Universities Now In The Business Of Comforting The Comfortable
Frank Furedi in The Guardian:
Students studying the archaeology of modern conflict at University College, London, have been told they are permitted to leave class if they find the discussion of historical events "disturbing" or traumatising. This does not surprise me. Shielding students from topics deemed sensitive is fast gaining influence in academic life.My colleague at another university showed a picture of an emaciated Hungarian Jewish woman liberated from a death camp. A student, yelled out, "stop showing this, I did not come here to be traumatised", disrupting his lecture on the Hungarian Holocaust. After the student complained of distress, caused by the disturbing image, my colleague was told by an administrator to be more careful when discussing such a sensitive subject. "How can I teach the Holocaust without unsettling my students?" asked my friend. Academics who now feel they have to mind their words are increasingly posing such questions.
Pretty soon, higher education will be nothing more than an expensive four-year detention, "Sit here and read quietly."
Conan the Grammarian at October 21, 2016 8:02 AM
The great un-learning continues. Yesterday it was logic is racist and misogynistic. Today its people enrolled in a Holocaust class getting offended and demanding images of the Holocaust be removed to protect their delicate sensibilities. What new anti-education surprise will academia provide us tomorrow?
Shtetl G at October 21, 2016 8:07 AM
I think such re-education centers should adopt the slogan of
which is a google translation of "To comfort the comfortable, to afflict the afflicted."
Because in 20 or so years, such delicate flowers will be running death camps, but unlike Che, will not actually get their own hands dirty or even relish the idea. No, that they'll farm out that unpleasantness to others so they don't have to see such untidiness.
I R A Darth Aggie at October 21, 2016 9:48 AM
I'm with you, I R A, on thinking this sort of comforting cannot lead to good things. To say the least.
I quoted Nassim Taleb on "anti-fragile" in this column:
http://www.advicegoddess.com/ag-column-archives/2016/09/look-on-the-alw.html
Amy Alkon at October 21, 2016 10:40 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2016/10/21/universities_no.html#comment-6545142">comment from Amy AlkonLink to Taleb's book, "Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder":
http://amzn.to/2dvycOV
Amy Alkon at October 21, 2016 10:41 AM
If you shield people from the horrors of life, they do not become adults. They remain naive and gullible children, who believe in the tooth fairy, who are easy to trick, easy to cheat, and easy to be made into useful idiots. Down that path lies untold horrors--just ask the people of Venezuela who actually voted for Chavez and then Maduro. It is noteworthy that young adults don't realize how many people Communism killed, and say they might vote for a communist.
This naive outlook also contributes to drunk-sex-regrets. Who would have thought that getting black out drunk might cause problems? No one told them!
cc at October 21, 2016 11:18 AM
Fuck university teachers. They fostered this attitude for because against conservative values, and to misquote Thatcher, 'Sooner or later you run out of other groups heretics'
So, to all those caught in a trap they help design and deploy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6CVvNRQcvE
lujlp at October 21, 2016 11:18 AM
In a recent survey, Millennials believe George W. Bush killed more people than Stalin.
Conan the Grammarian at October 21, 2016 11:50 AM
Unbelievable.
Amy Alkon at October 21, 2016 12:32 PM
It turns out that there's good conflict
There's a phrase...oh yeah, steel sharpens steel.
In a recent survey, Millennials believe George W. Bush killed more people than Stalin.
Well, those who don't learn or aren't taught history will end up in the gulags.
I R A Darth Aggie at October 21, 2016 2:54 PM
Was the student really traumatized or making a statement I wonder.
NicoleK at October 22, 2016 8:08 AM
How far we have come:
70 years ago teenage boys were storming the cliffs of Normandy under heavy enemy fire. Today 20 something men are crying in a "safe space" because they heard/saw something that didn't mirror their opinions.
Jay at October 22, 2016 1:50 PM
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