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The Politically Correct University: Problems, Scope, and Reforms
"The Politically Correct University " shows how the universities' quest for 'diversity' has produced in too many departments a stifling uniformity of thought. Required reading for those who want American universities to eschew political correctness." Michael Barone, resident fellow, American Enterprise Institute
- GenresPolitics
325 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2009
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March 28, 2016
Though this book was published in 2009, it is still an excellent starting point for those interested in understanding the nature, causes, and potential responses to political correctness in the academy. The authors document convincingly the existence of a dramatic leftward slant in the academy (including a survey to the effect that a full 25% of all sociologists identify as Marxist). Part of this slant emerges early in the academic "pipeline" with far more left-leaning undergraduates pursuing graduate education than right-leaning students; authors Matthew Woessner and April Kelly-Woessner find that this, in part, is attributable to the fact that left-leaning professors are more likely to mentor left-leaning students in ways that lead to academic careers. Since academics are themselves the gatekeepers of their profession, they are prone to "groupthink" in academic hiring decisions, whether this means reinforcing their biases in favor of political ideology or in favor of certain preferred research agendas, methodologies, or Ph.D. granting institutions. These slants create a chilling effect on those conservative faculty who do make it through the academic gauntlet, forcing them to take great pains not to be "outed" as conservatives.
A significant portion of the book is devoted to the idea of "diversity" - which, several authors agree, derives in practice from Justice Powell's opinion in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978 - a case in which the ACLU filed an amicus curiae brief drafted by Ruth Bader Ginsburg advancing a diversity-based argument). Peter Wood points out that much of what is wrong with the diversity argument stems from the incentive it gives to create a "diversiphile pedagogy". In other words, in order to support the argument that diversity is necessary to enrich the learning environment, those in favor of greater diversity take classroom attention away from content and place it on the experiences of minority students; the call for diversity is a self-fulfilling prophecy. And it goes without saying - though perhaps it shouldn't - that diversity is perceived in racial categories, rather than in terms of studying unpopular ideas like those of the Greeks, the Romans, the Jews, the Christians, the American Founders and other classical liberals. John Agresto, in the concluding essay, pushes the simple but profound notion that true diversity might be found in the model of Socrates who sought to ask questions of everyone - not as a Cartesian, seeking to undermine or debunk, but as someone legitimately seeking to determine what his fellow citizens knew.
There are interesting suggestions here about how universities might be changed, including by establishing independent university centers (which is proceeding rapidly), and by engaging trustees - though one wishes for more detail or case studies about trustee engagement. And one obvious place where it shows its age is in its treatment of political correctness as a problem of faculty and administrators. In recent months, however, the most virulent source of political correctness on campus has been students. American universities are in desperate danger of making conservative students feel as unwelcome amongst their peers as conservative faculty feel. And, as authors point out, the massive endowments of many universities insulate them from market pressures (at least at the undergraduate level, though Paul Cantor makes the interesting argument that market pressures have dissolved intellectual diversity across graduate departments).
Colleges and universities are tending toward a sameness that is anything but bland - rather, it is one in which faculty and students will be forced to profess fealty to the belief that white, male, heterosexual culture is the root of all evil, and to join in (or at least not to impede) efforts to destroy that culture - including destroying the university from the inside.
A significant portion of the book is devoted to the idea of "diversity" - which, several authors agree, derives in practice from Justice Powell's opinion in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978 - a case in which the ACLU filed an amicus curiae brief drafted by Ruth Bader Ginsburg advancing a diversity-based argument). Peter Wood points out that much of what is wrong with the diversity argument stems from the incentive it gives to create a "diversiphile pedagogy". In other words, in order to support the argument that diversity is necessary to enrich the learning environment, those in favor of greater diversity take classroom attention away from content and place it on the experiences of minority students; the call for diversity is a self-fulfilling prophecy. And it goes without saying - though perhaps it shouldn't - that diversity is perceived in racial categories, rather than in terms of studying unpopular ideas like those of the Greeks, the Romans, the Jews, the Christians, the American Founders and other classical liberals. John Agresto, in the concluding essay, pushes the simple but profound notion that true diversity might be found in the model of Socrates who sought to ask questions of everyone - not as a Cartesian, seeking to undermine or debunk, but as someone legitimately seeking to determine what his fellow citizens knew.
There are interesting suggestions here about how universities might be changed, including by establishing independent university centers (which is proceeding rapidly), and by engaging trustees - though one wishes for more detail or case studies about trustee engagement. And one obvious place where it shows its age is in its treatment of political correctness as a problem of faculty and administrators. In recent months, however, the most virulent source of political correctness on campus has been students. American universities are in desperate danger of making conservative students feel as unwelcome amongst their peers as conservative faculty feel. And, as authors point out, the massive endowments of many universities insulate them from market pressures (at least at the undergraduate level, though Paul Cantor makes the interesting argument that market pressures have dissolved intellectual diversity across graduate departments).
Colleges and universities are tending toward a sameness that is anything but bland - rather, it is one in which faculty and students will be forced to profess fealty to the belief that white, male, heterosexual culture is the root of all evil, and to join in (or at least not to impede) efforts to destroy that culture - including destroying the university from the inside.
Displaying 1 of 1 review