Why Professors are Predominantly ‘leftist.’

[geauxtohell]

That's convenient.

Yeah, well, it's not liberals who are always on here bitching about the atmosphere at the typical American University.

 

[AllieBaba]

The atmosphere at the typical liberal university is toxic and anti-American, thanks to the anti-American pieces of shit who hold sway there.

 

[Samson]

The long and the short of it is that academe is pretty much a country club, with screening criteria of a much more highly politicized nature.

What''s preventing the right-wingers from starting their own schools? Oh yeah, the market, where people want a real degree and not the meaningless crap Ken Ham received.

Well, they've always got "Hillsdale" or whatever. I find it hilarious that, with all the bitching about "liberal Universities" no single institution in this country that I can think of has adopted an official policy that supports "liberal political though". However, Hillsdale is specifically marketed as a "conservative alternative" and no liberal whines about it.

Probably because the reputation of universities like that and "Bob Jone University" is so bad.

I don't understand some conservative's animosity towards higher education.

Universities and Government are the major employers of "Social Scientists," and almost all social science supports socialist POV.

 

[geauxtohell]

The atmosphere at the typical liberal university is toxic and anti-American, thanks to the anti-American pieces of shit who hold sway there.

And you guys wonder why we don't take you seriously.

I got my undergrad degree at a "liberal" college from '97 to '01 and was on an ROTC scholarship. I had to wear a uniform at least one day a week to class and so forth. I never got any flak from my classmates or my professors.

Then, after I got out of the Army, I went back to undergrad to do my med-school pre-reqs and never witnessed or experienced any flak from my classmates or professors, though most of them knew I was a veteran and the war was highly unpopular.

Now I am in grad school and have yet to witness this "toxic anti-American" attitude you guys are so bent out of shape about.

I don't doubt that there are professors who inappropriately spout of their personal political views to a class, I doubt it's on par with the amount of bitching you guys do about it.

 

[Gadawg73]

I was a business major at Georgia State University and received a BBA in 1985. My last quarter there I had an open 5 hour elective area where I could take any course in the entire university for those 5 hours.
I signed up for Civil War History. The professor I had was an off the wall looney tune liberal. He informed us that this course was not to be about any of the battles of the Civil War or anything about the militaries the first day. I should have dropped it and taken basket weaving but it fit my time schedule so I endured.
The study course guideline was all about the social mores of the people, the scientific advancements of the day and a bunch of other bull shit. We read three books on Booker T. Washington describing him as an Uncle Tom step n fetchit negro of his time. The professor wanted no other opinions in the class. All of his tests were 70 % subjective, essay, and 30 % multiple choice which was against the university guidelines by a long shot.
The kicker was the final term paper that was required. I wrote mine on photography during the Civil War. All through my time in the business school at GSU I had to write a term paper for almost every class. The professor would make corrections, obervations and ideas on a seperate piece of white blank paper and put that in with the returned and graded paper. The paper itself was intact with no marks on it. The last week of this history class I received my term paper back with red ink scribbled all through it. I protested to him and he advised he could do as he wanted. I went to the department head and he stated that he would look into it. The essays I wrote in all of the tests this man gave were all given C at best.
I received a C in this class and it did not really matter as I was graduating. However, I was going to attempt to make life hard for this prick. I prepared my case against him showing how he had violated the test rules, as they were no test could be more than 40% essay, and the department head stated he would get back to me. 18 months later I received a call that the next day at 8 am in Atlanta they would have a departmental "hearing"on my case. I told him to fuck himself.
If you do not want a liberal professor take engineering or business at the university.

 

[geauxtohell]

What''s preventing the right-wingers from starting their own schools? Oh yeah, the market, where people want a real degree and not the meaningless crap Ken Ham received.

Well, they've always got "Hillsdale" or whatever. I find it hilarious that, with all the bitching about "liberal Universities" no single institution in this country that I can think of has adopted an official policy that supports "liberal political though". However, Hillsdale is specifically marketed as a "conservative alternative" and no liberal whines about it.

Probably because the reputation of universities like that and "Bob Jone University" is so bad.

I don't understand some conservative's animosity towards higher education.

Universities and Government are the major employers of "Social Scientists," and almost all social science supports socialist POV.

That's a statement that just begs for quantification.

 

[Samson]

The atmosphere at the typical liberal university is toxic and anti-American, thanks to the anti-American pieces of shit who hold sway there.

And you guys wonder why we don't take you seriously.

I got my undergrad degree at a "liberal" college from '97 to '01 and was on an ROTC scholarship. I had to wear a uniform at least one day a week to class and so forth. I never got any flak from my classmates or my professors.

Then, after I got out of the Army, I went back to undergrad to do my med-school pre-reqs and never witnessed or experienced any flak from my classmates or professors, though most of them knew I was a veteran and the war was highly unpopular.

Now I am in grad school and have yet to witness this "toxic anti-American" attitude you guys are so bent out of shape about.

I don't doubt that there are professors who inappropriately spout of their personal political views to a class, I doubt it's on par with the amount of bitching you guys do about it.

As an undergrad, with little exception all I took was math, chemistry, physics, and engineering classes. These profs and courses spent no time on social issues.

Then as a grad, I took education and business courses, and with little exception, there was almost always social commentary, often including an "anti-establishment" POV.

 

[Truthmatters]

At my sons HIGH SCHOOL there was a government teacher who during an election year refused to allow anything on the walls to show anything but Bush.

Some of these kids were old enough to vote and this teacher allowed no one to say ANYTHING against Bush.

 

[Samson]

Well, they've always got "Hillsdale" or whatever. I find it hilarious that, with all the bitching about "liberal Universities" no single institution in this country that I can think of has adopted an official policy that supports "liberal political though". However, Hillsdale is specifically marketed as a "conservative alternative" and no liberal whines about it.

Probably because the reputation of universities like that and "Bob Jone University" is so bad.

I don't understand some conservative's animosity towards higher education.

Universities and Government are the major employers of "Social Scientists," and almost all social science supports socialist POV.

That's a statement that just begs for quantification.

Really?


I would hope it was self evident.

Do you think GM employs as many MS Anthropologists as Mechanical Engineers?

Do you think GE employs BA Ed instead of Electrical Engineers?

 

[boedicca]

Well, they've always got "Hillsdale" or whatever. I find it hilarious that, with all the bitching about "liberal Universities" no single institution in this country that I can think of has adopted an official policy that supports "liberal political though". However, Hillsdale is specifically marketed as a "conservative alternative" and no liberal whines about it.

Probably because the reputation of universities like that and "Bob Jone University" is so bad.

I don't understand some conservative's animosity towards higher education.

Universities and Government are the major employers of "Social Scientists," and almost all social science supports socialist POV.

That's a statement that just begs for quantification.

Here you go:

A new study takes what many believe to be the closest and clearest look yet at American professors' political and social views. The study surveyed 1,417 full-time professors at schools ranging from community colleges to elite research universities, and broke down the results by professors' disciplines, ages, and other factors. The authors presented their findings in October at Harvard University, leading to a full day of stimulating presentations and debate among the assembled academics.

44% of professors who responded to the survey classified themselves as liberal, 46% as moderate, and 9% as conservative. The study's authors, Neil Gross and Solon Simmons, were surprised to find so many moderate professors, but other academics attending the presentation disagreed with their conclusions. Much of the conservatism and moderation in higher education cropped up in certain subcategories: the health science professions, for example, and community colleges and non-elite universities.

At community colleges, 37% of professors identified themselves as liberal, 44% as moderate, and 19% as conservative. Professors at liberal arts colleges were most likely to identify themselves as liberal: 61% were liberal, and just 4% conservative. Elite Ph.D.-granting institutions were fairly close behind, with 57% liberal, 33% moderate and 10% conservative.

Business and health sciences professors helped to boost the representation of moderate and conservative views at both elite and non-elite Ph.D.-granting universities, compared to liberal arts colleges. 20.5% of health sciences professors are liberal, 20.5% are conservative, and 59% are moderate. Business professors are another less liberal group, with 24.5% conservative, 54% moderate, and 21.5% liberal.

Predictably, humanities and social sciences professors were most likely to lean left. 17.6% of social sciences professors declared a Marxist political identity. Marxism also claimed 5% support in the humanities, and negligible support in other disciplines. 88% of social sciences professors voted for John Kerry in 2004, and 84% of humanities professors. Half of the social sciences professors who did not vote for Kerry voted for non-mainstream candidates, leaving the Republican Party with just 6% of their vote. Only health sciences professors supported Bush in 2004, by a narrow margin of 52% of votes for Bush and 48% for Kerry. Overall, 78% of academics voted for Kerry.

Study Examines Professors' Political and Social Views

 

[Rozman]

Isn't there an expression? Those that can, DO.Those that can't, teach ! Bunch of angry Libs out there that HATE Corporations,businesses and the like that actually go out and try to realize their dreams and make a little or a lot of money so family members can have a better life.Then there are those like the Libs that want government to run everything,they want government to dole out benefits and salary that government knows best what is good for people or just what the government feels people deserve.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Why are profs lefties?

That's easy. None of them want to get a real job.

 

[JBeukema]

The atmosphere at the typical liberal university is toxic and anti-American, thanks to the anti-American pieces of shit who hold sway there.

What's keeping you from starting your own universities?

Oh yah, America rejects your bullshit-you fail in the market.

 

[JBeukema]

At my sons HIGH SCHOOL there was a government teacher who during an election year refused to allow anything on the walls to show anything but Bush.

Some of these kids were old enough to vote and this teacher allowed no one to say ANYTHING against Bush.

So we've established that their are assholes in the world and they can be found just about anywhere

 

[geauxtohell]

Universities and Government are the major employers of "Social Scientists," and almost all social science supports socialist POV.

That's a statement that just begs for quantification.

Here you go:

A new study takes what many believe to be the closest and clearest look yet at American professors' political and social views. The study surveyed 1,417 full-time professors at schools ranging from community colleges to elite research universities, and broke down the results by professors' disciplines, ages, and other factors. The authors presented their findings in October at Harvard University, leading to a full day of stimulating presentations and debate among the assembled academics.

44% of professors who responded to the survey classified themselves as liberal, 46% as moderate, and 9% as conservative. The study's authors, Neil Gross and Solon Simmons, were surprised to find so many moderate professors, but other academics attending the presentation disagreed with their conclusions. Much of the conservatism and moderation in higher education cropped up in certain subcategories: the health science professions, for example, and community colleges and non-elite universities.

At community colleges, 37% of professors identified themselves as liberal, 44% as moderate, and 19% as conservative. Professors at liberal arts colleges were most likely to identify themselves as liberal: 61% were liberal, and just 4% conservative. Elite Ph.D.-granting institutions were fairly close behind, with 57% liberal, 33% moderate and 10% conservative.

Business and health sciences professors helped to boost the representation of moderate and conservative views at both elite and non-elite Ph.D.-granting universities, compared to liberal arts colleges. 20.5% of health sciences professors are liberal, 20.5% are conservative, and 59% are moderate. Business professors are another less liberal group, with 24.5% conservative, 54% moderate, and 21.5% liberal.

Predictably, humanities and social sciences professors were most likely to lean left. 17.6% of social sciences professors declared a Marxist political identity. Marxism also claimed 5% support in the humanities, and negligible support in other disciplines. 88% of social sciences professors voted for John Kerry in 2004, and 84% of humanities professors. Half of the social sciences professors who did not vote for Kerry voted for non-mainstream candidates, leaving the Republican Party with just 6% of their vote. Only health sciences professors supported Bush in 2004, by a narrow margin of 52% of votes for Bush and 48% for Kerry. Overall, 78% of academics voted for Kerry.

Study Examines Professors' Political and Social Views

Thanks. That support's Samson's claim. It also points out that roughly half of college professors do not consider themselves to be liberal, though when n = 1400 it's not a terribly large study.

A little hard to claim that liberals dominate the American University system by the statistics you posted.

 

[boedicca]

Samson said Universities - the study included community and state colleges, as well as universities.

The elite universities are far more liberal - and the social studies professors are much more left leaning than the average.

 

[Big Fitz]

At my sons HIGH SCHOOL there was a government teacher who during an election year refused to allow anything on the walls to show anything but Bush.

Some of these kids were old enough to vote and this teacher allowed no one to say ANYTHING against Bush.

interesting. In all the schools I went to in the Twin Cities, I think only one did not have a shrine to Obama near the entrance of the school. I constantly see parking lots full of teacher's cars with Obama, Wellstone! (who's still dead) and Franken bumperstickers in them, even today.

And the one school I can't recall seeing anything pro Obama was because nothing political was there.

 

[geauxtohell]

Isn't there an expression? Those that can, DO.Those that can't, teach !

Yeah, and it's a stupid statement. Where did the people who "do" learn how to "do"? Do you think doctors, lawyers, engineers, or architects spring forth from magic pods?

Futhermore, most teachers "do" as well. If you are in higher learning, it is expected that you research and publish. If you are in academic medicine, when you are teaching medical students on rounds, you are still seeing patients and caring for them.

Bunch of angry Libs out there that HATE Corporations,businesses and the like that actually go out and try to realize their dreams and make a little or a lot of money so family members can have a better life.Then there are those like the Libs that want government to run everything,they want government to dole out benefits and salary that government knows best what is good for people or just what the government feels people deserve.

Following the belief that many people do the job they do because it's what they love doing, and not purely for financial gain, why would professors seek to go into corporate America when their drive in life is to study Lord-knows-what? Not everyone is dying to be Gordon Gecko from Wall Street.

While life in academia isn't going to make anyone rich, it's a pretty good life on the whole when you consider all the other factors.

 

[geauxtohell]

interesting. In all the schools I went to in the Twin Cities, I think only one did not have a shrine to Obama near the entrance of the school. I constantly see parking lots full of teacher's cars with Obama, Wellstone! (who's still dead) and Franken bumperstickers in them, even today.

Heaven forbid teachers exercise their first amendment rights!

What a bunch of fucking commies!

 

[geauxtohell]

The elite universities are far more liberal - and the social studies professors are much more left leaning than the average.

BZZT!

We were doing so well with actual data.

I guess I'll say it again:

"That statement begs for quantification".