<p>Just wondering what you guys think. My son is conservative, doesn't like it when teachers express their liberal opinions(which seems to be happening more and more as of late). How are the professors at such colleges? Is this a real concern or not a concern at all? ....how about the student body?</p>
<p>I'm talking about LACs in New England.</p>
<p>If he doesn't "like it" when liberal opinions are expressed, he'd probably be more comfortable at Hillsdale or Wheaton (IL).</p>
<p>If he doesn't like anyone having a different opinion, how's that going to work out in real life? It is possible to respectful of a different point of view without adhering to it.</p>
<p>When I went to college there was an older prof in poly sci who was clearly conservative. It didn't bother me because he really knew his topic, was a great teacher, made me think differently on some things, and made me clearer on what I believed. Great class and I recommended it to everyone. If I had not been in that class simply because he was known to be ideologically different to me, it would have been a shame.</p>
<p>Life isn't black and white.</p>
<p>If your son is already conservative, why should he want to go to a conservative college? If all he wants from college is to validate his current opinions, he's missing the whole point.</p>
<p>In general, one of the constant products of higher education is a liberalizing of social views. The reason is that most of us enter college with the viewpoints we inherited from our families, our hometown, our regions, our churches, etc. Until college, that message has been a pretty consistent one. In college - or at least in a good college - students are exposed, sometimes for the first time, to peers from different settings with different beliefs, and different basic assumptions about the world. Their typical first response is to criticize and defend that which they've always known, but if the college experience is what it should be, over time students come to realize that there's rarely a single truth or one superior viewpoint. Eventually, they should come to question the basic assumptions they brought with them - if they don't, you should get a refund - but they typically don't totally reject their original views. Over time they develop the capacity to view issues from vantage points other than the ones which define their own lives, and that tends to be what society considers "liberal." If your son can come out of college able to see and argue the value in points of view that he doesn't inherently share, he'll be what the world calls "educated."</p>
<p>Well, I would not recommend that a really conservative student attend Wesleyan or Oberlin. But there are plenty of colleges--even in NE-- that are somewhat to the right of Wes and Oberlin and definitely to the left of Hillsdale.</p>
<p>I personally think the profs are not going to be the most problem. Students are more likely to be, both in and out of class.</p>
<p>I do believe OP's point is that S may find it rough sledding at a NE LAC as a "conservative"; not that she is worried about the exposure to a "different" point of view...that "different" point of view does permeate these institutions, and I'm sure she is worried S will be muffled first, then eventually stifled.</p>
<p>The professors at said institutions need to remember that liberalism does not constitute the "crowding-out" of opposing points of view...but "modern liberalism" has indeed tended toward the fascist.</p>
<p>just my opinion.</p>
<p>that said...S is attending an Ivy in the fall..and I've already had an economic discussion w/ the Department Chair concerning similar issues.</p>
<p>OP....send S forth so that he can beat back the collective!</p>
<p>My DD is essentially fiscally conservative with a fair number or middle of the road and even liberal social feelings. She is not highly political, not looking for a debate, just an education. She has run into the gamut at Berkeley (Berzerkley) and even had a conversation with a prof as a frosh- "why are you telling me about your political point of view, you are supposed to be teaching me poetry?" Not sure she made a new best buddy, but they had an interesting discourse. She has been forced to evaluate all her beliefs and as she makes decisions, she will not merely repeat what she heard growing up, she will have seen and felt and understood both extremes of the people on each side of the ideas.</p>
<p>It is an unfortunate fact that many college classes today consist of leftist indoctrination. You might want to check out the book "Choosing the Right College" by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute for an interesting take on this issue.</p>
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My son is conservative, doesn't like it when teachers express their liberal opinions
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<p>Is he going to college to have his belief system confirmed or is he going to learn?</p>
<p>I can understand wanting to be part of a student body that is more liberal or conservative but professors? If your son is not interested in his professors perspective unless it reflects his, why not save a ton of money and just get a library card?</p>
<p>gadad--well said. to the OP, there are many who teach in new england LAC's who would label themselves as conservative but as an academic they value discussion of ideas, critical thinking, and rigor. also, the are often active conservative clubs on each campus.</p>
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It is an unfortunate fact that many college classes today consist of leftist indoctrination.
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<p>It's interesting to me that many conservatives seem to truly believe that it is just a coincidence that the majority of the best and brightest professors, and most elite colleges, tend to be liberal. gadad expressed the real relationship between the two very well.</p>
<p>It goes both ways...DD is somewhat liberal and goes to a rather conservative college. It's not a problem at all. The reality is that the world (including your potential workplace) is full of folks with differing opinions. Folks need to learn to be tolerant of others' opinions. It's also important to learn how to properly interact with folks whose opinions differ from yours. </p>
<p>I guess what I'm saying is that going someplace where everyone is JUST like you...may not be the best choice. But the reality is...even on the most conservative campuses you will find liberal students...and on the most liberal campuses you will find conservatives.</p>
<p>I would think the professors perspective on politics need not be the focus of any class where the subject being taught is nonpolitical.</p>
<p>Does anyone else wonder at the assumption (which seems fairly common here, or at least common enough that I've noticed it in several threads) that conservative kids are the ones who must "outgrow" their upbringing and heritage? Why don't we read posts recommending that an ultra-liberal kid be sent to Hillsdale, or a gay kid be sent to a school for future missionaries, in order to have his views challenged and develop the "capacity" to view issues from other perspectives? Just sayin'. :p</p>
<p>@geeps20: Second John2698's book recommendation. Also another book by ISI called "All-American Colleges." Intercollegiate</a> Studies Institute - College Guide</p>
<p>Some nice finds in there, and quite a few surprises. There are colleges of all sizes out there that are fairly apolitical, and colleges that encourage healthy debate rather than faculty trying to shout down kids like your son and docking them points for thinking outside the left side of the box.</p>
<p>C'BadDad, It doesn't have to be the focus to be a problem for some students. I attend a conservative college in a conservative area (I am a returning student.) If I could get back all the time I've spent while my professors have explained, over and over, about how "I believe it because G-d said it" is not a legit. arguement, I'd be done with school by now. It's come up in classes from English Lit. to Geology to Art History. </p>
<p>I nearly tore my own hair out in a social science class I took. The professor was a conservative. But not conservative enough because he insisted on using accurate data that forced a conclusion more associated with a liberal pov. </p>
<p>I am a liberal but I've very much enjoyed my conservative professors because they expect me to understand their pov and they grade me based not on parroting it back but on how well I defend my position using data. Some of my conservative classmates, on the other hand, are passionately dedicated to not letting any hint of liberalism "taint" their education.</p>
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It's interesting to me that many conservatives seem to truly believe that it is just a coincidence that the majority of the best and brightest professors, and most elite colleges, tend to be liberal.
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<p>You betcha!!!</p>
<p>OP: why would your son be considering liberal NE LACs? Do you think that would be a desirable experience for him? I would appreciate clarification of the original question, please.</p>
<p>geek mom, What I wonder if why conseratives assume it's only liberal students who try to shout down those whose political opinion is out of step with the majority view in the class? I had one memorable exchange with a classmate who told me that if I insisted on "remaining ignorant" I was going to Hell. The class? American Lit. </p>
<p>Also, it's been my best professors, liberal and conservative, at the conservative college I attend who have been the most dedicated to letting students present their own povs from across the political spectrum. They understand that it's not liberal or conservative to have ones beliefs challenged and to be able to well articulate other povs. That that has come to be viewed as "liberal" says a lot, in my opinion, about why there are so few conservatives colleges to be found at the top of lists of rankings.</p>
<p>I want any child of mine, not matter their politics, to get an excellent education. I don't hear any conservatives claiming their child could not get an excellent education at these elite schools but I do hear concern that they will have their conservative political leanings challenged. I don't think that my liberal son will be getting an excellent education at these schools because he's liberal. He'll be getting it because he will be challenged about his basic beliefs, the way he thinks and his assumptions. I'm just not afraid of that experience for him. In fact, I think his education would be a failure without it.</p>
<p>Even Berkeley has a young Republicans Club. I agree with gadad, that you learn more from views that challenge you. I took a history class in France with a guy who frequently said, "I'm not a Marxist, but in this case I think their interpretation of events was correct." It was very interesting to me - especially as I'd had a pretty Ameri-centric tour through historical interpretation up until then.</p>
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Kate, the only thing I take issue with in this quote is "not conservative enough because he insisted on using accurate data...." Despite your experiences to the contrary, you seem to think that your conservative professor isn't really conservative because he didn't conveniently ignore facts that contradicted a position you thought he would hold. By your own statements, your conservative profs demand objective arguments based on observable facts, and they accept your arguments if you can back them up. Does that make them "less conservative" in your view? If so... perhaps you don't really understand what makes them "conservative" to begin with?</p>
<p>In the classroom, "I believe it because God said it" is no more valid than "I believe it because Al Gore said the debate is over." Your profs recognize this, and they challenge your classmates to defend their positions with facts, just as they did you. Isn't that what you said they "need" liberal professors for, a few posts up in this thread?</p>
<p>Edit/addition: Regarding this:
[QUOTE=pugmadkate]
What I wonder if why conseratives assume it's only liberal students who try to shout down those whose political opinion is out of step with the majority view in the class?
I didn't say this, nor do I hold this assumption. I posted a question based on an observation of CC threads over time; you've countered with a generalization that seems to mischaracterize my earlier post. Here's a generalization of my own: This kind of exchange is precisely why so many conservatives quickly become bored with political arguments, disengage, and seek more productive exchanges elsewhere. Sadly, that means liberals often think they've "won." ;)</p>
<p>Really, the OP just asked a simple question about colleges that might or might not be a good fit for his/her son... and received half a dozen responses to the effect that the son won't be a whole person until he's spent several years immersed in an environment that contradicts his core values. I thought liberalism supported personal freedom and choice? What's wrong with the kid seeking out a school where he can focus on academics instead of his prof's personal politics?</p>