctoral population of the Association attend at least one conference a year. Of that number, 62.2% attend 1 to 2 conferences, 27.4% attend 3 or 4, and 2.6% attend 5 or more. Of the 62.2% who attend 1 or 2 conferences a year, 54% have attended a national ASA meeting between 1988 and 1991, with 30% participating in one meeting, and 16.7% attending two meetings. Of the 27.4% who attend 3 or 4 meetings a year, only 64% have participated in national Association meetings (45% to one, 34% to two, and 20% to three). While we do not have figures on what other conferences individuals attend, statistics on what other memberships individuals hold indicate that likely candidates are the Modern Language Association and its regional chapters, the American Historical Association, and the Organization of American Historians.
It is in the range of “Other Memberships” that the true diversity of the Association emerges. Ph.D Profile data indicates that a majority of those responding (53.6%) list 3 or more organizations in addition to membership in the ASA, while only 2.8% indicate one other membership. The largest number of members, not surprisingly, identify the Modern Language Association (33.1%), the Organization of American Historians (32.6%), and the American Historical Association (25.6%) among other memberships. A significant number of people also belong to the College Art Association (6.6%), Urban History Association (7%), the National Women’s Studies Association (4.7%), and the Popular Culture Association (4.4%). Although the percentages are small by comparison, members also identify a wide range of different types of organizations including: “Other: Historical (24.8%), “Other: Literary” (15.5%), Religious Societies (5.8%), and International Organizations (4.4%), and “Science/Technology” (4%). Over 100 organizations are identified.
Academic Employment
Rank and Salary
Approximately 73.3% of the doctoral population (and 52.3% of the general membership) are teaching full-time in higher education. Of this group. 39.3% are teaching at the rank of Full Professor, followed by Associate Professor (29.2%), Assistant Professor (28.1%), and Other (7.1%). When gender is introduced to the formula, clear distinctions become evident. Women are concentrated at the Assistant Professor level in higher numbers than any other category (15.6% to 8.5% for men), while men are much more in evidence at the rank of Full Professor (28.5% compared to 10.8%). The disparity in the ranks can be partially explained by statistics on age (see section on Age). Women in the field tend to be younger than their male colleagues, with the cross-over in the ratio between men and women occurring in the “40 to 49” range. Women are entering the field in record numbers. This trend is also evident in other fields of the humanities. However, the NRC reports that while the number of women in the general humanities population doubled between 1977 and 1989, (men increased by 20%) women in the humanities were still more likely to be employed in “Instructor” positions, or as “Lecturers,” “Adjuncts,” and “Other Faculty,” even when considering more recent graduates.
TABLE 6: ASA Members-PhD Profile-Rank by Gender (in percent)
Academic Rank Women Men
Full Professor 10.8 28.5
Associate Professor 13.5 15.6
Assistant Professor 15.6 8.5
Other 3.4 3.7
Unidentified .2 .2
We do not have accurate statistics on the categories of Lecturer, Instructor, and Adjunct. In some cases, continuing students in Teaching Assistantships are using the categories of Lecturer and Instructor to define their employment. The category of Adjunct was not included in the 1990 Individual Member Survey, but will certainly be incorporated into subsequent surveys of the membership. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many of the newly graduated are encountering difficulties finding full-time tenure track positions due to the current academic job market. Also, the number of positions listed for 1 to 2 year temporary full-time positions has declined. In part this is due to cutbacks, or downsizing, on many campuses, and in part because of the large number of doctorates available to teach part-time at a per course salary rate. Many institutions are finding it more cost effective to hire per course than bringing in an individual as a full-time temporary salaried instructor.
Though the median range is slightly higher ($41,000 to $50,000), salary figures for those employed in educational institutions are generally comparable to general doctoral statistics. The median salary by rank is the same for both public and private institutions. The median salary for Full Professor is $51,000 to $60,000 though salaries range from $31,000 to over $92,000. The median salary for Associate and Assistant Professors is in the $31,000 to $40,999 range, and the range for Associate Professor is $21,000 to $60,999, and $21,000 to $40,999 for the Assistant level.
Academic Affiliations
Association members are teaching in a wide variety of programs and departments on campuses across the country. Of those teaching in higher education, 13.9% identify American Studies/American Civilization as the primary departmental/program affiliation. Amst/Amciv is identified by 5.5% as the sole academic affiliation, while 17.8% list Amst/Amciv as a secondary affiliation. Members identifying English as the primary home department total 37.1%, while history affiliations number 25.1%. Other department/program affiliations most in evidence include Art History and Women’s Studies. As the American Studies Program Survey indicates, on many campuses, it is difficult to make a career solely in an American Studies program or department. Generally, a scholar is tenured in another field (primarily English or history) and then backs into American Studies either though involvement in an interdepartmental program, or through participation at the national level through research and conferences. On campuses where American Studies has departmental, or independent program status, it is much more likely that American Studies is listed as a primary academic affiliation.
As a secondary affiliation, American Studies is again usually paired with English or history. A subset of more recent Phd’s (1986-1991) reveals that younger scholars with doctorates in American Studies are following the general trend and entering English and history departments at a higher rate than American Studies programs/departments.
Teaching/Research Interests
The teaching/research interests for those teaching full-time in higher education are multi- and interdisciplinary. As might be expected, the three largest areas of teaching/research interests are in American Studies, English, and history, though, 30% of those answering this question did not list American Studies. Where American Studies was not indicated, English, history, ethnic studies, and women’s studies were identified as areas of primary interest. Though English and history remain dominant research areas, Art History, Ethnic Studies, material culture, popular culture, religion, women’s studies, and African-American Studies are newly expanding areas within the field. Other research/teaching areas more popular during the 1970s and early 80s, among them anthropology, political science, sociology, and folklore, have declined in representation. The statistics on music are slightly misleading. While music was not indicated as a primary area of research/teaching, clearly it is an up and coming area within the field. American Studies programs now include courses on all types of music from popular to classical to jazz, and a number of members indicate membership in the Sonneck Society.
The survey requested that members identify up to 3 areas of teaching/research specialization. The most common combinations include American Studies/English/Women’s Studies, American Studies/English/History, American Studies/English, American Studies/History/Women’s Studies, American Studies/History/Other (primarily African-American Studies), and American Studies/English/Popular Culture. There are also some differences based on gender. Obviously, women are more likely to be interested in women’s studies, but women are also more in evidence in art history, a trend common in the humanities generally. Men are slightly more concentrated in English and greatly concentrated in history. Women and men are evenly represented in ethnic studies, and American Studies.
Quick Links
American Quarterly [official journal site]
American Quarterly [editorial site]