As the members of the Boston collective began to get tenure, the nature of the two main editorial collectives began to diverge, with the Boston Collective attracting junior faculty, while the Bay Area collective continued well into the 1980s to be composed primarily of graduate students and community activists. The Boston Collective was notable for the quality of its economic analysis, while the West Coast Collective was active in producing articles out of the various identity movements of the 1980s, always with an eye toward theory.
As tenure approached for members of the Boston collective, the editorial collectives diverged; the Boston Collective attracted junior faculty, while the Bay Area collective remained predominantly composed of graduate students and community activists into the 1980s. The Boston Collective was noted for its strong economic analysis, whereas the West Coast Collective produced articles on various identity movements in the 1980s, always with a theoretical perspective.