Is Freedom of Expression & Beliefs Encouraged in College Classrooms: Conservative Students’ Perspective
This project started with a question. Is freedom of expression and beliefs encouraged in college classrooms? It’s a simple question, and the knee-jerk response would be, “Of course.” However, upon extensive inquiry comprising a survey and interviews of college students, the answer may not be as encouraging as one would hope or expect.
Colleges and universities have long been celebrated as environments where free speech, along with the exchange of ideas and perspectives, is not only tolerated but encouraged. In the last few decades, we’ve seen this long-established assumption come into question. While universities have almost always leaned liberal in their population of students and professors, outspoken conservatives and right-leaning pundits have expressed their disdain for American universities.
Take Fox News, one of the most, if not the most, popular conservative-leaning news outlets, which disseminates the message that conservative university students are being actively silenced on practically a daily basis. One of the channel’s most popular shows, “The Five” discussed how conservative students were being forced to self-censor on campuses in a segment last December. The segment was largely a panel complaining about how conservative college students say they self-censor their views both inside and outside the classroom out of fear of damaging their reputations. One panelist stated, “Kids are self-censoring for good reasons, they know they are going to be punished by their peers and not given good grades by their professors.” But the most upsetting, especially if true, statement made was by one panelist who asserted, “They understand it’s not the place for dialogue.”
At first, like many, I was quick to write off these cases as news outlets such as Fox News simply pandering to their audience, highlighting rare cases of conservative students’ voices being suppressed on college campuses and in the classroom.
However, as a senior in college, I can share firsthand that I too have heard a handful of my peers express their frustration about holding any views that dissent from a liberal ideology. And, the longer I’ve been on campus, the more complaints I’ve heard, enough to wonder, what exactly is going on. If universities, particularly inside the classroom, supposedly encourage diverse viewpoints, free speech, and expression, why do a significant number of students feel disillusioned, scared to share their true opinions, and feel compelled to lie in assignments out of fear that their political views differ from those of their peers and professors?
With these questions in mind, I first created a survey to gain insight into college students’ thoughts on the longstanding belief that colleges and universities in the United States are pillars of free speech and places where the exchange of ideas and opinions is not only welcomed but encouraged. I set out to discover whether conservative-leaning students truly felt restricted when it came to voicing their opinions in the classroom; additionally, I was curious as to how their liberal-leaning peers viewed the situation–did liberal students have any hesitations when it came to sharing their views in the classroom?
You can find the more extensive details and results of my survey here:
What I found was that overwhelmingly, conservative and conservative-leaning students do not feel comfortable expressing their beliefs on politically-charged topics in class, whereas, their liberal and liberal-leaning peers do feel comfortable expressing their views. While the results were surprisingly clear, what was most jarring were the students’ written responses to my short answer questions. Many conservative-leaning students and even some moderate and left-leaning students expressed serious concerns about sharing their views in class and bone-chilling anecdotal evidence of extreme pushback from their peers and professors when dissenting.
After reading over these written responses, it became apparent to me what step I needed to take next in this project: interviewing conservative-leaning students about their experiences inside classrooms and their general feelings about this issue. My thought was, if they feel unable to voice their true opinions in class, and in some cases, are shut down, compared to their liberal peers, I want to be able to provide these students who feel silenced with a platform to share their experiences and concerns. If I could, with these interviews, spark conversation about improving the facilitation of free expression in the classroom, and encourage those who may not endorse conservative ideology to empathize with these students, then the interviews will have done their job.
Before listening, it’s important to note that all three of these interviews are of male students who took part in the previous survey and who would describe themselves as conservative-leaning to varying degrees. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a conservative-leaning female student to interview. This could be because as a male, I know more male students, or, it could also be due to the fact that more males than females in this age bracket tend to identify as conservatives.
The interviewees varied in class standing, consisting of a sophomore, a junior, and a senior, and majors included STEM, the humanities, and liberal arts. Each interview lasted between 45 and 85 minutes. The audio was edited for conciseness and fluidity. The editing did not alter the meaning of any of the interviewees’ responses.
When I shared the results of my survey, none of the interviewees were surprised. Most said something along the lines of, “I should know, I live it every day.” One described being a conservative in the classroom environment as “disheartening.” Another interviewee shared, “Personally, I’m sick of seeing the imbalance of the expression between the left and the right in the classroom.” Referring to the classroom environment and campus culture, one interviewee stated, “Diversity can be with anything, but just not with thought.” So, just minutes into each of my interviews, there was no question that these interviews would serve not only to support the results of the survey, but also to provide a human touch, and gain a deeper understanding of why these students feel the way they do.
The most glaring commonality among these interviews is the students’ sense of hopelessness and frustration evident in their responses to my questions. I got the sense that what these students were sharing with me were feelings they had been keeping bottled up for years and were itching to let out. Regardless of one’s political affiliation, it was difficult to hear the despondence of these students. “I’ve just gotten used to it at this point,” one interviewee shrugged, and another, “It’s kind of just become a fact of life for me. How do I feel that this is a fact of life? I guess like… enraged…the rage you feel at an injustice.”
Another common theme that emerged throughout the interviews was the double standard these conservative-leaning students perceived inside the classroom. They all communicated the desire to be able to share their opinions in class, and, if liberal students are allowed to express their views, they should be allowed to express theirs as well. “I feel very othered…or silenced almost,” an interviewee shared. “But not actively silenced, like passively silenced.” Again, none of these students professed that their professors were actively shutting down their views or overtly discouring conservative perspectives; however, professors, and other students in particular, contribute to a classroom atmosphere that makes these conservative-leaning students feel uncomfortable contributing to classroom discussion.
Perhaps most interesting is that a few of the interviewees mentioned that they don’t even consider themselves staunch conservatives, but rather hold some conservative-leaning views. It’s not necessarily that they have extreme conservative views that they feel unable to share in the classroom, it’s that they don’t hold similar liberal views that their peers often share in the classroom. So it appears that part of the issue could be that non-liberal students feel uncomfortable sharing any non-liberal opinion rather than far-right students feel uncomfortable sharing far-right ideology. This finding is even more harrowing than what was previously assumed because it demonstrates that any non-conforming liberal view is seemingly discouraged in the classroom, not solely solidly conservative beliefs.
One finding I found particularly surprising from the survey was that most students, regardless of political ideology, do not fear their grade will be negatively impacted if their political ideology differs from that of their professors’. This finding was further supported in the responses obtained from the interviewees. While professors can create an environment that is inconducive to sharing dissenting opinions in class, generally, they tend to be open-minded and allow for, and even encourage, differing viewpoints in discussions. The most prevalent source of hesitancy for conservative-leaning students sharing their beliefs in class, according to the interviewees, comes from the fear of upsetting their peers. Based on psychological research, we know that young adults are extremely conscious of how their peers perceive them and are afraid of disapproval, which can lead to social isolation. Listening to the interviewees, it seems as though conservative-leaning students are acutely aware that they are in the minority on campus, likely holding views that do not conform with the majority of their peers, which contributes to their fear of experiencing social repercussions, or “blowback” from other students for expressing their beliefs in class. The interviewees also expressed frustration regarding what they consider a double standard of needing to be exceedingly knowledgeable on the subject and bring ample evidence of their claim when their liberal peers are not often required to do likewise.
Additionally, the interviewees consistently discussed how quick others are to judge a conservative view and “write them off” before actually listening to their argument. “It’s a killing of conversation when all you need to attack someone is hear that they’re part of another group and not have a talk with them to get to know them as a person,” an interviewee expressed. “If you just slap a label on them, then you’re able to attack them much easier and much more vehemently.” When given the proper time to fully express their views, the students have had positive experiences and are able to help others see more clearly where they are coming from, even if those individuals don’t entirely agree with them. However, one interviewee cautioned that simple disagreement, or, “agree to disagree” is fading from existence. “It’s ‘fight war,’ ‘take no hostages’; you don’t want them to know there is a war to be fought so you stay silent.”
We’ve established that conservative-leaning students feel uncomfortable expressing their views in the classroom, and are frustrated as a result. But there’s little use in complaining or in my conducting the survey and these interviews if we aren’t seeking solutions to the issue. So, how can we address this problem and help foster a classroom environment where conservative students feel equally as comfortable sharing their views as their liberal peers?
I asked each of the interviewees what could be done to help conservative-leaning students feel more comfortable expressing their views in class, from an individual student, a professor, and an administrator level. All three interviewees shared a similar pessimistic view, being highly skeptical that much of anything can be done to improve the situation for conservative-leaning students.
Interestingly, they all had very different positions on who could influence the most positive change. One strongly believes it will rely on personal change. He asserts that conservative students need to stand their ground and share their views. “You may not agree with me, but I’m going to stand my ground because that’s what I believe in.” He also believes that professors being more objective would help the issue, but that students will affect the most change. On the opposite side, another interviewee says that attempting to encourage students to be more tolerant of differing views may be in vain. He suggested trainings and webinars aimed specifically at students to assist them in broadening their worldviews may help, but is highly skeptical of the idea leading to any meaningful change. The last interviewee agrees with the first, stating that it all hinges on the individual. He stressed that conservative-leaning students need to be talking to people one-on-one where others have to address the viewpoints with which they disagree. He even proposed the idea of students and professors using the Socratic method–don’t share your views, ask them about their stance, and have them defend it. That way they are forced to think deeply about their positions and are able to get to the root of each other’s values and perhaps even find some common ground.
One interviewee argues that, ultimately, it’s up to the professors to control the environment of the classroom. He reasons that professors should act as mediators when it comes to politically charged classroom discussions. Professors must conduct themselves in a professional manner and facilitate a classroom environment that promotes healthy and productive conversations with all students, particularly those with non-conforming beliefs. The professor sets the tone of the classroom and how comfortable students may be expressing their views. If the professor were to set a precedent from the start that the classroom is a place where ideas can be freely shared without receiving hostility, students are likely to follow suit and be more accepting of dissenting views. According to the interviewee, a cascade model may be the most effective, starting with the administration encouraging professors to promote and be more tolerant of sharing differing viewpoints, who in turn encourage students to share and be open to hearing different viewpoints. Hopefully, the students will then be more tolerant, and maybe, just maybe people will be more accepting of different viewpoints, putting us on a path where all people will feel comfortable expressing their views.
One interviewee believes the administration can be doing much more than it is currently doing to support its conservative students. He pointed to the fact that the university has signs and posters that are supportive of liberal causes but never conservative ones. “You never see something that you are, and you start to devalue yourself.” All he wants is for the university to show him the same support it shows to his liberal peers.
Lastly, I asked the interviewees what an education where ideas are freely exchanged would look like, as clearly that isn’t currently occurring in the classroom. To my surprise, the interviewees were unsure of how to approach the question and were not as high on the utopian ideal as I had expected. “Obviously some opinions should be shut down,” one shared. He doesn’t believe a classroom where ideas are entirely freely expressed is the best scenario, as he believes anything overtly hateful should be shut down, but he also strongly believes that we should all be more accepting of others’ opinions. “We need to stop marginalizing people so quickly.” Another interviewee shared that an education where ideas are freely exchanged would require every view to be challenged. If every view is scrutinized, every view is thoroughly thought out, then we all can draw our own conclusions in a healthy and respectful manner.
In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire speaks at length about how the education system is closely tied to the oppression of certain groups. He refers to a form of education he defines as the “banking model,” in which teachers “deposit” knowledge into passive students. This banking model also forces students to accept their situation and world as they are, instead of actively invigorating them to speak up or alter it for the betterment of themselves and their people. In a way, I see the current model of education in university classrooms as using the banking model, specifically affecting conservative-leaning students negatively. These students are having to adapt to the classroom atmosphere, and censor themselves, which discourages them from asking questions and speaking of their own viewpoints. Freire states, “Implicit in the banking concept is the assumption of a dichotomy between human beings and the world: a person is merely in the world, not with the world or with others; the individual is a spectator, not re-creator. In this view the person is not a conscious being (corpo consciente); he or she is rather the possessor of a consciousness: an empty ‘mind’ passively open to the reception of deposits of reality from the world outside” (75).
Conservative students, like students of the banking model, are not affecting the classroom, or the world, they’re simply observers, as if they weren’t even there. Freire proposes an effective alternative to the banking model called the problem-posing model. The crux of the problem-posing model is that dialogue and communication are essential to facilitating freedom. The results from my survey and interviews point to true dialogue being nearly absent altogether from the classroom. I believe that universities need to endorse a model more closely aligned to the problem-posing model than the current banking model to help foster a more accepting environment where students of all ideologies can feel comfortable sharing their true beliefs in class. Are these conservative students actually being oppressed on college campuses and in the classroom? It’s tough to say, and you could make a compelling case either way. What’s important is that these students feel, to some degree, oppressed, and that’s something we should all take seriously and work to alleviate by creating a more accepting and enriching environment for all kinds of students.
Look, I can’t speak for others, and I can’t force a liberal-leaning individual who vehemently disagrees with conservative ideology to listen to and hear my interviewees out; however, what I can say is that, personally, conducting the survey and especially these interviews has opened my eyes and mind to a degree I never would have expected. The bottom line is that, whether these students’ voices are truly being suppressed or not, they feel they are. And that’s all that matters. Whether you disagree with them politically or not, I think we can all agree that no one should feel silenced or unable to express their beliefs in an academic setting that professes to be accepting of all students. We are worse off as a society if we aren’t constantly challenging our beliefs with differing perspectives. While there are no clear answers, and there’s no doubt we have a long, difficult process ahead, it’s clear to me that we must as individual students, professors, and administrators, strive to foster a culture in our classrooms where all students, all voices, regardless of political affiliation, are actively encouraged. Only then will we achieve true freedom of expression and beliefs in college classrooms.
Works Cited
FOX News Network. (n.d.). “the Five”: Conservative students forced to self-censor on Campuses | Fox News Video. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/video/6317739910112
Freire, P. (1968). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Penguin Classics.
Interviewee #1. (7 Nov 2023). Personal Interview.
Interviewee #2. (10 Nov 2023). Personal Interview.
Interviewee #3. (17 Nov 2023). Personal Interview.
