"Some have gotten tenure, some haven't--itdoesn't have anything to do with the nature of thejob," Landes added.

Patterson said recently that he sent hisinitial memo because he was concerned that too fewSociology graduate students were teaching in thedepartment, especially in the larger courses wherefirst-year students often make their choices aboutconcentrations.

"It's a golden opportunity to show offSociology and we can't do that if the graduatestudents are teaching sections that aren't fromSociology," Patterson said.

For example, Patterson pointed to Sociology116, "Women and the Law," taught by AssociateProfessor of Sociology Lenore J. Weitzman, whichhe said has a large proportion of non-departmentalteaching fellows.

But Weitzman said yesterday that she made noefforts to recruit from within the departmentbecause she preferred to hire students fromHarvard Law School for this course.

"I haven't tried to recruit Sociology graduatestudents," Weitzman said, adding, "I have neverhad trouble getting Sociology graduate studentsfor other courses."

And one Sociology graduate student, whorequested anonymity, said that although he hadnever taught in Social Studies himself, theprogram offers many incentives, such as earlyhiring and high salaries.

"People who teach in Social Studies have alsotaught in Sociology," the graduate student said,adding, "it's not like they're not here."

And Landes said Sociology has often been unableto find places for all its prospective teachingassistants.

"We took their graduate students when theycouldn't get jobs in Sociology," Landes said."Sociology should be grateful for it."

As for now, Patterson said he has tried tocreate incentives within the department to bringSociology graduate students back. And, he said, hewants to continue to press his concerns aboutscholarship and teaching in Social Studies.

"I think it's time the Harvard community[recognized] that this is not a tempest in ateapot," Patterson said. "Hopefully we can have arational discussion about these problems."

Landes, however, said the debate has gonebeyond professional and rational discussion.

"It makes [Sociology] look small," the SocialStudies chair said. "The last thing I want to dois provoke them to fee! any worse than theyalready do.