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Is their a Leftist Agenda in Academia?

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Pepe
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18 Apr 2020, 5:20 am

Karamazov wrote:
magz wrote:
Pepe wrote:
OK, perhaps that was too short. :mrgreen:

My problem with the infusion of left-wing influence in academia is the intolerance of concepts/philosophies which differ from their own. :wink:

In Math and Physics, I know several distinguishly right-winged academics - and several left-winged academics alike.
It may be easier in these fields, as in natural science, research is largely independent from political views of the researcher.


One could also note that here in Britain our premier university (Oxford) has maintained the secondary function of being the primary bastion of intellectual conservatism in these islands for several centuries.


Are you saying the same sentiment applies here in Australia?
Presumably, you are not in a position to do so. :wink:



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18 Apr 2020, 5:50 am

Pepe wrote:
Karamazov wrote:
magz wrote:
Pepe wrote:
OK, perhaps that was too short. :mrgreen:

My problem with the infusion of left-wing influence in academia is the intolerance of concepts/philosophies which differ from their own. :wink:

In Math and Physics, I know several distinguishly right-winged academics - and several left-winged academics alike.
It may be easier in these fields, as in natural science, research is largely independent from political views of the researcher.


One could also note that here in Britain our premier university (Oxford) has maintained the secondary function of being the primary bastion of intellectual conservatism in these islands for several centuries.


Are you saying the same sentiment applies here in Australia?
Presumably, you are not in a position to do so. :wink:


No, merely noting that different academic establishments have their own culture and values: and that I can think of at least one in my country which trends strongly towards conservatism, indeed one boy in my year at high-school applied to Oxford, got an interview and when he answered “yes” to the question “would you be in favour of the UK becoming a republic?” the interview was terminated.

I know nothing of Australia’s universities: so couldn’t possibly comment.

I should note at this point though that almost all the leftist “breadtubers” I’m aware of have studied courses in a very small selection of humanities: sociology, media studies, film studies, modern literature and one philosophy student.
I suspect the “leftist academic bias” has more to do with the nature and focus of various popular syllabi’s in those subjects than it does with academia as a whole, but don’t have sufficient knowledge to be certain of that.



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18 Apr 2020, 6:11 am

Pepe wrote:
magz wrote:
Pepe wrote:
OK, perhaps that was too short. :mrgreen:

My problem with the infusion of left-wing influence in academia is the intolerance of concepts/philosophies which differ from their own. :wink:

In Math and Physics, I know several distinguishly right-winged academics - and several left-winged academics alike.
It may be easier in these fields, as in natural science, research is largely independent from political views of the researcher.


So, in your opinion,
You don't see a left-wing bias.
But many, including myself, do.

Perhaps things are different in Poland, assuming you are using that context.
But a political non-partisanship isn't the case here in Australia.

For example,
In your academic culture/circle, are western achievements frowned on and seen as part of the teachings of "White Supremacy"?
There are examples of this happening here in Australia, to our shame.

"White supremancy" is not much of an issue in Eastern Europe in general. Science is science, it's just as "white" as it is East Asian or Middle Eastern and when Africans are joining the club, they are perfectly welcome.
I think all this anti-white-supremacy ideology stems from bad taste after colonial or race-segregated slavery history.


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18 Apr 2020, 6:53 am

magz wrote:
Pepe wrote:
magz wrote:
Pepe wrote:
OK, perhaps that was too short. :mrgreen:

My problem with the infusion of left-wing influence in academia is the intolerance of concepts/philosophies which differ from their own. :wink:

In Math and Physics, I know several distinguishly right-winged academics - and several left-winged academics alike.
It may be easier in these fields, as in natural science, research is largely independent from political views of the researcher.


So, in your opinion,
You don't see a left-wing bias.
But many, including myself, do.

Perhaps things are different in Poland, assuming you are using that context.
But a political non-partisanship isn't the case here in Australia.

For example,
In your academic culture/circle, are western achievements frowned on and seen as part of the teachings of "White Supremacy"?
There are examples of this happening here in Australia, to our shame.

"White supremancy" is not much of an issue in Eastern Europe in general. Science is science, it's just as "white" as it is East Asian or Middle Eastern and when Africans are joining the club, they are perfectly welcome.
I think all this anti-white-supremacy ideology stems from bad taste after colonial or race-segregated slavery history.


"We" never had "slavery".
But everyone is meant to embrace collective guilt over the poor treatment of the aboriginal community over some aspects of Australia's history.

BTW,
I believe the concept of "collective guilt" is infantile irrationality.
It doesn't seem to deter some, of the extreme elements of left-wing politics, engoring themselves in metaphorical self-flagellating virtue signalling.
As an autistic individual, (yes I am autistic), it has no rational validity.
IMO, it is very much more a neurotypical thing or should be, in theory.

BTW2,
My ancestry had nothing to do with the colonisation and development of Terra Australis.
I haven't seen a convincing argument as to why I should embrace this guilt.



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18 Apr 2020, 8:52 am

Pepe wrote:
Whale_Tuune wrote:
You'll probably find crazies in every camp, but intelligent people too.


-A person's brain doesn't fully develop physically until they are around 25.
-At a younger age, the neocortex generally is not as influential as the more primitive elements of the brain, evolutionarily speaking.
-The emotional aspects of the brain tend to have a greater influence on younger people.
-Many/most young people are seduced by the allure of emotional satiation, rather than the satisfaction of objective rationalism/intellectualism.

Please connect the dots, errr, I mean the dashes. :mrgreen:


College students are seduced by the idea that whatever they don't like about society is due to a subjective widespread bias that can be dismantled as opposed to something that is inherent or objective? That and that there are easy solutions to their problems (I'm thinking the enthusiasm for free college here in the states that kids jumped on without a clear plan from Bernie Sanders...)

At least one of the researchers (Helen Pluckrose) basically said as much, when she said that postmodernist trends in social sciences have the underlying assumption that all inequality in society is solely due to specific institutional biases that can be dismantled. I think this is relevant to some of the rhetoric in disability studies myself...


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20 Apr 2020, 9:51 pm

Whale_Tuune wrote:
Pepe wrote:
Whale_Tuune wrote:
You'll probably find crazies in every camp, but intelligent people too.


-A person's brain doesn't fully develop physically until they are around 25.
-At a younger age, the neocortex generally is not as influential as the more primitive elements of the brain, evolutionarily speaking.
-The emotional aspects of the brain tend to have a greater influence on younger people.
-Many/most young people are seduced by the allure of emotional satiation, rather than the satisfaction of objective rationalism/intellectualism.

Please connect the dots, errr, I mean the dashes. :mrgreen:


College students are seduced by the idea that whatever they don't like about society is due to a subjective widespread bias that can be dismantled as opposed to something that is inherent or objective? That and that there are easy solutions to their problems


I see the motivation of many/most younger people differently.
I think it is less to do with rationalising what is wrong with societies, though that is a component, and more to do with the actual feelings involved.

Just so you know, I was a young person too, once upon a time. :wink:

Have you come across the "Triune Brain Theory"?
I am basing some of my comments on this, even though there is some disagreement about its validity, in some quarters.
Regardless, I find it helpful.

N.B.
I see you have been diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum.
Most of what I am saying relates more to the neurotypical mindset, with its differing influences/chemical-responses.



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22 Apr 2020, 3:18 pm

SURVEY: 77% of colleges use secret social media blacklist to censor the public, in violation of First Amendment

--Secret filters automatically remove comments mentioning political figures, corporate partners, sports teams, faculty members, and even an emoji

--87% of colleges block users on Facebook or Twitter

--Administrators abuse social platform tools to quietly censor posts and users — transforming their pages from public forums into vehicles for positive publicity

PHILADELPHIA, April 22, 2020 — The majority of top public colleges and universities use a blacklist of secret words, created by Facebook, to automatically censor comments on university social media pages, according to a new survey from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. As campuses sit empty and much of student life moves online, this censorship has an amplified importance.

Colleges also compile custom lists collectively banning more than 1,800 words and phrases: from profanities to posts referencing matters of local and national concern, campus controversies, criticism of colleges’ corporate partners or sports teams, and even the weather. The findings, gleaned from public records from nearly 200 top institutions, show that public universities — bound by the First Amendment — are impermissibly censoring public dialogue.

https://www.thefire.org/survey-77-of-co ... amendment/


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Pepe
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22 Apr 2020, 9:06 pm

Darmok wrote:
SURVEY: 77% of colleges use secret social media blacklist to censor the public, in violation of First Amendment

--Secret filters automatically remove comments mentioning political figures, corporate partners, sports teams, faculty members, and even an emoji

--87% of colleges block users on Facebook or Twitter

--Administrators abuse social platform tools to quietly censor posts and users — transforming their pages from public forums into vehicles for positive publicity

PHILADELPHIA, April 22, 2020 — The majority of top public colleges and universities use a blacklist of secret words, created by Facebook, to automatically censor comments on university social media pages, according to a new survey from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. As campuses sit empty and much of student life moves online, this censorship has an amplified importance.

Colleges also compile custom lists collectively banning more than 1,800 words and phrases: from profanities to posts referencing matters of local and national concern, campus controversies, criticism of colleges’ corporate partners or sports teams, and even the weather. The findings, gleaned from public records from nearly 200 top institutions, show that public universities — bound by the First Amendment — are impermissibly censoring public dialogue.

https://www.thefire.org/survey-77-of-co ... amendment/


So much for diversity of thought/opinion. :roll:
George Orwell must be laughing in his grave. :mrgreen:

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26 Apr 2020, 5:46 pm

Toronto Star pins 'toxic masculinity' as a culprit in Nova Scotia massacre

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The Toronto Star has still not learned that the days after a horrific event are not the time to roll out hot takes.

In an op ed published by the Star, though, columnist Shree Paradkar decides to play armchair psychologist and finds that there is a deadly culprit that no one is talking about: Toxic masculinity.

his time around, though, it's made clearer by the author's choice of words:

"The shootings provoke at least two troubling reflections: toxic masculinity — 'passion for policing,' and what society deems dangerous — in other words, who gets to get away."

The expert consulted on the matter, Judith Taylor, a professor in the Department of Sociology and in the Women and Gender Studies Institute at University of Toronto and a shooting survivor from the University of California, says it's the man's perceived passion for policing that makes 'toxic masculinity' a safe bet, as if women are not also police officers.

"Of all the uniforms people can collect, why police? Because of what it symbolizes—alternate power, above the law. You can make anyone open their door, and you can make anyone stop their car.”

The expert consulted on the matter, a professor in the Department of Sociology and in the Women and Gender Studies Institute at University of Toronto and a shooting survivor from the University of California, says it's the man's perceived passion for policing that makes 'toxic masculinity' a safe bet, as if women are not also police officers.

"Of all the uniforms people can collect, why police? Because of what it symbolizes — alternate power, above the law. You can make anyone open their door, and you can make anyone stop their car.”

“Ultimate authority. Ultimate power. Ultimate masculinity," Taylor says.

The RCMP says a motive for the shooting has yet to be found.

Bolding=mine


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21 Oct 2020, 9:27 am

Sorority member put on probation after sharing post criticizing BLM

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A University of Kansas sorority has put a member on probation for “unbecoming” behavior on social media — for sharing a post criticizing Black Lives Matter.

The suspension was sparked by Lauer reposting a message from conservative firebrand Candace Owens calling Black Lives Matter “the most flagrantly racist organization in America.”

“Black Lives Matter is an organization of white men, using the faces of dead black people, to raise millions of dollars toward electing white Democrats into positions of power,” Owens declared in the Sept. 23 tweet.

Lauer told Fox that she supports the ideals of the BLM movement and was merely questioning the funding.

She attempted to appeal the probation in a meeting with the sorority’s advisory board on Oct. 18 — but it was overturned by the board, which pressed her to admit she benefited from white privilege, Fox said.

Lauer said other sorority sisters texted her to complain that her posts — which also included pro-life stances and ones highlighting flubs by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden — were “hurtful.”

Yet the sorority took no action against those posting “aggressive” attacks on President Trump and his policies, she said.

Lauer is set to be “re-evaluated” during a meeting next Monday.

We are not in Kansas anymore we are in wokeland.

I would not want to join a woke Autism forum why does she want to join a woke sorority unless it is to point out the left’s hypocrisy?


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21 Oct 2020, 10:02 am

There is a certain dogmatism to academia, like I said. Particularly academic institutions, social sciences, and humanities.

I consider myself progressive in most ways and support BLM, but I would never admit to being pro-life on my college campus.

edit: I also think that a lot of students and faculty are concerned with how dogmatic the leftist bias gets, but they don't feel comfortable speaking about it. They simply don't speak up about dissenting beliefs; they keep quiet about it.


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21 Oct 2020, 10:24 am

Whale_Tuune wrote:
... I also think that a lot of students and faculty are concerned with how dogmatic the leftist bias gets, but they don't feel comfortable speaking about it.  They simply don't speak up about dissenting beliefs; they keep quiet about it.
This became my habit after my first year at uni.  As a Freshman, I was keenly interested in causes -- environment, minorities, women, et cetera -- because I wanted to do the right thing for other people.  I soon found out that participating in other people's causes is a sure way to attract hostility -- not just from outsiders, but from people within the cause who believed that I was there to infiltrate, spy on, and sabotage their efforts.  Then, when anything went wrong, I was the first (and sometimes the only) person to be blamed.  After my freshman year, I involved myself in no cause and expressed no opinions related to any cause.

Now I advocate for no cause other than my own: Myself.


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21 Oct 2020, 2:59 pm

Whale_Tuune wrote:
There is a certain dogmatism to academia, like I said. Particularly academic institutions, social sciences, and humanities.

I consider myself progressive in most ways and support BLM, but I would never admit to being pro-life on my college campus.

edit: I also think that a lot of students and faculty are concerned with how dogmatic the leftist bias gets, but they don't feel comfortable speaking about it. They simply don't speak up about dissenting beliefs; they keep quiet about it.

Because the nonextreme progressives are afraid to criticize "woke" ideas the alt-right has hijacked the anti woke cause thus criticizing BLM has become conflated with racism. It has worked the other way also. It has not helped that so many Republicans and conservatives are afraid to criticize Trump allowing Trumpism to hijack the conservative cause.


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19 Nov 2020, 7:44 am

Megyn Kelly says she's leaving New York City, cites 'far-left' schools

Quote:
Kelly specifically cited a letter that was circulated at her sons’ school within the diversity group, which Kelly said she and other white parents had joined to be “allies” and “stay attuned to what we can do.”

The letter was written by Orleans Public Education Network Executive Director Nahliah Webber, who argued that “there’s a killer cop sitting in every school where White children learn” and that “White school districts across the country [are] full of future killer cops.”

“They hear the litany of bad statistics and stereotypes about ‘scary’ Black people in their classes and on the news,” Webber wrote in a June blog post. “They gleefully soak in their White-washed history that downplays the holocaust of Indigenous, Native peoples and Africans in the Americas. They happily believe their all-White spaces exist as a matter of personal effort and willingly use violence against Black bodies to keep those spaces White."

“Yet whenever we talk about what’s wrong with the systems that train and socialize young minds to become violent and depraved adults who, say choose to choke people out as part of their jobs, all we ever hear is that Black children, Black families, Black communities, Black-NESS are 'behind' and stuck in gaps,” Webber continued.

The education activist then questioned, “Where are the government-sponsored reports looking into how White mothers are raising culturally deprived children who think Black death is okay?”

Kelly, who said that the blog post was then distributed among the school’s faculty, condemned Webber’s analysis, questioning, “Which boy in my kid’s school is the future killer cop? Is it my boy? Which boy is it? Because I don’t happen to believe that they’re in there.”


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19 Nov 2020, 8:14 am

ASPartOfMe wrote:
Megyn Kelly says she's leaving New York City, cites 'far-left' schools
Quote:
Kelly specifically cited a letter that was circulated at her sons’ school within the diversity group, which Kelly said she and other white parents had joined to be “allies” and “stay attuned to what we can do.”

The letter was written by Orleans Public Education Network Executive Director Nahliah Webber, who argued that “there’s a killer cop sitting in every school where White children learn” and that “White school districts across the country [are] full of future killer cops.”

“They hear the litany of bad statistics and stereotypes about ‘scary’ Black people in their classes and on the news,” Webber wrote in a June blog post. “They gleefully soak in their White-washed history that downplays the holocaust of Indigenous, Native peoples and Africans in the Americas. They happily believe their all-White spaces exist as a matter of personal effort and willingly use violence against Black bodies to keep those spaces White."

“Yet whenever we talk about what’s wrong with the systems that train and socialize young minds to become violent and depraved adults who, say choose to choke people out as part of their jobs, all we ever hear is that Black children, Black families, Black communities, Black-NESS are 'behind' and stuck in gaps,” Webber continued.

The education activist then questioned, “Where are the government-sponsored reports looking into how White mothers are raising culturally deprived children who think Black death is okay?”

Kelly, who said that the blog post was then distributed among the school’s faculty, condemned Webber’s analysis, questioning, “Which boy in my kid’s school is the future killer cop? Is it my boy? Which boy is it? Because I don’t happen to believe that they’re in there.”

This shows how confrontation does not work in adressing issues - the lady will likely move her children to a school that does not attempt to tackle uncomfortable topics at all.


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19 Nov 2020, 9:06 am

magz wrote:
ASPartOfMe wrote:
Megyn Kelly says she's leaving New York City, cites 'far-left' schools
Quote:
Kelly specifically cited a letter that was circulated at her sons’ school within the diversity group, which Kelly said she and other white parents had joined to be “allies” and “stay attuned to what we can do.”

The letter was written by Orleans Public Education Network Executive Director Nahliah Webber, who argued that “there’s a killer cop sitting in every school where White children learn” and that “White school districts across the country [are] full of future killer cops.”

“They hear the litany of bad statistics and stereotypes about ‘scary’ Black people in their classes and on the news,” Webber wrote in a June blog post. “They gleefully soak in their White-washed history that downplays the holocaust of Indigenous, Native peoples and Africans in the Americas. They happily believe their all-White spaces exist as a matter of personal effort and willingly use violence against Black bodies to keep those spaces White."

“Yet whenever we talk about what’s wrong with the systems that train and socialize young minds to become violent and depraved adults who, say choose to choke people out as part of their jobs, all we ever hear is that Black children, Black families, Black communities, Black-NESS are 'behind' and stuck in gaps,” Webber continued.

The education activist then questioned, “Where are the government-sponsored reports looking into how White mothers are raising culturally deprived children who think Black death is okay?”

Kelly, who said that the blog post was then distributed among the school’s faculty, condemned Webber’s analysis, questioning, “Which boy in my kid’s school is the future killer cop? Is it my boy? Which boy is it? Because I don’t happen to believe that they’re in there.”

This shows how confrontation does not work in adressing issues - the lady will likely move her children to a school that does not attempt to tackle uncomfortable topics at all.

I don't think the issue is in trying to tackle "uncomfortable topics", but rather in how they are approached.

Divisive statements such as “Where are the government-sponsored reports looking into how White mothers are raising culturally deprived children who think Black death is okay?” aren't addressing the issue, but instead racially stereotyping a group of people (in this case "White mothers") and making blanket statements regarding them, trying to cause a division and distrust amongst people of different races, rather than finding a way to unify them.

I cannot imagine there are a large quantity of "White mothers" who raise "culturally deprived children who think Black death is okay?”, and by assigning a collective guilt to ALL "White mothers", you are more likely to turn them away from the cause being pushed - Would you wish to have anything to do with a person (or group) who repeatedly accused you of something that was not true? A better position would be to remove all mention of race from the statement - “Where are the government-sponsored reports looking into how some mothers are raising culturally deprived children who think any death is okay?”. In this way, you unify people of all colours behind a common goal, and also help encourage the belief that all lives, regardless of the colour of the person, have equal value.

Falsely accusing (or attributing to) people of some bad action or motive on enough occasions over a long enough timeframe, and you are more likely to turn them into what they are accused of than you are to gain their support in stopping others who previously took those actions\had those motives...