<p>Hope it's okay to mention a specific college guidebook here...</p>
<p>I just got Choosing the Right College (by the ISI) from the library. The discussions of the political atmosphere and policitized courses and professors greatly interest me and they seem to be well-researched. These issues are somewhat important to me as I'm a moderate Republican and don't want left-leaning students or profs trying to indoctrinate or pressure me into their belief system, as I firmly believe happens in several colleges throughout the US. However, sometimes the book seems to assume too much, such as that a traditional core curriculum is absolutely essential to a good education and that all broad-based interdisciplinary programs are worthless if one wants to become well-educated. Does anyone know more about the methodology used here, or the goals and associations of the organization behind the book? It seems like a valuable resource for someone in my situation. I just don't want to take what it says as the truth until I get evidence that it's based on fairly objective analysis and not ideology.</p>
<p>that guidebook seems pretty useless to me. There are plenty of conservatives on any college campus.. and even the most "liberal" colleges have College Republican clubs. </p>
<p>Regardless of what Rush Limbaugh may be trying to tell you, there is no evidence of a systematic liberal indoctrination at any college. That guidebook seems to assume that you will somehow become less of a person if you go to a college with liberals. I think it would make you a better republican to consider why so many people your age are liberal. </p>
<p>Nobody can "pressure you in their belief system"... i thought personal repsonsibility was a core republican ideal, and here i'm hearing that other people will have control over your beliefs?</p>
<p>the book is produced by a right-wing organization, funded by conservative interest groups. It seemed to me like its produced more for parents who fear that they are sending their kids off to become liberals, than it is for any actual student with an interest in learning.</p>
<p>That right there is proof positive that SOME profs and students try to indoctrinate. I know this will probably happen everywhere, but I want to make sure it's not a constant thing I will have to deal with. I wasn't saying that other people will control my beliefs, just that I don't want to be shunned or seen as different because of my political views. It seems to me like you probably haven't ever read the book in question, anyway.</p>
<p>And why do you think it would be such a bad thing to be around people who have different opinions from you? I'm mostly "liberal" ("" because my beliefs lie all over the political spectrum and because I don't see a bipolar continuum as necessarily representative of anyone except a few extremists) and I'm worried that wherever I go to college, too many people will think LIKE me. I'd rather be around people who can engage in debate and challenge my views, not reenforce them.</p>
<p>I read the book and I found it quite boring and difficult to read. As to methodology, I agree that the book makes certain assumptions about the best way to learn--i.e., that a core curriculum is better than distribution requirements and that distribution requirements are better than no requirements. I don't see how you can prove such a thesis and moreover, I think that the individual student and his/her interests and learning style are huge factors in this type of analysis.</p>
<p>The political discussions might be of interest to you, but I think that you can get a fairly good sense of campus leanings, whether conservative or liberal, by reading Fiske or some of the other more traditional college guidebooks.</p>
<p>It's just that TheCity said "so many people" my age are liberals. This implies my way of thinking is outside the norm at many colleges (exactly what I said to begin with), and I should reconsider not belonging to the majority. I like debate as much as the next person, but I don't want to be automatically excluded from political discussions.</p>
<p>Simpsnut14-I can certainly understand your desire to go to a school with like-minded students, although I tend to agree with eclipse0 that it might be better to attend a school where there is a healthy debate. However, my only point was that the ISI book seems quite opinionated and dense and there might be better books that would give you accurate information about the political climate on a specific campus.</p>
<p>I was actually responding to eclipse0's comment, and you just beat me to pushing Submit :). I don't want to go to a school with all like-minded students, just one where I won't be in such a minority that we are not considered part of the debate. Any suggestions of other books that talk about politcal climate other than ISI and Fiske?</p>