To Be a Heterodox Economist: The Contested Landscape of American Economics, 1960s and 1970s

This article is an attempt to partially answer the question of what it was like to be a heterodox economist in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. A brief description is given of the hegemony of neoclassical economics and the general attitude of neoclassical economists toward heterodox economics and economists. A more detailed inquiry follows into the bullying of, harassment of, and discrimination against inquisitive, open-minded graduate students and young heterodox professors by mainstream economists. It is concluded that life among the econ tribe for heterodox economists was often short (for ostracism was widely practiced) and difficult and brutish for the survivors. The second part of the article examines the efforts by heterodox economists to build heterodoxy, focusing on localized efforts to create supportive academic and social environments. In particular, the efforts to make heterodox economics major, minor, or field components in Ph.D. programs are documented.