One more reprint before I boogie off to Atlanta. This one comes from November 14, 2006.
A colleague of mine (a poli sci prof) and I were chatting in the hallway yesterday, talking about last week’s election. She and I are both solid liberals, and we expressed our satisfaction and relief at the national and local results. And then she said something interesting: "You know, as much as it pains me to admit it, some of my best and brightest students are the most politically conservative. They often seem more articulate and passionate than the others." I agreed that all things considered, my experience in recent years had been the same.
No, I’m not going to make the argument that the most intelligent and insightful of students are natural conservatives. Rather, I’m convinced that most young people are, at heart, naturally rebellious against authority. Though Pasadena was once a reliably Republican town, it is so no longer. And I know full well that with a few exceptions, my colleagues on this campus are reliably and nearly uniformly left-wing. Oh, there’s the odd Libertarian or two, and I have one colleague who still hasn’t outgrown his fascination with Ayn Rand. (This is a sign, mind you, of developmental disability. When you’re 19, you are permitted to find the Fountainhead inspiring and brilliant. If you still find it so when you’re 39, instead of seeing it correctly as turgid, overwrought garbage, then you are experiencing some form of mild intellectual retardation.) Many of my senior colleagues are veterans of the civil rights or "brown power" movements. We sit around sometimes and swap stories of various protests we’ve been involved in over the years. I know of only one tenured member of my department who voted for Bush in ‘04; he was not only outnumbered by the Kerry voters but by the Nader voters as well.
Bottom line: it’s tough to rebel on this campus by moving to the left. On the other hand, "coming out" as a young conservative allows you the wonderful thrill of tweaking the noses of your elders, a temptation that many of the young find difficult to exist. In my childhood, lefties drove around with bumper stickers that said "Question Authority." Well, their children and grandchildren are doing just that — except that in order to do so in a truly satisfying way, they’ve got to challenge their mostly left-wing teachers and professors. Not for one second will I concede the intellectual superiority of conservative ideas or values; I merely acknowledge that on campuses like my own, it’s "more fun" to be a young Republican thanks to the cachet of counter-cultural rebelliousness that it carries. Trust me, I’m not going to spoil the fun for these lil’ right-wing whipper-snappers; if they like, I’ll happily play the liberal foil for them.
Of course, there’s another kind of student whom I often see drawn to conservatism. Often, these are kids who come from turbulent and impoverished backgrounds. Stereotypically, they "ought" to be reliable Democrats (if they have any politics at all.) But many of these kids become infatuated with the Republican gospel of stern self-reliance and the "up by your bootstraps" mentality. They see family members and friends who seem stuck in poverty, and they have come to believe that that poverty is less a result of racism or social structures and more a consequence of poor personal choices. Filled with ambition and eager to transcend their class, these boys and girls see themselves as "exceptions to the rule." Many of them, frankly, are also filled with a strange mix of hunger and anger: the hunger is to succeed, the anger is at those around them who have not taken advantage of what these kids believe are myriad opportunities for self-improvement.
These young conservatives aren’t just rebelling. Rather, what appeals to them about conservatism is the notion that people ought not to be insulated from the consequences of poor behavior. (Pace, my fellow liberals, we all know damn well organized Republicanism inoculates the wealthy from that very thing.) While conventional liberal ideas encourage them to see culture through the lens of race and class, conservative thinking encourages them to see themselves as bold individuals bravely pursuing their private destinies. Thus, in an odd way, conservatism can become an expression of hostility towards their own race and class. Sometimes, I’m convinced these young folks are saying to their families:
We’re not poor because we’re black/Latino/what-have-you, we’re poor because you (mom, dad, etc.) made bad decisions. Well, I’m going to show you! I’m going to make something of myself, not merely to make you proud but also to show you that I am different from you and not defined by the same things that you allowed yourself to be defined by!
Seeing poverty and despair as the result of individual decisions rather than as the result of massive social forces allows the young conservative from a poor background to create an immensely flattering personal narrative: in his or her own mind, he or she becomes the "special one", clever and brave and ambitious enough to transcend the self-created, self-reinforced adversity that grips everyone else in the family and culture. While there may be some small grains of truth in this worldview, the insistence that most suffering is self-imposed and the consequence of bad decision-making is a convenient excuse to avoid the obligation to be profoundly compassionate.
Do I think we pick our politics primarily for psychological reasons? For the most part, yes, though I’m not enough of a reductionist to insist that’s the only reason. My liberalism comes partly from my mother, partly from my own life experience. On one level, it comes from a reflexive desire not to have my private behavior scrutinized and judged. On another level, it may indeed be rooted in a sense of "white guilt". Those who have ought to share with those who don’t, and I still believe that government is best prepared to serve as the primary instrument through which that sharing takes place. And of course, I’m desperately eager to protect the environment and to protect animal life, but those are not high priorities in either of the major parties.
Bottom line: I love me my young conservatives. One of my best students this semester wore a "Tommy Girl" t-shirt to class on election day; she loves ultra-right-wing politician Tom McClintock, who narrowly lost the Lt. Governor’s battle last week. For her, conservatism is about creating the ideal mix of freedom and responsibility; she sees it as the best vehicle for achieving her dreams. And she loves tweaking her fellow students (generally either apathetic or left-wing) and her liberal professors. She comes to argue with me a lot. I’m an indulgent old guy; rather than quarrel or allow myself to be provoked, I listen to her seriously, challenge her from time to time, but in the end, I always finish with a warm "Bless your heart. You’re right where you oughta be." And that’s what I generally say to my earnest, passionate, young right-wingers.
Just get your papers in on time, kids.
There is a huge difference between ‘liberal’ university environments and being incredibly leftist. Send an impoverished, queer, atheist, feminist, socialist with disabilities into one of these classes of mostly rich white kids and shit hits the fan. There are plenty of democrats and people who refer to themselves as liberal who hold these same notions about the poor. I get what you are saying about poor kids being conservative to try and say they are special, except every one of the young republicans I know here at college came from an upper middle class or higher background. It’s pretty damned sickening to sit there and listen to someone whose family owns three businesses and makes over two hundred thousand dollars a year intone shit about people they know nothing about (one girl’s entire exposure to the poor had been a twice a week for three weeks tutoring, like that’s going to make you an expert on poverty). Plenty of bullshit comes out of the mouths of those ‘liberal’ teachers too (like that the poor are out to rip off welfare).
Indeed, Cathy. My students are 80% nonwhite, mostly first-gen college students. Many are immigrants. Very little privilege there, which is what makes the young conservative phenomenon less galling and more intriguing.
I imagine both Hugo and Cathy can be right, depending on the university (or college, to use your American vocabulary) in question. I did my undergrad at the university with what was undoubtably the most conservative student body in Ontario (though, being Canada, probably not a very Conservative one. Martin-esque Liberals in that day, I’d guess) It has a very extensive co-operative education programme, which means that in a 5 year undergrad degree, you spend 2 years working at jobs in your field (at which I made $12-$16 an hour, rather than ~$7 at usual student employ), which allowed students to finance a degree most of us otherwise couldn’t have afforded. Very easy to see it as a “picking yourself up by your bootstraps” kind of life, though from anything from single mother on welfare to somewhat middle class backgrounds.
Coming to a different university for graduate school, I was constantly amazed by how much (many, anyways) of the students here are supported by their parents. And the student body is definitely much more liberal (at least, in an American sense, they’re probably far less Liberal and far more New Democrat).
Across the board, I can agree with everything Hugo says, except the bit about Ayn Rand. Reading Anthem when I was 16 was the most unpleasant reading experience I’ve ever had; 19 year olds who find her fascinating should be condemned, at 39 they should probably be made to sit in the corner.
I don’t know if it’s just ambition and arrogance like you outlined, Hugo, isn’t there a control element, too? If you believe in the conservative bootstrap narrative, you believe you have more control over your life. The liberal narrative, with its focus on systems and institutions and society-wide problems can seem very overwhelming. Faced with all of that, you can start wondering how the hell does anything you do really matter? It’s all predetermined to some extent. Embracing the conservative narrative is an antidote to that.
LOL on the Ayn Rand comment! I loved her in high school, later couldn’t read her. A wonderful part of my process.
Well, these people can’t all be right. I’ll have to check Ayn Rand out.
Well, these people can’t all be right. I’ll have to check Ayn Rand out.
Amazon tells me there are more than 26 million better books you could be reading, more than a lifetime’s worth.
Amazon “tells” you this, does it? I thought Amazon was on online retailer…
I’ve got better books in a box going to the Goodwill for lack of shelf space. But if you’ve got and hour and a half that you seriously won’t regret never getting back, The Fountainhead was made into a very bad movie.
Anyway, it sort of undermines the whole tolerance thing, which seems to be (at least ostensibly) the point of this post, when one smugly claims to have outgrown or matured beyond an author with which other people tend to identify. Or dismisses those with a differing political view as troublemakers who’ve only adopted their view because it’s fun to be rebellious at college. Ya think maybe they’ve carefully examined the issues and just ended up on the other side of the highway?
No bmmg39 — reality has a distinct left-wing bias.
Much of what passes for conservatism, as practiced in the post-Thatcher/Reagan years is as much about blaming the dirty hippies (and uppity women) for erosion of earlier hegemonic privilege as it is about a well-considered philosophy of human society.
Any collectivist enterprise, however obviously beneficial for society gets tagged as - zomg! - socialism (or worse) and the dead hand of the Market can do no wrong.
I think the messy reality that we live in complex systems of interaction and that the rules can be tweaked to deliver better outcomes for the society in a non-zero sum context is just much less satisfying than the “work shall set you free” ethic of the conservatists.
I think you might find that young conservatives at your school are more bright, articulate, and passionate because they’re the kids who have actually thought through the issues - enough to reject the standard liberal viewpoint and take opinions that aren’t shared by people around them. It’s true that many college campuses have a distinct liberal bias - especially among the faculty, but also among the students. Someone who doesn’t care, or doesn’t think, will likely go along with that bias and parrot what he’s been taught.
That’s not to say that all young liberals are succumbing to groupthink, of course - certainly there are some who are plenty thoughtful and informed.
I’m not sure, but I’d imagine it’s the other way around at colleges where conservative beliefs are the norm. People who bother to challenge the beliefs of their family, friends, and teachers are more likely to think critically in general.
Randomizer: “No bmmg39 — reality has a distinct left-wing bias.”
Or YOU do, while reality is neither left-wing nor right-wing.
Aimes,
I do not think conservative students have necessarily thought through the issues . Many campuses are very to the left, and as a result conservative students will essentially be attacked when they share their opinions by fellow students and by the faculty and staff. Liberal students do not have to express themselves as clearly because they can always fall back on another student or, more likely, a teacher to do that job for them. Liberal students also are not going to have their views challenged, particularly when their views mesh with politically correct progressive views. Conservative students lack this buffer zone (and they lack any real semblance of respect from the liberal teachers), so they have to be much better at presenting their ideas to be able to withstand the reactions they will receive. Whether they have really thought those ideas through is a different matter.
As for groupthink, while I doubt all young liberals fall to it, I think many, probably most, definitely succumb to it because their views simply are not going to be challenged in any real, substantive way while on campus or in class. However, I think this occurs in any situation in which those running it create an environment where their views are treated as flawless and unquestionable.
I was making a failed reference to the roast of George Bush by Steven Colbert at the 2006 Whitehouse Correspondent’s dinner - to wit:
Now, I know there are some polls out there saying this man has a 32 percent approval rating. But guys like us, we don’t pay attention to the polls. We know that polls are just a collection of statistics that reflect what people are thinking in ‘reality’. And reality has a well-known liberal bias. … Sir, pay no attention to the people who say the glass is half empty, because 32% means it’s two-thirds empty. There’s still some liquid in that glass, is my point. But I wouldn’t drink it. The last third is usually backwash.[18]
“I was making a failed reference to the roast of George Bush by Steven Colbert at the 2006 Whitehouse Correspondent’s dinner…”
K. I never got the Evite that year.
@Toysoldier - I’m more talking about the students who become conservative as young adults, not the ones who were raised in right-wing families and have always been that way. Those who consciously move away from comfortable ideas are likely to be better critical thinkers. Both groups are, as you say, forced to develop good presentation skills to defend themselves, and that’s not necessarily the same as critical thinking. I was weaned on conservative talk radio, so I know!
I do agree that the burgeoning conservatives haven’t necessarily thought their ideas all the way through. Almost all 20-year-olds just don’t have enough knowledge and experience to get a solid take on the political world, even if they’re seriously trying to understand the issues and not just trying to be different. Still, though, the act of becoming conservative on a liberal campus at least indicates the presence of independent thought and interest in what’s going on. They don’t get everything yet, but they’re probably better off than the people who never thought to challenge the party line.
And this, Prof Schwyzer, is exactly why you have (and are) one of my favorite Professors. Very few left wing teachers LISTEN to, let alone, ACKNOWLEDGE, that maybe just MAYBE us (few) conservatives are conservative, not because we were brain washed, but because we made a conscious choice. Your respect for me and my vastly differing views from your own made a huge impact on me, and for that, I thank you.
I think the liberal left and the conservative right bot have good qualities and bad qualities. I think it is better to work your way throught your political beliefs and find where you sit.
I support many causes of the left, Marriage Equality, Womens Equality, Affirmative Action. I support Social Security, AFDC, Welfare, Seperation of Church and State, I believe we should go beyond Universal Healthcare and follow Israel, France, Britain, Canada… and every other modern industrial Democracy and impliment National Healthcare. I am against the 3 strikes law and the death penalty. I support immigration. I believe education, including Public Colleges and Universities should be free.
At the same time I recognize the threat of Radical Islam and support the war on Terror, support the right to own a gun, I actually believe we should have exposed carry for all citizens, I believe in strong prison sentences for violent criminals, I do believe we need to place limits and restrictions. I am against amnesty for illegals I believe we need to develop a path toward legalizing them. I support the right for israel to exist and to defend itself from Hamas/Fatah terror from Gaza and Judea (west bank).
In many cases I am defined as a liberal and in many a conservative.
I reject the lefts attempt to blame everything on racist, mysogynist, or social economic reason just as I reject the rights empathy toward social responsiblity.
Aimes,
You’re absolutely right about the bright students at conservative schools. Having gone to a small evangelical college, I remember talking to my fellow liberal philosophy major friends about how “at most schools the smart kids are probably all conservative.”
We were in the 20-30% minority, along with almost all of the academically-inclined folks. Having experienced a more left-leaning research university environment for graduate school, I’d have to say that the opposite was at least partially true there (but there are obviously quite a few unintelligent conservative students around to even things out, of course).