Republican distrust of expertise

[Valjean]

Report on growing Republican distrust of higher education.
The majority of Republicans say colleges are bad for America (yes, really)

Is university education an élitist conspiracy by radical, left-leaning liberals intent on indoctrinating our innocent, God-fearing youth with critical thinking, atheism, evolution, socialism &al?
Are experts and "people who know things" a danger to traditional, American values?

Thoughts?

 

[anna.]

New report on growing Republican distrust of higher education.
The majority of Republicans say colleges are bad for America (yes, really)

Is university education an élitist conspiracy by radical, left-leaning liberals intent on indoctrinating our innocent, God-fearing youth with critical thinking, atheism, evolution, socialism &al?
Are experts and "people who know things" a danger to traditional, American values?

Thoughts?

My parents believed that decades ago about secular institutions, yes. They offered me the choice of two different Catholic colleges. I went to work instead, and graduated from a state university as a young grasshopper of 56. : )

 

[Aštra’el]

I went to work instead, and graduated from a state university as a young grasshopper of 56. : )

It is better late then never, is it not. You still made that happen. Well done.

 

[sun rise]

That article had 3 points. The first, the need for job training "vocational education" is one. Not everyone is destined for the kind of careers that are helped by college. Increasing funding for skilled trades training is something I support.

The second is the distrust of the media outside the bubble. Yes, that's an issue.

The third, the perception that colleges are hotbeds of radical communist Muslim leftists is real and ignorant in the extreme. The chemistry degree I got had no training in how to subvert America with chemical additives added to the water supply. That attitude is the result of demagogues creating fear and anger in those who don't know how colleges work..

 

[Polymath257]

New report on growing Republican distrust of higher education.
The majority of Republicans say colleges are bad for America (yes, really)

Is university education an élitist conspiracy by radical, left-leaning liberals intent on indoctrinating our innocent, God-fearing youth with critical thinking, atheism, evolution, socialism &al?
Are experts and "people who know things" a danger to traditional, American values?

Thoughts?

Do you have a more recent article than 2017? I am curious how things have changed in the last 4 years.

 

[Polymath257]

My parents believed that decades ago about secular institutions, yes. They offered me the choice of two different Catholic colleges. I went to work instead, and graduated from a state university as a young grasshopper of 56. : )

The attitude is not new. When I was growing up in the 60's/70's, many parents were nervous that education would disrupt the 'moral standards' of their children. Of course, now we have the additional concern that their children are taught the truth as opposed to some myth that they prefer to have them believe.

 

[Polymath257]

As for the distrust of expertise, there has long been a joke about the top three lies. One is that the check is in the mail. The second is not PG. The third is 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help you'.

There has LONG been a skepticism about experts, especially those that are 'trying to help'.

Current politics has only increased that tendency in the US.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Report on growing Republican distrust of higher education.
The majority of Republicans say colleges are bad for America (yes, really)

Is university education an élitist conspiracy by radical, left-leaning liberals intent on indoctrinating our innocent, God-fearing youth with critical thinking, atheism, evolution, socialism &al?
Are experts and "people who know things" a danger to traditional, American values?

Thoughts?

Just the radical left winger propaganda colleges.


The rest of the colleges are OK with the right.

 

[anna.]

It is better late then never, is it not. You still made that happen. Well done.

Thank you. : ) One of the most profoundly satisfying journeys of my life.

 

[paarsurrey]

To me, this is because Pauline-Christianity was never based on truthful teachings of Moses and Jesus the truthful messenger/prophets of G-d/Allah/YHVH. Pauline-Christianity had worked as Anti-Jesus and has never had any sound basis, as I see it. It got exposed with the progress of knowledge of the humanity lately, I perceive. Right?
With the advent of Second Coming/ Imam Mahdi not only Pauline-Christianity but also the ism/s of the non-believers shall need to reform and correct themselves, I understand, please. Right?

Regards

 

[anna.]

The attitude is not new. When I was growing up in the 60's/70's, many parents were nervous that education would disrupt the 'moral standards' of their children. Of course, now we have the additional concern that their children are taught the truth as opposed to some myth that they prefer to have them believe.

That's when I was growing up.

I read once that history doesn't repeat itself, it rhymes. The rhetoric I hear now is the same I heard as a kid.

 

[anna.]

There's a book called The Death of Expertise by Tom Nichols. While I didn't agree with everything, he made some solid points.

The Death of Expertise: The Campaign against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters

 

[Stevicus]

New report on growing Republican distrust of higher education.
The majority of Republicans say colleges are bad for America (yes, really)

Is university education an élitist conspiracy by radical, left-leaning liberals intent on indoctrinating our innocent, God-fearing youth with critical thinking, atheism, evolution, socialism &al?
Are experts and "people who know things" a danger to traditional, American values?

Thoughts?

Apparently, this (four year old) article is basing this on a poll which showed the following results:

Without more context, it's hard to know exactly why they might have this view. It appears they think even more negatively about the national news media, which isn't surprising. But even Democrats don't think too highly of the national news media either, and I'm not surprised about that either.

Both parties also seem to have relatively negative views about banks, although Republicans have a slightly more positive view in that category.

In recent years, I've seen legitimate questions raised about the purpose of higher education in today's society. The structures and traditions of many institutions of higher learning date back centuries, ostensibly rooted in the philosophy that only people of certain wealth and breeding would be attending such schools.

Even in my grandfather's time, only the real upper crust types went to college. But now, it seems that near everybody is being encouraged to go to college. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But it doesn't seem that college is necessarily for everyone. Many people just want job training and work skills, without all the electives and extracurricular stuff.

This reminds me of when I heard of a surgeon who claimed he could teach people how to do surgery in six months. Why would people need to go to college for 8 years for a skill they could learn in six months? I'm not saying that it's actually possible to do that; I don't really know.

Another time, I remember a lawyer saying that law school doesn't teach people how to be lawyers. They learn how to be lawyers in the first six months of actually doing the job. Again, I don't speak from personal experience, but it's an interesting idea just the same.

 

[Mister Emu]

I'll speak as a third-way who is more GOP adjacent than Dem.

My parents believed that decades ago about secular institutions, yes. They offered me the choice of two different Catholic colleges. I went to work instead, and graduated from a state university as a young grasshopper of 56. : )

First, congratulations.

Second, that Catholic University education may have surprised you. I went to Xavier University for a bit and it was far from a conservative institution. This included a theology professor recommending that everyone not read the bible for 10 or 20 years.

That attitude is the result of demagogues creating fear and anger in those who don't know how colleges work..

Demagogues tend to have something real to work with. It is pure pretense to say that higher education as a whole isn't left-biased in America. That's the reality of decades of left ideologues aiming themselves at every level of education and a right-predisposition towards moving into industry that has led to a significant imbalance in the political spectrum on campus.

Not everywhere, or in every department, but there is plenty of on-campus antagonism towards different modes of thought.

 

[Nakosis]

Higher education leaders are faced with the following stark reality: the majority of U.S. citizens believe that higher education is going in the wrong direction. The reasons behind that view need to be recognized and addressed, rather than minimized and rationalized. Rising tuition costs and soaring student debt, concerns about inadequate student learning, socioeconomic inequities in college access and success, overspending on campus amenities, athletic excesses and scandals and perceptions of unaccountable leadership lead the list of problems.
New From Pew: A Deepening Distrust Of Higher Education And Other American Institutions

Generally, my company won't hire people educated by US schools. They are not really taught to think for themselves. Education is the US is more a group/internet education. Hard for US educated Engineers for example to compete with foreign educated engineers.

I'm sure there are still excellent colleges/universities in the US but boy it is sure hard to find people with the same level of education.

 

[F1fan]

The attitude is not new. When I was growing up in the 60's/70's, many parents were nervous that education would disrupt the 'moral standards' of their children. Of course, now we have the additional concern that their children are taught the truth as opposed to some myth that they prefer to have them believe.

The interesting thing about how humans see their mortality is not just their genes being passed on to the next generation, but also the mortality of their world views. The typical progress of younger generations often threatens the "good old days" that parents want to be maintained and carried on. In some way the older generations know they will die off, their lives will end. But they can feel some sort of immortality if their world view, beliefs, traditions, lifestyle, etc. are mimicked and carried on. The death of the ego can be more frightening than actual physical death. Polls show us that more people fear public speaking than death.

 

[Father Heathen]

It's because informed and educated voters are harder to deceive and manipulate into voting against their own interests.

 

[Revoltingest]

My parents believed that decades ago about secular institutions, yes. They offered me the choice of two different Catholic colleges. I went to work instead, and graduated from a state university as a young grasshopper of 56. : )

Your avatar looks much younger.

 

[Jeremiah Ames]

Republicans are fearful of something.

Could be the truth?

 

[anna.]

Your avatar looks much younger.

Only by a handful of years. : )