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Mixing Bush and biology

Professors often bring their political views into classroom discussions, to illustrate ideas or just make jokes. Does this create a hostile learning envionment?

by Abby Rapoport

Rachel Fields '09 began her Introduction to Sociology class expecting class debate and an emphasis on analysis. She found a professor who willingly argued with and debated students with conservative opinions.

Fields sat in class as the professor openly told students with different opinions that they were wrong and their positions stupid. Her professor found "it hard to accept that students have a different opinion than she does," said Fields. Fields became so worried about disagreeing with the professor that she stopped raising her hand if she thought she would be at odds with the professor.

The question of whether liberal professors are accepting of other points of view has been raised nationally by Daniel Horowitz, a conservative political activist. Horowitz, along with other Republican leaders, has traveled across the country promoting his "Bill of Academic Rights," which argues for equality between liberal and conservative viewpoints.

Few dispute that Grinnell professors are predominantly liberal and aren't shy about expressing their personal views. "The average [opinion] is certainly more to the left in general," said Jim Swartz, vice president for Academic Affairs. The effect this has on classroom discussion and the educational process is less evident.

Alan Schrift, Philosophy, thinks that the goal of those attacking politics in the classroom isn't objectivity at all, but instead making higher education more conservative. Horowitz is "turning political discourse to where he wants it-which is somewhere between the right and the far right," said Schrift.

Swartz said that professors can use their political opinions "as long as it isn't asserted in a way of ?this is what others need to think' it's not a problem."

Some professors, like Schrift, think objectivity is impossible in teaching. "We're always affected by our own politics," said Katya Gibel-Azoulay, Anthropology. "There's no syllabus that does not in some way reflect a person's political predisposition."

To counter this subjectivity, Azoulay tries to acknowledge her biases, as well as those of the class readings. "In my selection of syllabi, I make an effort to find material that is analytically sophisticated rather than polemic," she said, "and where the politics of the writer are made clear to the reader."

Not all professors are so up front about their biases. "I don't make a big point of saying here I stand [on political issues]," said Jack Mutti, Economics.

According to Mutti, economics presents a specific world view, so during class disagreements, he asks, "Are [the students] disagreeing about how the economy works, or are they disputing value judgments?"

The key for Mutti is to distinguish between teaching facts and expressing opinions. "I'm not trying to convert people," Mutti said. "I don't try to come up with a final conclusion."

Gibel-Azoulay tries to temper personal attacks in her class by focusing on reasoning and substantive defense. "I do my best at the beginning of the semester [to say] that I am going to discourage opinions and emphasize understanding," she said.

Regardless of their personal politics, all three professors felt that current politics made good examples to help students relate to abstract concepts. "I don't find any problem with using political examples," said Schrift, who often compares current political ideology to much older philosophical ideas. "I don't steer away from political events at all."

Cat Pierro '08 has taken multiple classes with Schrift and says this use of politics in class can be helpful. "He does not state a political opinion generally however if it relates to philosophy and if he can use politics as an example, he'll bring something in," she said.

Some students agree that this is helpful. "I actually enjoy it when we can relate what we're doing in class to current events," said Freeda Brook '07.

Classes in the hard sciences represent more politically neutral territory. "It's not something I really talk about," said Damon Spayde, Physics. Spayde cannot remember any student making a political point in class, although he occasionally does make a political joke. "If I do make a comment, there's usually chuckling," he said.

As opposed to some disciplines in the social sciences, Spayde believes all students should feel comfortable in science classes. "We deal in physical reality," he said. "We have enough to do in the classroom just teaching our subject matter."

Gibel-Azoulay does not worry that students in disagreement will be less inclined to participate. "If they're paralyzed by feeling intimidated, they can't learn," she said.

Dilara Yarborough '06, who has taken class with Gibel-Azoulay, believes Gibel-Azoulay's willingness to acknowledge her own biases improves students' abilities to find their own opinions. "The professors who have been the most open [about their political positions] have led the best dialogues," she said. "Professors who are afraid to go out on a limb ... are not as able to do that."

Schrift echoed these sentiments, stating that the primary job of a professor is to upset the thinking of students and force them to question their positions.

Swartz hopes that by raising their own positions, professors also encourage their students to speak freely. "I hope people feel free to challenge and say what they think," he said.

Despite these intentions, examples like Fields' class imply that some students find the politicization of the classroom to be problematic. According to Fields, when a student is in the minority, he or she is far less inclined to participate in class dialogue. "You don't want to risk being the kid in class everyone is looking at and looking down on," she said, noting that she did not raise her hand if she did not think her professor would agree.

Others, like Francis O'Rourke '08, have had similar experiences, even in English classes. "Whenever I read a book with a dumb leader, I always dread the inevitable Bush reference in class," he said.

Fields worried that students and professors assume that others always agree and do not know how to respond to those who disagree. "People think, ?Oh, I'm so liberal and really accepting,' except everyone who's conservative is wrong" she said.

Students who agree with a professor's politics can still find their mention uncomfortable. "The politics of most Grinnellians are terribly liberal and uniform and insensitive," O'Rourke said. "Even though I am somewhat liberal, I get annoyed by it."

Uday Chandra '06 sees students as more a problem than faculty in terms of homogenous opinions. "There isn't a lot of ideological diversity on campus among students," he said. "That's a much bigger concern for me [than professors' politics]."

The dynamic between professor and student can create difficulties, acording to Fields, who thinks that professors should be aware of the influence they have over students. "A lot of people take the professor's word as law," she said.

Yarborough disagrees, arguing that debate with professors improves her own critical thinking. "Anytime someone who I respect intellectually has a different opinion than I do, it makes me think more critically about my own position. And that's never a bad thing," she said.

Chandra also finds disagreement between professors and students useful. "Grinnell students aren't easily intimidated," he said, and he believes they can actively debate with their professors.

Brook, Fields and Yarborough agree that the professor's attitude towards discussion can determine whether openness about their political positions helps or hurts class discussion. "Even my professors who do tend to be more vocal... have demonstrated that they know when to stop," said Brook.

Using politics in class can be effective for many students. "I don't think it detracts from the atmosphere of the classroom in anyway," said Pierro about her experience in Schrift's class.

Fields has had very different experiences in her classes. "We had a conservative kid in class and when he'd say something, [the professor would] just shut him down," she said.

O'Rourke agrees that conservatives do not have equal voice at Grinnell. "If I were conservative, I would feel... silenced," he said.

Many professors and students see political biases as inevitable and better stated than unspoken. "All learning is political," said Yarborough. "You may as well acknowledge it."

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