Is Academia "Dominated" by "the Left", and If so, Why?

[Heyo]

Title IX.

Title IX was tied to funding. Title IX basically ties funding to being non-discriminatory to sex, gender, gender identity. So the folks in charge of college funding went all out to remove any perception of any gender discrimination. Any professors or staff who didn't agree with the direction gender identity was taking either had to keep quite about it or risk being removed.

Campuses have to at least be perceived as left leaning wrt gender identity to continue to get government funding. This alone I think angered a percentage of the right who voiced their opposition which only adds more fuel to the perception.

Now, that sounds like there is something to the accusation of "domination". I'm not familiar with Title IX. It is obviously a US specific thing. Can you please expand a bit on this? Who implemented Title IX, when and where? What is it exactly?

 

[Balthazzar]

While it's true that there is a big influence of liberality in academia, it varies a great deal by field. My experience was that fields like Law were not at all liberal, and the faculty of the physical sciences tended to be more full-spectrum. The business school tends towards conservative, and so on. The humanities tend to be more liberal, but religious studies, a subfield, tends to be more conservative.

But overall, the basic idea of education is 'liberal' and consequently more likely to be pursued and inhabited by liberals. In my experience and opinion, others' mileage may vary.

Why would you suggest that education is liberal and those who seek an education more liberal than say entrepreneurs and lawyers?

 

[sayak83]

An accusation that is frequently brought forth by people on the right side of the political spectrum is that "the left" has "dominated" higher education. Without going too much into detail who "the left" is, I like to focus on how "the left" came to "dominate" (control) the academic process. What secret weapon, which sinister cabal got "the left" into that position? (If they really are in control, are they?)

I have my own hypothesis, but I like to hear some others first before I chime in.

For the Communists, academia is too bourguesie to be allowed and for the Fascists we are too liberal elite to be allowed. We are dead either way. Oh well...

 

[Bear Wild]

An accusation that is frequently brought forth by people on the right side of the political spectrum is that "the left" has "dominated" higher education. Without going too much into detail who "the left" is, I like to focus on how "the left" came to "dominate" (control) the academic process. What secret weapon, which sinister cabal got "the left" into that position? (If they really are in control, are they?)

I have my own hypothesis, but I like to hear some others first before I chime in.

Most academia welcomes challenges to new ways of thinking and often encourages people to challenge what is accepted and consider change. This is typically viewed as the liberal view but academia also has its conservative element rejecting things that challenge their view point also. So it is alright to challenge everything except what academia considers their standards then it acts very right.

 

[Balthazzar]

I can't think of any reason why a college professor should be spouting off his or her own personal opinions regarding sex or gender or anything else related to political partisan social bickering. And if asked by students, they could very easily decline to answers based on the fact that their own opinions have no relevance to the curriculum they are charged with teaching.

The idea that there is some sort of thought police on college campuses forcing conservative professors to keep their mouths shut is just foolish. Common sense should tell them to keep their opinions to themselves, liberal or conservative. As those are not what they are being paid to 'profess'.

My experience with college was in the visual arts. And the one sure sign of a BAD professor in a BAD visual arts school was a classroom full of "proteges" dutifully mimicking their professor's artwork and ideals.

Who are you kidding ... The thought police are everywhere. Foolish, in my opinion, would be to rule out the premise that thought police dictatorships are in play everywhere. An attack on the 1st bill of our bill of rights - So, college professors should both keep their mouth shut when it comes to an opinion, yet be expressive and profess to teaching a position based on curriculum alone. Interesting pov pure x. I think the thought police dictate what, how much is permissible, and possibly rule out some discussions altogether. To be a liberal in an institution where young minds are being shaped and formed by the staff and other students would seem a decent place to be, given the way conservatism is often viewed by society. To the conservative from the liberal "Lighten up man ... Geesh!"

 

[Ebionite]

From Blackstone:

But the common law of England, being not committed to writing; but only handed down by tradition, use, and experience, was not so heartily relished by the foreign clergy; who came over hither in shoals during the reign of the conqueror and his two sons, and were utter strangers to our constitution as well as our language. And an accident, which soon after happened, had nearly completed its ruin. A copy of Justinian's pandects, being newly discovered at Amalfi, soon brought the civil law into vogue all over the west of Europe, where before it was quite laid aside and in a manner forgotten; though some traces of its authority remained in Italy and the eastern provinces of the empire. This now became in a particular manner the favorite of the popish clergy, who borrowed the method and many of the maxims of their canon law from this original. The study of it was introduced into several universities abroad, particularly that of Bologna; where exercises were performed, lectures read, and degrees conferred in this faculty, as in other branches of science: and many nations on the continent, just then beginning to recover from the convulsions consequent upon the overthrow of the Roman empire, and settling by degrees into peaceable forms of government, adopted the civil law, (being the best written system then extant) as the basis of their several constitutions; blending and interweaving it among their own feudal customs, in some places with a more extensive, in others a more confined authority.

Nor was it long before the prevailing mode of the times reached England. For Theobald, a Norman abbot, being elected to the see of Canterbury, and extremely addicted to this new study, brought over with him in his retinue many learned proficients therein; and among the rest Roger surnamed Vacarius, whom he placed in the university of Oxford, to teach it to the people of this country. But it did not meet with the same easy reception in England, where a mild and rational system of laws had been established, as it did upon the continent; and, though the monkish clergy (devoted to the will of a foreign primate) received it with eagerness and zeal, yet the laity, who were more interested to preserve the old constitution, and had already severely felt the effect of many Norman innovations, continued wedded to the use of the common law. King Stephen immediately published a proclamation, forbidding the study of the laws, then newly imported from Italy; which was treated by the monks as a piece of impiety, and, though it might prevent the introduction of the civil law process into our courts of justice, yet did not hinder the clergy from reading and teaching it in their own schools and monasteries.

 

[Quintessence]

Now, that sounds like there is something to the accusation of "domination". I'm not familiar with Title IX. It is obviously a US specific thing. Can you please expand a bit on this? Who implemented Title IX, when and where? What is it exactly?

In really simple terms, Title IX is about providing equal opportunity for education for all citizens regardless of sex or gender. It specifically addresses historical problems of discrimination by prohibiting discrimination. Which, naturally, is why the right has a problem with it - there is a lot of sexism on the right, unfortunately.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Is this primarily an American thing? When I come across it, it's invariably involving Americans...

Not so, it is the same in the UK.
A high proportion of academics vote either liberal or labour compared to ones that vote conservative.
This preference for the left of centre also applies to students.in higher and further education.
This is also so for a majority of Oxbridge students, though there is a continuing clique of wealthy upper class students that are ultra conservative.

 

[Balthazzar]

In really simple terms, Title IX is about providing equal opportunity for education for all citizens regardless of sex or gender. It specifically addresses historical problems of discrimination by prohibiting discrimination. Which, naturally, is why the right has a problem with it - there is a lot of sexism on the right, unfortunately.

I'm not so sure the right has a problem with academic equality. According to your insight into the mindset of the right, you have established the right as the ruling power. I notice this based on what you stated about discrimination and the rights supposed "opposition" to title IX based on the insight you yourself provided. The implication was that the right doesn't want an educated population of citizens. I myself find this to be a gross misrepresentation of our stance.

 

[Estro Felino]

An accusation that is frequently brought forth by people on the right side of the political spectrum is that "the left" has "dominated" higher education. Without going too much into detail who "the left" is, I like to focus on how "the left" came to "dominate" (control) the academic process. What secret weapon, which sinister cabal got "the left" into that position? (If they really are in control, are they?)

I have my own hypothesis, but I like to hear some others first before I chime in.

In the US...the most prestigious universities have become Sorosian dens.
A real squalor.
Utterly horrific.

What secret weapon? Soros...he is rich.

 

[Nakosis]

Now, that sounds like there is something to the accusation of "domination". I'm not familiar with Title IX. It is obviously a US specific thing. Can you please expand a bit on this? Who implemented Title IX, when and where? What is it exactly?

Don't know exactly what you are looking for but here is the Wiki page.

Title IX - Wikipedia

 

[Secret Chief]

Not so, it is the same in the UK.
A high proportion of academics vote either liberal or labour compared to ones that vote conservative.
This preference for the left of centre also applies to students.in higher and further education.
This is also so for a majority of Oxbridge students, though there is a continuing clique of wealthy upper class students that are ultra conservative.

But is there a kicking off about it?

 

[Nakosis]

I can't think of any reason why a college professor should be spouting off his or her own personal opinions regarding sex or gender or anything else related to political partisan social bickering. And if asked by students, they could very easily decline to answers based on the fact that their own opinions have no relevance to the curriculum they are charged with teaching.

The idea that there is some sort of thought police on college campuses forcing conservative professors to keep their mouths shut is just foolish. Common sense should tell them to keep their opinions to themselves, liberal or conservative. As those are not what they are being paid to 'profess'.

My experience with college was in the visual arts. And the one sure sign of a BAD professor in a BAD visual arts school was a classroom full of "proteges" dutifully mimicking their professor's artwork and ideals.

I'm just saying it led to a perception of the education system leaning more to the left than the reality of it.

 

[Balthazzar]

Does anyone remember President Reagans speech when he spoke about the intellectual elite? He was a conservative republican. I wonder if the concept of an educated, and intellectual class representing the left was an accepted stance in the 80's. It's obvious that conservatives are no less supportive of higher learning than liberals. I wonder if this is when the idea of a left dominated academia originated. I'm curious.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

But is there a kicking off about it?

Not often, but it is noticed.

 

[siti]

I'm trying to figure why people are so surprised to find that the people at the forefront of generating and disseminating new knowledge are more likely to be progressive!

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

I'm trying to figure why people are so surprised to find that the people at the forefront of generating and disseminating new knowledge are more likely to be progressive!

It seems to only be those that have a vested interest in ignorance, that find it difficult to come to terms with it.
The ignorant fear the intelligent, and all learning is rejected by them as dangerous.

 

[Heyo]

Don't know exactly what you are looking for but here is the Wiki page.

Title IX - Wikipedia

I was looking for evidence that "the left" dominates academia. I was thinking about a cabal of left-wingers within the education system first, but this is external influence, especially a democratic House and Senate. Of course, they didn't target right-wingers explicitly, but implicitly, as misogyny is a typical conservative trait.
But while the conservatives couldn't do much at the time, why didn't they repeal Title IX later?

 

[Quagmire]

First part of the equation as I see it:

--- Wealthy and working class people (who can afford it) send their kids to college . . .
--- Wealthy and working class people tend to be conservatives . . .
--- Kids like to rebel against their parents and everything they stand for . . .
--- Hence most college kids will be reflexively drawn to liberal ideas.

Second part:

--- Most American colleges/universities have become more a business for profit than an institution dedicated to learning . . .
--- As a business one their first priorities will be to attract customers and keep their current customers happy . . .
--- The most popular brand among kids (the colleges' consumer base) is "Liberal".

That's just part of the reason, but I would guess it plays a pretty big part (dress it up as you may).

 

[libre]

I think the degree to which academia is 'dominated' by left wing perspectives is more a testimony to how much influence right-wing views have among the general public rather than any progressive thrust in schools.

I guess believing in climate science is real makes one 'left' wing in America, so that's part of it.

I always found that the established professors at the University I attended to be considerably to the right than the students themselves, and have trouble believing this is not the case for the most of Canada, despite the 'leftist indoctrination' in education that frightens many conservatives.