Harrison Bergeron said:
BUDOS said:
Harrison Bergeron said:
BUDOS said:
Harrison, okay, I agree that I didn't directly respond to your question, and that it is probably because I thought you were making it personal due to my background in higher education, particularly Baylor.
To answer your question more directly, my response is to refer to the majority of both historical and recent research which indicates that the more education one has the increased tendency for an individual in that group to be more liberal. However, substantive, but not unanimous research indicates that as liberals and conservatives move toward the ends of their ideological spectrum, the more opinionated and closed minded they become, although liberals, by a relatively small margin tend to be more open to debating opposing ideas, whether they are political, cultural, social, economic, religious, etc. So, although the majority of college professors may tend to have liberal views, the group is not monolithic.
It is important that students be exposed to a variety of political ideologies and to debate them in a safe environment. As a graduate student in political science at Baylor I had the opportunity to be exposed to a variety, although the conservative views were not as well presented, at least from my perspective as a semi-Libertarian at the time.
However that ship has sailed, and the ship is now adrift. We need more people like many on this forum who at least read the posts, exposing themselves to the arguments which are made. Unfortunately we oftentimes turn them off with our unnecessary toxic rhetoric and they move on.
Again, you sort of avoid the simple question: what percentage of college professors openly identify as conservative, Republican ... heck, even independent or moderate. How many - what percentage are simply not radical extremists? How many actively promote conservative causes? I would be shocked if it is 1%. So there is a correlation between higher education and radical indoctrination because students are not exposed to diverse views but radical extremism, so they are going to carry that with them - especially women who tend to be irrational and illogical.
I disagree. I believe I did answer your question; however, it was not within the parameters you were wanting.
So, I did some research, and I think I have a response that is a bit closer and somewhat more direct, with some context, from an article which I have edited for brevity. Here goes:
Actually, There Are More Conservatives on the Faculty Than You Think, Study Finds
By Alex Walters July 26, 2024
By scraping the accounts of more than 4,000 faculty members at over 500 institutions, says that the professoriate's political persuasions are more diverse than previous survey-based research would suggest. The findings come as many conservative policymakers have sought to rein in a perceived left-leaning bias in academe, often drumming up fear over suspected liberal indoctrination.
While conservative faculty members remain a minority, the study finds far more of them than previous research did, with over 13 percent categorized as strongly right-leaning. A major survey-based study in 2013 found that around 9 percent of professors identified as strongly conservative.
Some of the new study's other findings, though, back up long-established trends: Tenured faculty members are more conservative than junior scholars are, and there are major ideological disparities between disciplines. Business professors and economists, for example, are often very conservative; the humanities and some sociology subfields, meanwhile, are "decidedly liberal."
The larger share of conservative scholars found in the study could be a product of its contemporary methodology, rather than actual changes in beliefs. Previous studies of faculty politics employed surveys in which professors categorized or described themselves. This study argues that those results could be inaccurate because studies indicate older professors "might think they're liberal compared to a goalpost they set 30 years prior, but that old goalpost now makes them far-right conservative." Additionally, many professors may have misleadingly labeled themselves as moderate because "no one wants to think of themselves as inherently radical." The 2013 study found around half of professors identified as moderate; this one says only about 15 percent actually are.
The study, which is based on data collected from 2021 to 2022, attempted to bypass people's inaccurate self-images with an algorithm that scored their politics by evaluating their likes, posts, followings, and interactions on the website formerly known as Twitter. Professors created that data set "thinking no one was watching," leading to more accurate results.
The method isn't new. The algorithm was originally developed in other studies that compared its predictions to users' voter registrations, and found it accurate. The application to professors creates an "amazing snapshot" of today's faculty leanings but doesn't prove there is open debate on campuses.
There's a lot of concern from the right about "the distribution of opinions" in higher education, but the "root problem" is actually whether there are mechanisms and policies in place to allow expression of all views. That's a matter of college leaders' creating the right conditions for free inquiry.
Additionally, I want to respond also to your following statement:
"So there is a correlation between higher education and radical indoctrination because students are not exposed to diverse views but radical extremism, so they are going to carry that with them - especially women who tend to be irrational and illogical."
I suppose you have research which confirms your alleged correlation. Having attended a small private Christian undergrad institution, Baylor for my grad, University of North Texas for my doctorate, served at a couple of state universities and community colleges I can agree that there are some instructors who are biased, very few who I would consider radical. I was disappointed in your comment about women. I have served with, for and under them in a variety of roles. Based on my experience, and my graduate research on liberal and conservatives and their mindsets, I disagree.
Thank you for your response. I take a little umbrage with what I perceive as your snark: if one asks you, "what is your favorite color," and you said "chicken salad," would that be I believe I did answer your question; however, it was not within the parameters you were wanting.
That being said, I do appreciate your attempt, and I don't really care to go round-and-round about the "study" you posted; even so, 13% if actual demonstrates the tremendous imbalance and lack of diversity. Given your resume, I am sure you can attest to seeing lots of burn loot murder and big gay flags on campus but probably not too many professors with a pro-life or "I believe in biology" sign. One just had to read a newspaper regularly to understand the level of intensity of radicalism on campus vs. that of quiet conservatism. Have you forgotten a radical assassinated Charlie Kirk, and he was celebrated. I am honestly surprised this is even a topic you would want to dispute. Universities gave us fake racism hoaxes, safe spaces, and race-based dorms and graduations and continue to hire radical, violent, leftists and just leftists will silly ideas. But you do you if you want to think that there is no indoctrination on campus. I certainly am not going to change your mind.
While my comment on women was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, few are rational when it comes to politics. They overwhelmingly voted for a mayor in NYC that would put them in hijabs, not allow them to drive, and make them literally property. While not as crazy as "Queers for Palestine," not that much further.
Cheers to you as the one guy in America that thinks the Academy is a hotbed of conservative thought.
Harrison, I apologize for stating my opening comments in a manner you which you misperceived. It was meant just as I stated, which is why I then attempted to respond to your question in a more direct manner. Am I correct in that you perceived that it was my opinion and findings of which you were responding? If so that is incorrect. I was merely inserting passages of an article which I edited for brevity. Within that, I don't believe I stated an opinion. At the end I did summarize my own experiences. Apparently, you have had opposing experiences. It happens.
Having spent most of my professional life in higher education as an administrator, faculty member, and moderate conservative, I can partially understand some of your angst toward higher education--just not to the degree you do. I did not say that there was no indoctrination on campuses. I especially remember Dr. Edwards, one of my political science professors, who made no secret of his liberal views and his distaste for Dr. McCall, Dr. Reynolds and the Board. He enjoyed telling us that Baylor was so out of touch with reality with all of its conservative crap and "What Baylor University needs is a few more funerals within the administration." Dr. Miller shared much of that perspective, but not as direct.
At the time I was a semi-active libertarian, submitting papers somewhat objectively defending the John Birch Society, critical of Ralph Nader and the dangers he presented to a capitalist society, and such. A couple of my professors were not impressed, and we finally met in Dr. McCall's office, when I protested what I perceived as discriminatory grading. I'm aware of the direction to which you refer. It happens, and unfortunately, at a time when minds are often more impressionable than at others.
So, I don't disagree with your comment about the disparity and that I also would like to see that reduced. Resolving that issue is one which may be complex to implement; however, it does and should be addressed. Perhaps you have some ideas on how this might be addressed and how they could be implemented.
However, due to my personal experiences with students and efforts to give them more opportunities for input in policy, voting rights in hiring, faculty and staff evaluations, etc., I have not witnessed the extreme measures to which you refer, except in rare cases. Too many teachers, at all levels, appear to focus on what to think, not how to think. However, in my own teaching experiences, too many students don't care either way; they just want to know what the teacher thinks so they can direct their responses in class and on the exams in like manner. Crap man, too many never learn to truly think, and then they wonder how the hell our country got in the mess it's in!! (And they sure as hell are not going to blame themselves because they can't figure it out.)
I do not believe higher education is a hotbed of conservatism and I didn't say it was. I will admit, that, at this point, based on my personal experience of nearly a lifetime in higher education that you are not going to change mine. And, especially after reviewing your last couple of posts that your mind is pretty much made up. Despite that I appreciate that you put forth the effort to read the material and respond to it.
I apologize if the wording in my response was interpreted in a snarky tone. I try to avoid that, as regardless of how snarky I sometimes attempt to be, too many guys in this forum seem to live for nothing more than the opportunity to demean, dehumanize, ridicule, emasculate and character assassinate those who disagree, with some even enjoying dessert by eating some of their own at times--yet offer noting of real value in return.
Well, are "we" going to see if those who take the time to read this are going to actually attempt to respond with something of value, or respond "otherwise'?
