Attributes Associated with Postdoctoral Fellows and Views of Immigration: A Preliminary Analysis Using the General Social Survey

Abstract

While research on supporting undocumented immigrants and undocumented students within higher education has examined the opinions of students, faculty, and staff, there is a gap in the literature when it comes to postdoctoral fellows. This study used data from the General Social Survey to examine whether respondents’ attributes,including holding a possible postdoctoral position, predicted views of “illegal” immigration, and whether immigrants should have the same education as Americans. Findings suggested that a combination of respondents’ attributes predicted these views. Results also suggested that the odds of being more supportive of undocumented immigrants were higher for minorities and for non-U.S. citizens. In addition, being anon-U.S. citizen and having a graduate degree each increased the odds that respondents would support immigrant education. This study contributes to the literature on understanding attitudes toward immigration by conducting a preliminary analysis on the views of an overlooked group within the academy: postdoctoral fellows.