Liberal Bias in the Faculty? - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Mar 29, 2005

Liberal Bias in the Faculty?

Date: Mar 29, 2005

Volontiers!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8427-2005Mar28.html?nav =rss_politics

Date: Mar 29, 2005

I hope that this thread doesn't turn into one more long, involved screed about liberals vs. conservatives, yadda, yadda. This has been done to death so many times on this board. GW, I'm not saying that this is what you had in mind (I hope not!), but I'm just trying to put some water on this smoldering fire before it bursts out of control again.

Truth (aka Smokey the Bear)

Date: Mar 29, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"I hope that this thread doesn't turn into one more long, involved screed about liberals vs. conservatives, yadda, yadda. This has been done to death so many times on this board. GW, I'm not saying that this is what you had in mind (I hope not!), but I'm just trying to put some water on this smoldering fire before it bursts out of control again. Truth (aka Smokey the Bear)"

It appears they forgot to "define' the word "liberal. It is being used as an undefined label. The only definition I could find appears to be related more to one's religion, or lack thereof:

"The liberal label that a majority of the faculty members attached to themselves is reflected on a variety of issues. The professors and instructors surveyed are, strongly or somewhat, in favor of abortion rights (84 percent); believe homosexuality is acceptable (67 percent); and want more environmental protection "even if it raises prices or costs jobs" (88 percent). What's more, the study found, 65 percent want the government to ensure full employment, a stance to the left of the Democratic Party."

and

"The study did not attempt to examine whether the political views of faculty members affect the content of their courses.

The researchers say that liberals, men and non-regular churchgoers are more likely to be teaching at top schools, while conservatives, women and more religious faculty are more likely to be relegated to lower-tier colleges and universities."

Date: Mar 29, 2005

I guess we need to reign in faculty liberals like Bill Scarborough

Date: Mar 29, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Master Debator
" It appears they forgot to "define' the word "liberal. It is being used as an undefined label. The only definition I could find appears to be related more to one's religion, or lack thereof (snipped)"

Which, of course, is ridiculous as there are plenty of religious liberals out there. They are not mutually exclusive terms.

Date: Mar 29, 2005

The study appears in the March issue of the Forum, an online political science journal. It was funded by the Randolph Foundation, a right-leaning group that has given grants to such conservative organizations as the Independent Women's Forum and Americans for Tax Reform.

Date: Mar 30, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: French-fried hot link
"Volontiers!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8427-2005Mar28.html?nav =rss_politics"

Thank You!!!

Date: Mar 30, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"I hope that this thread doesn't turn into one more long, involved screed about liberals vs. conservatives, yadda, yadda. This has been done to death so many times on this board. GW, I'm not saying that this is what you had in mind (I hope not!), but I'm just trying to put some water on this smoldering fire before it bursts out of control again.
Truth (aka Smokey the Bear)"

Truth,

Nope, not what I had in mind at all. My only point was that polls like this one (and stories like this one about those polls!) may very well be some of what is driving the whole "Liberal Professors" rhetoric that we've seen in past threads.

I don't remember there ever being such "polls" in the 1980's, or the early 1990's.

GW

Date: Mar 30, 2005

What is often overlooked is that a person can be "liberal" on one issue (e.g., affirmative action) but conservative on another issue (e.g., abortion). Or vice versa. One can be conservative on the gun control issue, for instance, and liberal on religious issues. Or vice versa. I have noted that many academicians throw around the terms liberal and conservative in a manner that suggests that one label fits all attitudes or behaviors. I wouldn't label those academicians as liberal or conservative. I'd label them as biased. Maybe even bigoted.

Date: Mar 30, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: A rose by any other name
" I'd label them as biased. Maybe even bigoted."

Or intolerant.

Date: Mar 30, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: A rose by any other name
"What is often overlooked is that a person can be "liberal" on one issue (e.g., affirmative action) but conservative on another issue (e.g., abortion). Or vice versa. One can be conservative on the gun control issue, for instance, and liberal on religious issues. Or vice versa. I have noted that many academicians throw around the terms liberal and conservative in a manner that suggests that one label fits all attitudes or behaviors. I wouldn't label those academicians as liberal or conservative. I'd label them as biased. Maybe even bigoted."

Of course political views are complex. That's why our political parties are always at their core ungainly and unstable coalitions (ex. Southern democrats and northern democrats in the 1960s or suburban, fiscally conservative, but socially liberal Republicans and the religious right today).

Unfortunatley, the study we're discussing made no attempt to understand this and simply "threw the terms liberal and conservative in a manner that suggests one label fits all attitudes and behaviors". I agree, the study is biased, "even bigoted".