Dealing With Academic Bias And PC

[drewfactor]

I'm currently finished my undergraduate degree and have been working for a couple years now. Upon reflection of my academic career, I am horrified to think of the level of intellectual corruption that I faced during my four years at University (and in my high school years). This corruption is specifically the blatant indoctrination of young minds into a specific world-view that is held by our University professors and the legions of campus groups and organizations. These people all seem to be dominated by a single sentiment: anti-reason. Unfortunately, I discovered Ayn Rand after I left University, so I severly lacked the intellectual amunition to defend myself from the anti-reason mentality that dominates the campus crowd (including my professors). For those of you who studied (or are studying) in the Maths and Sciences, you're luckily spared from much of what I'm referring too.

A brief anecdote: I studied Nursing, in which a fourth year problem-based learning/small group course required an analysis of "systemic issues" (ie. population health, health care politics etc..) in health care. I decided to investigate the high rates of health problems (ie. diabetes, depression, suicide, addictions, high poverty rates) that exist among our Native Canadian (First Nations) population. I wanted to investigate some of the economic factors, such as the massive tax-funded subsidies that are poured into "native reserves" yet the continued abysmal state of the native population. I presented the reality that, despite the bottomless welfare pit that is the state of "native affairs," rates of many health-related problems among natives are much higher than the Canadian average. I thought that this might be an opportunity to investigate how some alternatives to government welfare spending such as free market alternatives (beginning with property rights for reserve natives) could help the native population.

Lo and behold, I was taken aside after class and told that my topic contained too much "eurocentrism" and that I needed to change my topic to "Culturally Competent Care." That's right, a watered down multiculturalist version of my original topic. At the time, I just wanted to get the mark and get out of the class. Today, with a bit more knowledge and maturity, I don't think I would have tolerated such BS

[Bryan]

These stories amaze me every time I hear them. I can't believe that they told you that your topic was "Eurocentric". In the context you described, it's an anti-concept designed to attack capitalism without even addressing it.

I'm glad I've never had to deal with this kind of crap in college. I go to an engineering school that is, for the most part, apolitical.