Civil discourse is often considered an essential component of higher education. However, universities have arguably become ideological battlegrounds rather than communities of free inquiry. How is polarization affecting conversations in the classroom at USC?
*****
In the leadup to the 2020 election, polarization was at an all-time high. According to the new USC Polarization Index, the political divide in America has narrowed only slightly since. Faculty and students on both sides of the political spectrum provided insight on the state of polarization at USC.
James Moore, a professor of industrial and systems engineering, says the environment at USC limits discussion. He believes this takes away from a student’s education.
JAMES MOORE: Because we’re in an environment that I would characterize as fairly extreme, it limits the discussions that we have. And it leaves students too often, I think, with a distorted point of view about the various elements of the issues in play. So it doesn’t help. It diminishes the quality of education.
Some students disagree. Lee Schlosser is the vice president of Trojan Democrats. He says the environment at USC actually promotes civil discourse.
LEE SCHLOSSER: I actually haven’t seen a ton of polarization politically on the USC campus. I see a lot of healthy discourse, especially my political science classes. And I think, to a degree, it leads to productive conversation. It’s just you know, when things get too divisive, it can make the learning environment tough.
Students without mainstream beliefs say their experience has been different. Marin Ruiz is the president of USC College Republicans. She says she doesn’t feel comfortable expressing her beliefs because she knows they’re not widely accepted.
MARIN RUIZ: I know for me, there’s been plenty of times where professors have made political comments in classes that have been out of reach of what the class is supposed to be about. And I also think it makes students way more timid in classrooms. I know for me, I definitely feel timid in saying what I believe in, because I know that my professors might not agree with me. And there’s plenty of my members that, you know, we talk about this a lot about professors saying things and being like, oh, we don’t feel comfortable writing papers about what we believe in because we know that it’s not what they want to hear.
While Schlosser believes every opinion should be heard, he says criticism shouldn’t come as a surprise for “misinformed” parties.
SCHLOSSER: I think it’s important that we don’t fall into the idea of cancel culture and that we don’t suppress people’s opinions and views. But when your side is, perhaps misinformed on some things, or when you have an opinion that isn’t the majority opinion, I think it’s pretty natural to expect criticism.
When asked to respond to Schlosser’s comment, Ruiz said there is a disproportionate amount of disbelief when it comes to conservative beliefs.
RUIZ: A lot of the information that we do talk about even in the club is backed up by factual things. And so it does get really frustrating when people try to use that defense of, “Oh, well, conservatives are spreading misinformation.” Okay, well, we could say the same thing about you guys, too, right? But that doesn’t mean that we want to inhibit you from saying whatever you think is right.
It is telling that the two sides disagree heavily even on the culture of political discourse. However, one thing that both sides strongly agree upon is that everyone deserves to be heard, regardless of their views. Not all hope seems to be lost for students looking for a less polarized college experience.