Today 18 May 2011, the University of London Union Senate (the umbrella union for 22 colleges within the University of London), the Union’s legislative body representing over 120,000 students, voted unanimously in favour of calling for a campaign for the dismissal of evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa, Reader in Management at the LSE, and to condemn his poor research.
Kanazawa published an article on Psychology Today on Monday 16 May 2011 called “Why black women are less attractive than any other women”. Previous articles by Kanazawa include “Are All Women Essentially Prostitutes?” and “What’s Wrong with Muslims?” which estimates there to be “120 million potential suicide bombers worldwide”.
Sherelle Davids, anti-racism officer-elect of the LSE Students’ Union says:
“Kanazawa deliberately manipulates findings that justify racist ideology. As a Black woman I feel his conclusions are a direct attack on Black women everywhere who are not included in social ideas of beauty.”
Amena Amer, incoming LSESU Education Officer comments
“We support free speech and academic freedom, but Kanazawa’s research fuels hate against ethnic and religious minorities promoted by neo-Nazi groups. Not only does he use LSE’s credentials to legitimise his ‘research’ but this jeopardises the academic credibility of the LSE.”
The academic community has widely condemned Kanazawa’s flawed research and there should be no place for his unscientific bigotry at the LSE. Students stand united against his disgraceful conclusions and will not let this negatively impact good campus relations” says Community and Welfare Officer-elect Lukas Slothuus.
The Students’ Union welcomes the unanimous ULU decision to campaign for the dismissal of Kanazawa.
ULU Campaigner 
Thank you, for taking a stand against bigotry, misogyny and ethnocentrism. I was most disappointed to learn that an academic was spewing off eugenics as ‘science’ in 2011, but heartened by the students of ULU for taking a firm position on Satoshi Kanazawa and his association with the University of London Union.
By: Woman Voter on May 18, 2011
at 10:48 pm
Satoshi Kanazawa’s pseudo-research left me dumb-struck, for a second, but now I want to add my name to support for his dismissal and for his papers to be destroyed. There is no place in our world for a voice such as his. He must be profoundly ignorant or his English skills must be wholly inadequate for that which he wishes to express. In either case, neither the University of London nor Psychology Today should support him in any way, particularly to the extent of allowing his pseudo-research to be published.
By: Dennis Walker on May 19, 2011
at 10:00 pm
Some of those who are complaining just need to grow up. He might be wrong but at the end of the day, the way to approach the error is to break it down via the same normative tools he used to establish his hypothesis. Goodness sake, universities are not suppose to be rubber stamps of society, they are suppose to improve and push societies lack of urge to improve. Hence the reason why Third World attitudes towards education are a damn sight better than First world Western countries. People just need to get off their politically correct backside and use the scientific methids he uses to discount his claim if they feel so strongly.
By: Lee Lovelock on May 20, 2011
at 2:24 pm
That is exactly what is being done,by getting rid of bad rubbish.His “research” cheapens the University of London,it’s Student Body and Any body else who Teaches as Alumni.Bye Bye.Political Correctness is one thing Being a Big Fat Bogot is quite another, isn’t it?
By: eve fromm on May 26, 2011
at 4:09 pm
Please consider signing this petition to hold Psychology Today accountable for its content (http://www.change.org/petitions/hold-psychology-today-accountable). Over and above the content of the recent blog post, which “just so happens” to be race-related, this is an act of abuse and irresponsibility. This was not “a study.” This was not “research.” The findings were not “objective.” Conjecture is not “proof.” And credible research does not use language such as “I think” and “I believe.” I am a psychologist and it takes me YEARS to get research published. There is integrity in my work and how I disseminate that work. Kanazawa’s rantings were purely editorial, coupled with rather primitive statistics and presented as credible. It was a joke. And it should have never, ever been presented as scientific. Psychology Today should be held accountable.
By: tiffany on May 21, 2011
at 12:00 am
Very cool indeed!
Hugs.
By: Zibs on May 22, 2011
at 1:29 am
“We support free speech and academic freedom, but Kanazawa’s research fuels hate against ethnic and religious minorities promoted by neo-Nazi groups. Not only does he use LSE’s credentials to legitimise his ‘research’ but this jeopardises the academic credibility of the LSE.”
By taking this line of argument (we support academic freedom, but we don’t like this guy’s conclusions) you weaken the case. The issue has nothing to do with academic freedom. If Kanazawa’s findings were grounded in sound methodology and accurately interpreted data that was honestly presented and stood up to peer review, then I would defend his right to publish it, not matter how many people it angered.
THE ISSUE IS THAT HE MANIPULATES AND DISTORTS DATA, USES METHDOLOGICALLY UNSOUND TECHNIQUES TO GET THE CONCLUSIONS HE WANTS.
He presents racist, bigoted pseudoscience under the banner of “scientific research” and places like Psychology Today or the University of London are letting him do it. This is why he should be dismissed. NOT because he made claims that offend our sensibilities, but because his claims based on willfully distorted, twisted data, half-truths, and in some cases, pure lies.
By: Andrew Yoder on May 26, 2011
at 2:25 pm
This person should be relieved from his post. Again and again he has proved how ignorant he is. It is a shame for London school of economics to have schizophrenics like him in its ranks. His pseudo-scientific research is nothing other than a reflection of his state of mind, some body who is living in his own schizophrenic world which is inconsistent with the reality.
By: benhuber50@googlemail.com on May 29, 2011
at 7:48 pm
[…] for the removal of Kanazawa as a contributor to the site. And not before time. Indeed, since then, the student body of LSE have called for Kanazawa to be sacked. He is not doing that institution, or the academy, any favours at […]
By: Get Satoshi Kanazawa out of LSE and off Psychology Today « tenderhooligan on June 3, 2011
at 1:40 pm
[…] Good work. Now to remove him from LSE too. […]
By: In brief: Satoshi Kanazawa removed from Psychology Today « tenderhooligan on June 4, 2011
at 2:07 pm