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Record for NoIndoctrination.org entry #526.

Purdue University Calumet

May. 17, 2006

http://www.calumet.purdue.edu/

Course: SOC 100: Intro Sociology

Course Catalog Description: A survey course designed to introduce the student to the science of human society. Fundamental concepts, description, and analysis of society, culture, the socialization process, social institutions, and social change. A first course for sociology majors and a possible terminal course for non-majors.

Professor: Denise Netko

Required? Yes, for my major or minor

Lecture Bias: Objectionable

Comments: Up until the last month of the term, things had been relatively quiet. We mostly just went over sociological terms, statistics, famous sociologists, and so on. Not until we got to our last chapter did the test become very PC and biased. For that test, the teacher handed out stapled sheets of notes to the students. Each sheet had 6 squares of information, 2 columns down, and 3 rows across. [Note: Upon request, the student poster sent NoIndoctrination.org these "Inequalities: Race & Ethnicity" study sheets.] On the second sheet, two squares contained biased political and PC messages. The first one on the top left corner reads:

======================================================
Minority and Dominant Groups

* Minority Groups - people who are singled out for unequal treatment
-regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination

* Dominant groups - those who do the discriminating
-have the greatest power, most privileges, & highest social status
-Privileged position attributed to superiority
========================================================

What these notes imply is that dominant groups are the only ones who discriminate against people, and that minorities are defined by unfair treatment instead of a simple case of lower population.

The other square of notes appears on the second sheet at the bottom right corner which reads:

=====================================================
Old-fashioned racism vs. modern racism

-Old-fashioned racism: overtly expressed prejudice
* KKK

-Modern racism: prejudice that is expressed more subtly
* Opposing affirmative action
=====================================================

Now what this set of notes is implying is that people who disagree with affirmative action are closet racists, which is simply absurd. These notes pull the race card against opponents of affirmative action, and try to get students to believe it.

I cannot recall the actual test word for word, but there were many questions that were basically just opinions passed off as facts. One question for example went along the lines of: "True or False: Women have the same opportunities as men." First of all, that is a very vague term with no specifics as to what they are describing. Is the question asking if men and women have the same social roles, the same ability to get jobs, the same likeability to get jobs, the same ability to get into college, to get a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, a PhD? It is not specific, and it is just a vague opinion being passed off as a black-and-white True or False question.

Discussion Bias: Noticeable

Comments: It is noticeable that the teacher of the class has a political bias. However, this is not much of a problem because she lets students discuss in class and allows students who disagree to say so. If nobody offered a counter-point, I would imagine that the students would not receive a balanced view of the issues.

Readings Bias: None

Comments: The readings she assigns have not had a very noticeable political bias, and thus I have no issues with them.

General Comments: While the teacher does allow students to openly discuss the issues and openly disagree with them, rarely does she offer the other sides of the issues herself.

[NoIndoctrination.org Note: Purdue University's Academic Freedom policy states, "It is the established and firm policy of Purdue University to provide, protect, and promote an environment of academic and intellectual freedom of scientific inquiry and publication and the freedom and responsibility of teachers to acquaint their students with the various sides of controversial subjects within their fields of subject-matter competency" (http://www.purdue.edu/faculty_staff_handbook/pages/polpro/ac_ad_pro/fac_pol_ac_free.html)]

Rebuttal

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