Study: Liberals admit to discriminating against conservative scholars
The researchers then ask:
Why, then, did Haidt have such difficulty finding more than a handful of conservative colleagues? The current results suggest one answer: Members of the conservative minority are reluctant to express their political beliefs publicly. Survey 2 shows why: Hostility toward and willingness to discriminate against conservatives is widespread. One in six respondents said that she or he would be somewhat (or more) inclined to discriminate against conservatives in inviting them for symposia or reviewing their work. One in four would discriminate in reviewing their grant applications. More than one in three would discriminate against them when making hiring decisions. Thus, willingness to discriminate is not limited to small decisions. In fact, it is strongest when it comes to the most important decisions, such as grant applications and hiring.
This hostile climate offers a simple explanation of why conservatives hide their political opinions from colleagues. Given that all academics depend on the opinions of their colleagues—who judge their papers, grants, and job applications—and given that such judgments are typically made by multiple reviewers (most of whom are liberal), this means that outspoken conservatives face a very serious problem. Hence, the more conservative respondents are, the more they hide their political opinions.
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Anyone who has attended college, let alone tried to work at one, knows the liberal mafia is alive and well.
JeremiahJohnson on October 3, 2012 at 2:43 PM
Heartache!
Del Dolemonte on October 3, 2012 at 2:44 PM
Not really new. Been known and studied before.
astonerii on October 3, 2012 at 2:46 PM
“Liberal Mafia” Perfect description of academic culture. You come out as conservative on Monday, and find a horses head in your bed on tuesday.
Donald Draper on October 3, 2012 at 2:47 PM
And October is anti-bully month. But will liberals look in the mirror? Never.
John the Libertarian on October 3, 2012 at 2:47 PM
Silly people.
Diversity refers to skin color only.
Ben Hur on October 3, 2012 at 2:48 PM
Of course they admit to it. Conservatism or any other viewpoint that challenges their weltanschauung is evil, and hence not legitimate. Perfectly logical to them.
Just underscores my contention that we can win every election from now until doomsday (perhaps that’s closer than I think), but unless and until we take back the schools from K through post-grad, we will not take back our country and our culture.
Rixon on October 3, 2012 at 2:48 PM
We should really, really, really stop calling them liberals.
In reality the only things they’re liberal about is spending other peoples money and encouraging promiscuity in young kids.
Fascists, tyrants, communists … all fit their behavior.
darwin on October 3, 2012 at 2:48 PM
In other words, the majority of so-called liberals are liars.
ConservativeLA on October 3, 2012 at 2:48 PM
Yet in the business world ANY hint of such discrimination is prosecuted to the Nth degree.
The academic world is the MOST discriminatory enviroment in the US.
And those in it, admit it. Yet nothing is done.
Jabberwock on October 3, 2012 at 2:52 PM
Notice how professors don’t run the world. There is a reason for that. It’s the old smart, but no one recognizes me for it.
Oil Can on October 3, 2012 at 2:52 PM
It is a vicious circle – conservatives know they’re unwelcome, so they self-select out of academia, which in turn is happy to comply in making them ever more unwelcome.
Missy on October 3, 2012 at 2:53 PM
As Kissinger famously said of academia, “The battles are so fierce because the stakes are so low.”
Missy on October 3, 2012 at 2:56 PM
Academia: Diversity does not mean what you think it means…
d1carter on October 3, 2012 at 2:59 PM
Higher ed is a cesspool.
forest on October 3, 2012 at 3:03 PM
Originally, that was true. But by now, diversity actually refers to many different factors, notably sexual tastes. In fact, diversity includes just about everything EXCEPT ideology.
jwolf on October 3, 2012 at 3:04 PM
This.
What’s fun though is that the conservative academics literally drive their liberal colleagues nuts. Especially the successful ones.
Do you know how popular Niall Ferguson is with his colleagues? Let’s just say not very.
CorporatePiggy on October 3, 2012 at 3:13 PM
Starve the beast, cut off their funding. I won’t give a penny to my school or its Alumni association.
UltimateBob on October 3, 2012 at 3:20 PM
That was my experience in higher ed.
Conservatism: The Love that Dare Not Speak Its Name.
PattyJ on October 3, 2012 at 3:22 PM
I’m hoping to see conservatives get fired up and take back the education system, as well as get more involved in at the least, local politics, in my lifetime. Entertainment would be nice too, but I’m not going to be unrealistic.
KMC1 on October 3, 2012 at 3:24 PM
Yep, and diversity of thought is the only type of diversity that truly matters.
strictnein on October 3, 2012 at 3:24 PM
We need to withhold federal funding from any non STEM majors or colleges that have them.
GardenGnome on October 3, 2012 at 3:25 PM
Some call it an echo chamber, but I think it’s more of a circle jerk.
ReaganWasRight on October 3, 2012 at 3:27 PM
I work in higher ed and I have a secret handshake I use with the three other non-Obama voters in our organization of 400+. And one of those is a Ron Paul guy.
I also have a secret high sign I use with fellow conservative alums of my liberal college. Not many of those, either.
Ah, the tolerance of the left.
Missy on October 3, 2012 at 3:27 PM
To be fair, as a conservative in academia, I’d relish the opportunity to discriminate against some of the liberals around here…
joe_doufu on October 3, 2012 at 3:28 PM
More than one in three would discriminate against them when making hiring decisions.
That’s how many admit it. I bet the actual number is a lot higher.
Steven Den Beste on October 3, 2012 at 3:29 PM
Simple solution. Just abandon conservatism and all will be forgiven.
Repent, o’wayward academics!
Limerick on October 3, 2012 at 3:31 PM
Get some lawyers and start suing. I’m all for the DOJ civil rights division — under a GOP administration, of course — to go into Hollywood and academia and start enforcing some “diversity” quotas of our own.
Punchenko on October 3, 2012 at 3:36 PM
There was a college professor I knew who was a “hidden” conservative. We talked carefully and encoded our language until it was “safe” to admit our secret to each other. The rest of this professor’s department was very liberal which is why he had to be so cautious.
Doomberg on October 3, 2012 at 3:37 PM
It’s like being part of the French Underground or something.
ReaganWasRight on October 3, 2012 at 3:50 PM
Yes. It was exactly like that when I met one conservative college friend for the first time at a class reunion (we didn’t know each other at school). We kept looking at each other quizzically during the conversation until we both worked up the courage to say “are you saying what I think you’re saying?” It took awhile.
Missy on October 3, 2012 at 3:53 PM
Alinsky’s tactics ARE bullying. Pick a target, freeze it, polarize it, isolate it and ridicule until it becomes less fun. This is school bullying with only the pain left out–but everything that cyber-bullying is.
Freeze it: some kid who threw up becomes “Barfboy”. Polarize it: No one is like Barfboy. Isolate it: You’re not one of those people who like Barfboy are you?! And of course ridicule while immense fun.
Is there any wonder why this country is in the shape it’s in? A major segment of the population backs a party that was instructed in public bullying.
Axeman on October 3, 2012 at 4:19 PM
Yup. I’m a professor and this is the way it works. You keep your moth shut so you don’t get pushed out.
Dr T on October 3, 2012 at 4:29 PM
I stopped giving a crap about whether libs were my colleagues or not. I speak my mind and speak it freely whenever I’m afforded the opportunity. I’ll be damned if some leftist tools are going to control the conversation while I’m around. My facebook friends list has been steadily decreasing and frankly my dear, I don’t give a d*mn.
Obviously others work in an environment that I’m not privy to the dynamics so i’m not judging anyone, just pointing out my experience. Keep fighting the good fight.
StompUDead on October 3, 2012 at 4:34 PM
And at the same time, under the guise of “No Tolerance,” we’ve conditioned people to never stand up to bullies. In the old days, Barfboy at least had the option of beating the lard out of anyone who called him that.
CurtZHP on October 3, 2012 at 4:45 PM
That’s great to hear. I wish I had your courage. I do post political stuff on Facebook so a few of my friends know the deal. Keep up the great work!
Missy on October 3, 2012 at 5:47 PM