A Conservative’s View from the Academic Trenches: Reply to Duarte, Crawford, Stern, Haidt, Jussim, and Tetlock (2015)

Abstract

Although conservative scholars may face a variety of forms of discrimination in academia and other challenges, as elaborated in the first part of this comment, they may also have a set of unique advantages that may facilitate more careful theoretical and empirical scientific work. They may be more sensitive to flawed methodologies in some areas of controversy. In such areas, these assets of conservative scholars may be especially important.

A Review and Critique of Research on Same-Sex Parenting and Adoption

“…There is a danger that premature closure on debate about important issues related to social science may threaten the credibility of the judicial system. It has been shown elsewhere (Schumm, 2016) that Miller, Mucklow, Jacobsen, and Bigner (1980) has not been cited often, perhaps because its finding that many lesbian mothers had negative perceptions of their fathers had never been replicated in other research. However, as one example, Dundas and Kaufman (2000) found that of their 27 lesbian mothers from Canada, 8 (30%) ''reported a completely absent father (meaning, having no contact for many years) for large parts of their childhood'' (p. 74) while 11 other of the 27 lesbian mothers (41%) ''reported fathers who were present but unavailable or punitive'' (p. 74).…”

“…However, as shown here, much of what was thought at one time to be reliable, sound evidence is actually not so clear. Previous research has shown how bias can influence social science (Schumm, 2015a(Schumm, , 2015b(Schumm, , 2016. There is a danger that premature closure on debate about important issues related to social science may threaten the credibility of the judicial system.…”

“…Here some of them will be reviewed. Specific examples of some of the methodological problems often found in studies of LGBT populations have been detailed elsewhere (Marks, 2012;Schumm, 2004aSchumm, , 2004bSchumm, , 2005Schumm, , 2008Schumm, , 2010aSchumm, , 2010e, 2010f, 2011aSchumm, , 2011bSchumm, , 2012aSchumm, , 2012bSchumm, , 2012cSchumm, , 2013Schumm, , 2014Schumm, , 2015aSchumm, , 2015bSchumm, , 2016Schumm & Crawford, 2015).…”

“…Hequembourg (2007) doubted they were entirely correct (p. 132). I have discussed this issue elsewhere (Schumm, 2016).…”