posted on November 30, 2004 09:10:30 AM new
Does it take liberal thoughts in order to teach at university level?
By Steven Lubet. Steven Lubet is a law professor at Northwestern University
Published November 30, 2004
Conservative activists are on the march, determined to expose hotbeds of liberal influence wherever they find (or even suspect) them. Their latest target is higher education, one of the few corners of American life where liberal ideas still hold sway. Indeed, several recent studies have confirmed that Democrats greatly outnumber Republicans--by ratios as high as 7-1--on many university faculties. This revelation has caused outrage in conservative quarters, where it is seen as evidence of liberal manipulation, and worse.
Leading the charge is David Horowitz, a former student leftist who is now president of the right-leaning Center for the Study of Popular Culture. According to Horowitz, there has been a "successful and pervasive blacklist ... of conservatives on American college campuses" that can only be rectified by the intervention of state legislatures and boards of trustees. He has called for the enactment of an "Academic Bill of Rights" to protect the interests of conservative faculty and students.
Other conservatives make similar claims. Thomas Reeves of the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, for example, has insisted that "conservatives are discriminated against routinely and deliberately" in college faculty hiring, making some well-qualified candidates virtually "unemployable" on highly respected campuses.
These are odd arguments to hear from conservatives, since they usually deny that disproportionate statistics can be taken as proof of discrimination. When it comes to employment discrimination or affirmative action, conservatives blithely will insist that the absence of minorities (in a workforce or student body) simply means that there were too few "qualified applicants." And don't bother talking to them about a "glass ceiling" or "mommy track" that impedes women's careers. That's not discrimination, they say, it's "self-selection."
Conservatives abandon these arguments, however, when it comes to their own prospects in academe. Then the relative scarcity of Republican professors is widely asserted as proof of willful prejudice.
Of course, there are other possible explanations. Perhaps fewer conservatives than liberals are willing to endure the many years of poverty-stricken graduate study necessary to qualify for a faculty position. Perhaps conservatives are smarter than liberals and recognize that graduate school is a poor investment, given the scant job opportunities that await newly minted PhDs. Or perhaps studious conservatives are more attracted to the greater financial rewards of industry and commerce.
Beyond the ivy walls, there are many professions that are dominated by Republicans. You will find very few Democrats (and still fewer outright liberals) among the ranks of high-level corporate executives, military officers or football coaches. Yet no one complains about these imbalances, and conservatives will no doubt explain that the seeming disparities are merely the result of market forces.
And they are probably right.
It is entirely rational for conservatives to flock to jobs that reward competition, aggression and victory at the expense of others. So it should not be surprising that liberals gravitate to professions--such as academics, journalism, social work and the arts--that emphasize inquiry, objectivity and the free exchange of ideas. After all, teachers at all levels--from nursery school to graduate school--tend to be Democrats. Surely there cannot be a conspiracy to deny conservatives employment on kindergarten playgrounds.
Alas, there have in fact been instances of political discrimination in academic hiring and promotion. And yes, conservatives, both faculty and students, have been snubbed or mistreated on overwhelmingly liberal campuses. More seriously, certain professors, and in some cases entire departments, have crossed the line from legitimate scholarship to overtly politicized advocacy, most frequently coming from the left. These situations should be vigorously addressed as individual cases, and remedied where necessary. But none of this is proof of systematic intimidation or blacklisting, as alleged by Horowitz and others.
The reality is that universities, by their nature, tend to be liberal institutions. Conservatives may bemoan the social forces behind this phenomenon, but there is nothing sinister about it. Nonetheless, liberals (like me) should admit that faculties face a resulting risk of intellectual conformity, which can be stultifying and confining even when it is unintentional. Most major universities likely would benefit from the presence of more conservative scholars, who would sharpen the dialogue and challenge many assumptions. I might even be persuaded to support some form of recruiting outreach or affirmative action for Republicans--but surely my conservative colleagues would never stand for it.
Q. What's the difference between the Vietnam War and the Iraq War?
A. George W. Bush had a plan to get out of the Vietnam War.
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There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002
---------------------------------- "Give it up for George W. Bush, the best friend international jihad ever had."
posted on November 30, 2004 10:44:33 AM new
Fight on, David Horowitz!!! It's a worthy cause and one that most definitely needs changing. Discrimination at it's most noticeable.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Four More Years....YES!!!
posted on November 30, 2004 12:52:39 PM new
Seems like the conservatives want it both ways:
When it comes to employment discrimination or affirmative action, conservatives blithely will insist that the absence of minorities (in a workforce or student body) simply means that there were too few "qualified applicants." And don't bother talking to them about a "glass ceiling" or "mommy track" that impedes women's careers. That's not discrimination, they say, it's "self-selection."
These statements sum it up better:
Perhaps fewer conservatives than liberals are willing to endure the many years of poverty-stricken graduate study necessary to qualify for a faculty position. Or perhaps studious conservatives are more attracted to the greater financial rewards of industry and commerce.
Q. What's the difference between the Vietnam War and the Iraq War?
A. George W. Bush had a plan to get out of the Vietnam War.
--------------------------------------
There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002
---------------------------------- "Give it up for George W. Bush, the best friend international jihad ever had."
posted on December 2, 2004 07:11:01 AM new
"""It is entirely rational for conservatives to flock to jobs that reward competition, aggression and victory at the expense of others. So it should not be surprising that liberals gravitate to professions--such as academics, journalism, social work and the arts--that emphasize inquiry, objectivity and the free exchange of ideas"""
Personally, I think what is the most obvious....especially in here......neocons don't want to think, they want C&P's and bumper stickers. Higher education is for people who can think....leaves out conservatives.
posted on December 2, 2004 08:57:12 AM new
"So it should not be surprising that liberals gravitate to professions--such as academics, journalism, social work, the arts,walmart greeters,welfare receiptants--that emphasize inquiry, objectivity and the free exchange of ideas"""
[ edited by classicrock000 on Dec 2, 2004 09:05 AM ]
posted on December 2, 2004 09:07:16 AM new
"It is entirely rational for conservatives to flock to jobs that reward competition, aggression and victory at the expense of others"
just curious crow...what kind of jobs are these???
posted on December 2, 2004 06:22:46 PM new
WELL CROWFART ARE YOU GOING TO ANSWER MY QUESTION OR ARE YOU JUST HIDING YOUR MANGY ASS
AFTER RUNNING YOUR BIG FAT MOUTH OFF AGAIN
[ edited by classicrock000 on Dec 2, 2004 07:33 PM ]
