Sociologist Lashes Academic Faddism; Blasts "Personality Plus" Professors

In a strong condemnation of professors who constantly "play to the galleries" to achieve popularity, Carle C. Zimmerman, associate professor of sociology, launched an attack on the "fad" courses which are taught and promoted by spectator-conscious teachers.

Zimmerman in an interview pointed out that besides breeding a chameleon-like teacher who colors his instruction to suit his contemporaries, excessive desire for popularity results in a brand of presentation which can be easily subjected to propaganda purposes.

Mass Psychology Grows

Using American universities as an example, Zimmerman stated, "The Universities of this country are now in a critical period. In Europe, to a considerable extent, the professors must play up entirely to popular sentiment. Slowly but surely this dominion of mass psychology, with its foibles and hysteria, is gaining a foothold in American universities."

The mere fact that the over-popularizing of a subject results in a wide detour from scientific truth is not the most harmful effect of teaching which aims primarily to please the student, declared Zimmerman. The degeneration of instruction into a popularity contest strikes a fatal blow at scientific treatment of a subject, based on historical perspective.

Hits Marriage Courses

A specific attack was made by Zimmerman upon the manner in which "marriage" courses are taught in general. The tendency to popularize, rather than to "stick to the scientific truths" of the matter has made most courses in marriage useless, he asserted.

Recent controversies over permanent appointments at Harvard, largely based on personal issues, and the tendency for interested students to participate in the debate over appointments recalls Zimmerman's statement on the dangers of popularity to a balanced set of teaching standards.

It is obvious, says Zimmerman, that the professional, scientific approach to a subject will prove less appealing to students than the highly-colored presentation of the grandstander. His statement implies that teaching popularity can quite easily become damaging to scientific integrity if allowed to become a predominant criterion of selection for permanent faculty posts.