| This study examined why Caucasian men choose to specialize in the area of racial and ethnic scholarship and conduct research and publish in that area. The study also explores how this choice has affected their academic careers and personal lives. Data sources included on-the-record interviews with ten scholars and off-the-record with two others, followed by member checking of transcripts and notes, as well as their academic and non-academic publications. The data were analyzed using rational choice theory and reference group theory as conceptual frameworks. The Civil Rights movement was an integral motivator for entering academia and for sustaining a passion for researching and advocating for people of color. The life experience of the scholars---both in their youth and as adults---exposed them to diverse people and environments which may have added to empathy with the lives of minorities. Most of the scholars experienced complex issues in career management and in relationships with scholars of color and with white colleagues, which they attributed to their combination of ethnicity and academic specialization. |
