Tenure/promotion and unpopular opinion research areas

[Ruralguy]

Many of us are. Also, our intentions suck much of the time.

[spork]

This question may be extremely controversial because of the sacrosanct principle of academic freedom. But, is there a research focus (especially in the social sciences) that a colleague could study that cause you to pause in granting them tenure and/or promotion? I can think of multiple examples, and I'll acknowledge that this is not entirely hypothetical for me:
- Normalizing pedophilia/child sexual abuse
- Writings that are pro-genocidal regimes
- Social media is good for adolescents' mental health

Would any of those, or something else you can think of, be too much for you to support tenure for someone whose record is generally good?

Anyone who is an adherent of the concept of "learning styles."

[marshwiggle]

Many of us are. Also, our intentions suck much of the time.

Absolutely. And as long as we realize that, and that our big ideas for improvement are as likely to turn out badly as theirs, so we lose the self-righteous smugness, then that's good.

[Ruralguy]

That's not what I meant. I believe in absolute sucky-ness. Its not all just relative and matter of perspectives.

[marshwiggle]

That's not what I meant. I believe in absolute sucky-ness. Its not all just relative and matter of perspectives.

No, it isn't, but the tendency to ascribe every bad outcome to "absolute sucky-ness" prevents serious analysis of the complex situations that existed in the past, and by extension the complex situations that exist now and will in the future.

"Absolute sucky-ness" is only one reason for bad outcomes, and often not the total reason, or even the main one.