"Tell me more about this class and any of the remarks your professor has made"

NJO: Originally appeared on the Rutgers Centurion's forum.


Topic: I can't believe I have to do this

hlcobassoon:
I can't believe I have to do this « on: January 24, 2005, 07:03:20 PM »
First, I apologize for not being able to make it to the meeting tonight.  I am sick and don't want to be too far from a bed.
For multiple reasons, most of which are too complicated to explain here, I have to take a women's studies course this semester (Douglass requirement).  I went into this hoping I would get a decent teacher who would stick to the original point of feminism and not be too extreme.  Well, for the course that fit in with the rest of my schedule, called Feminist Practices, I am required to read "The W Effect: Bush's War on Women," which has this awful charicature of him on the cover.  Now, I'm just assuming this is going to be dreadful, but before I assume too much, has anyone read this book and is it really as bad as it sounds? 

jokeefe:
Re:I can't believe I have to do this « Reply #1 on: January 25, 2005, 05:46:35 PM »
Tell me more about this class and any of the remarks your professor has made

James  

gardianangel:
comrades « Reply #2 on: January 26, 2005, 07:06:38 PM »
Disclaimer:  the message that is to follow is my honest attempt at an independent evalution and critique of your website and the larger, idealogical, body of which it is a part.  Although I may use partisan examples, my intent is merely to present a frame of reference; not to knock your ideas.

I highly enjoyed the "most partisan door" video.  I found the Moore-esque sarcasm to be very amsuing.  I continued on to the rest of your site, noting the "WHAT YOUR PROFESSORS DONT WANT YOU TO READ" and "Recommended Reading" section.  Friendman's book is especially dear to my heart, although I find it slightly absolutist.  I guess my concern really began to grow during my reading of your constitution.  Two provisions caught my attention:  "To present, provide and contribute a non-partisan politically conservative forum " and "To establish and foster a supportive, inclusive conservative community ."  At first thinking I chalked your movement up with the rest of those I relegate to the realm of political hackery, those that do nothing to further true progress or lift up political discourse.  I guess what I'm trying to say is this :  do not become your enemy.  I understand it seems like the academia establishment all around is liberal and its true.  Its been a valid conservative gripe since it was first uttered.  Bashing opposing political groups does not get us anywhere though.  It creates distrust and exclusiveness by catering to only one political group and not another.  Tyranny by the majority or tyranny by the minority is still tyranny.  Anyway, I feel like I've vented enough, I hope I haven't come off as abrasive honestly I'm hoping to get an intelligent response.  In the event I do I hope you will also address some other political paradoxes of the conservative agenda. 


hlcobassoon:
Re:I can't believe I have to do this « Reply #3 on: January 26, 2005, 08:37:11 PM » 
Well, there hasn't been much going on in the course yet, but I did get the syllabus today (professor was a week late on that one), and towards the beginning it does say "It is not a requirement or presumption of this class that you are a feminist."  That made me feel a little better about it, until I looked at the final project, which is a group project with one of four topics.  One of those topics is "Reproductive Rights," which I just cannot believe is considered to be a reasonable topic for a project in a course that claims to assume nothing of the students' ideologies.  With the way the course is set up, one of the groups will definitely have that as their project issue, which must be approached from a feminist standpoint.
I really can accept feminism and that it has its place, but I don't even see how reproductive rights can be a feminist issue if you take feminism as simply being the belief that men and women, with their differences, are of equal worth (which is basically the definition this class goes by).  Reproductive rights is nowhere near the realm of "feminism" according to the definition the course uses, yet that issue apparently can have a "feminist intervention" (the actual assignment is to plan a feminist intervention dealing with your groups topic).
I also have to say some more things about that issue.  First, that "topic" can have many different meanings and I understand that, such as population control, laws/pressure against intermarriage, etc.  However, from what I have seen so far of this class, the majority of students will take that phrase only to mean pro-life vs. pro-choice.  The syllabus does not state explicitly which side of "reproductive rights," the course supports, but not only can it be inferred, it can be reasoned out.  If you do not believe abortion is right, then you wouldn't think someone who might want to abort a baby would have the right to do so, so you most likely would not even refer to that topic as a "rights" issue. (I know that's a very crude way to explain it, but I've had an interesting day and my brain is fried for the evening).  I believe we do have some readings that show other issues that could be called "reproductive rights," but I am not sure since I have not done all the reading yet, and those readings are assigned for a date after the project groups and topics are determined.
Also, I'm just not very keen on the pro-life/pro-choice discussion altogether.  I have my personal beliefs and my understanding of the way the world is, and those two things just don't get along very well.

I apologize for that being somewhat lengthy and for ranting a bit more than I should have there.  I could email you a copy of the syllabus if you want.


jokeefe:
Re:I can't believe I have to do this « Reply #4 on: January 26, 2005, 09:27:47 PM » 
What's the name of the course, instuctor, webpage?


jokeefe:
Re:I can't believe I have to do this « Reply #5 on: January 26, 2005, 10:14:19 PM »
An intellectual monopoly is more than just a “conservative gripe,” Gardiangel, it serves itself as an impediment to the pursuit of truth, something which transcends partisan or ideological politics.  In fact, rather than being a gripe, I actually appreciate it.  It challenges me, increases my ability to reason and strengthens my own arguments.  However, I worry that truth and the spread of knowledge are being put in second priority behind catering to the intellectual majority.  Just like in a court of law, it is a moral necessity to have a counterweight to achieve a balance.  Mix balance with radicalism, and you still don’t achieve balance. Being that you are well read in political philosophy, you will recall that John Stuart Mill once said truth will become dead and formal if unchallenged by criticism and debate.
    Without intellectual diversity, there can be no free inquiry.  We believe in the free market, that utopia is nowhere, that responsibility is inseparable from liberty.  We believe that the United States, with its “untrammeled freedom to reason” is the highest achievement of rational quest in the world; as evidenced by what it has accomplished.  We believe that freedom is a human right, and that there exists a great being beyond our comprehension.  Yet we find virtually no faculty at our public university which subscribe to such beliefs.  In fact many studies have shown that faculty have been discriminated in the hiring processes for subscribing to such beliefs. The only professor who accepted our invitation to be our faculty advisor was a self avowed “Marxist, socialist, feminist and pragmatic postmodernist.” Then he became hostile with us for printing a challenge rebuttal to his left-leaning column he mandated we print in a journal we formed with our bare hands with our own money.  He told us we “believe equality is a bad idea.”  He told us “not to f*** with me,” and on various occasions made personal threats against the editors.  As well-read and as published as these professors may be, they lack the civility and the professionalism that is required of their job description.  So who’s the negative one here?
    The same audience that complains The Centurion is too negative applauds the efforts of filmmaker Michael Moore and extremely negative Ted Kennedy.  The very ideology, liberalism, that rebels against the status quo and fights to have things changed is now angry that a bunch of young ostracized students, are trying to do the same in the academy.  Socialists on their ivory tower thrones keeping the minorities in their place.  A little too ironic, Gardiangel, don’t you think?

Justine M. (Admin)
Re:I can't believe I have to do this « Reply #6 on: January 26, 2005, 10:54:59 PM »
Hi gardianangel.  Thanks for you post, I always appreciate articulate and constructive criticism.  I understand your concerns-- if there's petty bickering and mud slinging on both slides then obviously no progress will be made. Still,  I dont see anything wrong with what we're doing. I think fostering a conservative movement and in a way "bashing" libs is a way to get some initial attention, since we currently aren't getting ANY attention. Once people know more about us and conservatism and what it stands for we can do more constructive things with our movement.  But for now it doesn't seem right that we're supposed to sit around tweedling our thumbs and being polite while people are putting up stickers that say "FUCK REPUBLICANS" and Kerry busses for change parked out on college ave etc!  


gardianangel
Re:I can't believe I have to do this
« Reply #7 on: January 27, 2005, 08:58:24 AM »
You say you aren't "getting any attention" and that you are "fostering" a movement (quotes from aprevious post by justine).  And yet the movement (at least in the current manifestation) you are talking about currently has solid control of all three branches of federal government.  What more is there to foster?  Or are you simply trying to wipe out the idealogical opposition?  At some point the battle for ideas is no longer battle, eventually it becomes massacre.  These aren't accusations, just some questions for you to mull over.

Here are some more questions.  What then is to be done about the idealogical bias in academia?  Affirmative action for conservatives?  should idealogical posture be an appropriate parameter or hiring and firing?  Lets say for a second affirmative action is taken in order to remedy the preponderance of left-leaning advocates; don't we then have an obligation to make sure other political viewpoints are represented?  Should faculty positions be held open for socialists or fundamentalists?


hlcobassoon
Re:I can't believe I have to do this
« Reply #8 on: January 27, 2005, 06:36:57 PM »
It's not about more conservatives in the school as much as it is acceptance of conservatives and that other students/professors do not just assume everyone around them believes exactly what they do.  I have been insulted many times at this university for my beliefs, and many of those who have referred to those beliefs as careless and idiotic have in the same breath preached acceptance of all cultures and religions.  Through sarcasm that is a bit of "bashing" of those actions, you can get people to at least think for a second about their hypocrisy.  From what I have seen (I have not yet contributed to the Centurion), this forum is not about having more conservatives, but about people accepting conservatives, and not having the ideological monopoly in the faculty that can prevent someone who shows a hint of conservative thought from getting a job here.
Opposition, to a point, is healthy.  It encourages thought and keeps your mind sharp.  It would be very dull if there was never any conflict to get you thinking.  That's part of the reason why I came to Douglass.  Sure, I complain about it often because it is much more extreme than it should be, but it forces me to be aware of my own beliefs and to be firm in where I stand.

To reply to the other post, that course is called "feminist practices," instructor is Jennifer Morgan, but there is no webpage.


Justine M. (Admin)
Re:I can't believe I have to do this
« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2005, 07:31:04 PM »
guardian angel,

you can't be denying that there's a liberal stranglehold over academia. true, there is a conservative domninance in the government right now, but step onto a campus and you're made to feel like conservatives are some alien species that doesn't really exist but people like to talk about. should we use affirmative action to hire more conservatives? absolutely not, what a ridiculous question. rather, professors should strive to create more balance in the lecture halls. conservatives should not have to feel so marginalized. and yes, faculty positions should be just as available to socialists as they are for conservatives.