Social Scientists and the Riot Commission

This paper examines the temporal, political, conceptual, and methodological constraints encountered by social scientists working for the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (Kerner Commission). Focusing on efforts to develop a synthetic, theoretical explanation of the causes of disorders, to collect data on riot cities, and to adhere to accepted forms of social research, we discuss a fundamental tension between procedures preferred by social scientists and the demands of staff directors who must anticipate the ways in which commissioners will receive staff research. Under the circumstances, social scientists in some cases may conduct research on limited questions without significant interference in work schedules or modes of presentation. However, because of these constraints more often social scientists and their work serve to legitimate procedures and findings which are primarily developed without social science contributions.