Being conservative at Barnard?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Barnard College
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<p>I heard that Barnard was a very liberal school, so I was a bit worried about going there initially. I asked my interviewer how diverse opinions were in some controversial classes at barnard (I browsed through the courses, and there were quite a few), and she said that they were very diverse. she also told me that during the presidential debate, there were a lot of girls discussing the topics in the lounge from both sides. it got me excited that there was so much <em>open</em> diversity.</p>

<p>I’ve recently heard though that Barnard isn’t the most comfortable place for someone with more traditional values. is this true? I wanted to get some more opinions.</p>

<p>I’m extremely conservative (socially, by the way). I don’t mind people not sharing the same values as me, but I want to be somewhere people don’t look down on me or try to be “colorblind” and ignore who I am. a group of people who share my values would also be comforting, but not necessary.</p>

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<p>My D is fairly conservative and loved her time there. She felt enriched and enjoyed hearing other points of view.</p>

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<p>thanks churchmusicmom :)</p>

<p>any other opinions?</p>

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<p>There’s a chapter of Columbia Republicans as well as Columbia Democrats. The two have structured debates. There are conservatives there :)</p>

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<p>bumppp</p>

<p>10char</p>

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<p>bumppp</p>

<p>10char</p>

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<p>Probably depends on how outspoken you are. If you are a militant opponent of same-sex marriage, for example, you may not enjoy the environment. I’m just a parent, but I think that’s the case. If you’re ready for NYC, you’re probably ready for Barnard.</p>

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<p>I’m not very outspoken, but I would like to be able to express my opinion if it comes up as a topic of conversation.</p>

<p>this actually brings up another (mostly unrelated) question… how outspoken are Barnard students in general? or does it just vary?</p>

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<p>It varies. But in general, based upon just observing my D and her friends, confidence levels increased just all around as a direct result of being at Barnard. </p>

<p>My D currently is working on her PhD and as part of her job had to spend one semester as a TA for an undergrad science course at Emory (where she is working on her Doctorate). She was quite, well, shocked, to see how hesitant the females in that class were to speak up—to even ask questions. I think that it drove home, for her, another way in which her Barnard experience was invaluable. Everyone was encouraged and, yes I will use the over-hyped term “empowered” to speak up—to question—to participate-- at Barnard.</p>

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<p>My question would be, how tolerant and respectful are you of other’s points of views? When you say that you are “extremely” socially conservative, do you mean just with respect to your own lifestyle choices – or do you mean that you feel that beliefs or behaviors of others who do not share your outlook are morally wrong?</p>

<p>If you treat others with respect, they will probably return that respect. But if you are going to be uncomfortable about the choices others are making or the viewpoints they espouse, and express your discomfort in a judgmental manner – then it is likely that your disapproval will be met with resentment.</p>

<p>I think it is a good thing that you are thinking about this in advance, because often a person’s deeply held values do stem from religious or moral beliefs. But you also say that you love the idea of open diversity – which suggests that you are comfortable with being exposed to different ideas and viewpoints. So I guess in the end it is something you will have to figure out about yourself.</p>

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<p>Calmom’s response is on point. The answer to your question also depends on what you mean by “socially conservative.” There are many social and political issues that you can discuss and argue with liberal Barnard women and still be respected, welcomed and appreciated. Dissent and discussion is not frowned upon. They are conservative (politically and social) people who go here and I’m sure many thrive in this environment. Not every class is rife with liberalism, but there are many conversations and situations you must be willing to have or accept to be here. You have to be open.</p>

<p>If you feel uncomfortable with lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people being out and comfortable with their identity, DO NOT attend Barnard College (or live in New York City, for that matter). </p>

<p>If you feel uncomfortable with sex and sexuality being openly discussed (in classrooms and out of them), cast in a positive light, examined, in order to empower women, DO NOT attend Barnard.</p>

<p>If you feel uncomfortable with discussing racism, oppression of people of color, and the racist fabric of American society being questioned, (I ask you) don’t come to Barnard.</p>

<p>If you feel uncomfortable with discussions of classism, wealth, privilege, power, don’t come.</p>

<p>Many women at Barnard feel that abortion, for example, is a choice that all women should have. If you disagree and are vocal about it, in some settings, you may be met with disagreement or even resentment. Women (and men, for that matter) in the community are not contradicting you just to be intolerant, but because they would feel like you expressing a belief that infringes on a basic freedom. No one would fault you for not wanting an abortion for yourself, but if you attempt to dictate to Barnard women what they should do with their bodies, you will not necessarily be met with pleasure. If you cannot handle this, don’t come.</p>

<p>OR, on the other hand, ATTEND, and have your mind challenged and reap the benefits of such an environment!</p>

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<p>I am comfortable with discussion and am willing to be open to opposing opinions. my question is, are others willing to be open and listen to mine. I said I appreciated open diversity, and I meant it.</p>

<p>Phedre, you’re saying that there are many issues I can discuss with liberal Barnard women, but then you’re saying that I can’t discuss abortion unless I agree with the majority opinion? </p>

<p>if there was a woman having an abortion, I wouldn’t go and preach to her, just like someone wouldn’t preach to me for trying to dress modestly just because they’re liberal. but can we not have discussions where people respect one another and recognize that the other side has intelligent reasons for thinking the way they do, just for the sake of intelligent discussion?</p>

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I’ll use this example. like I said, I am not uncomfortable with discussion, as long as it is truly open discussion. would it be acceptable for me to express views that aren’t mainstream? would people look down on me for it?</p>

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<p>There will always be people around you that are gonna resort to trying to making you feel “inferior” if your views differ from theirs. You just don’t let them do that.</p>

<p>And I don’t that Barnard will have any more than the usual quota of people who will do that. I am quite sure there will be more people there who are more socially “liberal” than you are. There will also be those who may be even more conservative than you are! In her first year, one of my D’s 2 roomies was jewish and could not touch (in any way) a male; would not wear pants in the presence of a boy; strictly observed the Sabbath (they had to leave a light on for her on Fridays as she could not turn one on for herself); and of course she kept Kosher. My daughter LOVED rooming with her…she learned so much and made a very good friend. </p>

<p>Don’t get too hung up on this one aspect…you will learn a lot from being around so many different points of view. You might change some minds and someone might change yours about some things. That’s called growing!</p>

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<p>Are you willing to listen and consider the intelligent reasons that someone else offers in a discussion, even when different from your own?</p>

<p>What if you had a friend with an unwanted pregnancy who was contemplating her options and came to confide in you and ask your opinion? Would you confine your advice to you your personal feelings … or would you raise broader moral objections? If your friend went ahead and terminated her pregnancy… would she still be your friend? Would you feel the same way about her and treat her the same way? </p>

<p>The reason that the abortion issue is a hot-button is that many so-called “pro-life” advocates are not merely working to reduce the number of abortions, but are actively working to deprive other women of the choice. (I say “so-called” because they are not always pro-life in other contexts; for example, they may strongly oppose abortion but strongly support the death penalty). </p>

<p>There aren’t many women who consider themselves “pro-abortion” – but there are a large number who consider themselves “pro-choice”. So when you debate an issue like abortion in a classroom setting, you need to consider the impact that your viewpoint and choice of words may have. In a university setting, you would need to consider the fairly high likelihood that one or more women in the classroom had already had abortions when choosing the way to express your view point. If you say that you are personally uncomfortable with the idea of terminating the life of a living, growing being with a heartbeat – that’s one thing. If you use words like “murder” to describe your position, there could be someone sitting next to you who feel that you have called her or her mom or her sister a murderer. </p>

<p>Phedre didn’t say that you can’t openly discuss your viewpoint about abortion. She wrote, “If you disagree and are vocal about it, in some settings, you may be met with disagreement or even resentment.” The scenario I describe – that it is very possible that the woman sitting next to you has already had an abortion in the past – is true wherever you go – but in many places, women are more reluctant to speak up and may be embarrassed to confront someone. So the words you use could be equally hurtful, but you would never know about it. But you may be more likely to be challenged at Barnard, because Barnard asks women to write about the concept of “majoring in unafraid” before admitting them.</p>

<p>I think that at any university, and particularly at Barnard, you will need to be prepared to consider viewpoints other than your own and to appreciate nuance and complexity. The topic of discussion may not be “abortion: yes or no” - but “abortion: under what circumstances?” That is, what about late term abortions when the mother’s life is in danger or the fetus is known to have a debilitating medical condition? On the other extreme, what about someone who uses abortion based on gender selection? As genetic testing become more sophisticated, what about abortion to select for traits that are not related to health? What about the practice in in-vitro fertilization where multiple embryos are implanted, and then some are selectively destroyed if the woman is found to be carrying too many? </p>

<p>A person with an absolutist position can run into problems when it comes to exploring these nuances, not just socially but academically as well. (A college student needs to be able to write papers that do consider multiple sides of any issue; that’s just part of the expectation in academic writing).</p>

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<p>alright, I think I understand this better now. </p>

<p>thanks to everyone who posted :slight_smile: I just wanted to do some research beforehand. </p>

<p>now I just have to wait and see if I’m actually accepted or not…</p>