Unassailable ideas : how unwritten rules and social media shape discourse in American higher education /
"Colleges and universities in the United States play a profoundly important role in American society. Currently, that role is being hampered by a climate that constrains teaching, research, hiring and overall discourse. There are three core beliefs that define this climate: First, any initiativ...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York, NY :
Oxford University Press,
[2020]
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Connect to the full text of this electronic book |
| Summary: | "Colleges and universities in the United States play a profoundly important role in American society. Currently, that role is being hampered by a climate that constrains teaching, research, hiring and overall discourse. There are three core beliefs that define this climate: First, any initiative framed as an antidote to historical societal ills is automatically deemed meritorious, and thus exempted from objective scrutiny of its potential effectiveness. To use a medical analogy: All proposed cures to a disease are assumed to be good cures. Second, all differences in group-level outcomes are assumed to entirely be due to discrimination, with little tolerance given to exploring the potential role of factors such as culture or preferences. Third, everything must be interpreted through the lens of identity. Non-identity-centered perspectives, regardless of how worthy they might be, are viewed as less legitimate or even illegitimate. All of these beliefs are well-intentioned and have arisen in response to important historical and continuing injustices. However, they are enforced in uncompromising terms through the use of social media, which has gained an ascendant role in shaping the culture of American campuses. The result is a climate that forecloses entire lines of research, entire discussions, and entire ways of conducting classroom teaching. The book explains these three beliefs in detail and then provides an extensive list of case studies illustrating how they are impacting education, knowledge creation-and, increasingly the world beyond campus. The book also provides a detailed set of recommendations on ways to create an environment on American campuses that would be more tolerant of diverse perspectives and open inquiry"-- |
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| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (x, 192 pages) |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780190078089 0190078081 9780190078072 0190078073 9780190078096 019007809X |