I have a professor with a clear agenda. What should I do?

[angryguy77]

How can any of you criticize the op? Are any of you in the class? Do any of you know the tone she speaks in? Obviously its not the subject, but the matter and volume of it.
Seriously, you all are so freaking touchy and automatically assume everyone is a sexist, racist homophobe if they are not as "enlightened" as you.

I'm really embarrassed for you people who are criticizing a guy and being judgmental.

He posed a question for ADVICE and you dive off you high horse down his throat.    


Professors can be out of line, they are not gods. But of course, if your a far lefty, you won't see this.

[Roy H.]

Where is the injustice in a teacher choosing to teach about women for once instead of focusing entirely on men?

It depends upon the course description, but if this was supposed to be an intro to anthropology, and the professor is only teaching a very narrow perspective, I can see where students would be upset.  It's only telling part of the story.

I know a lot of people have drawn parallels to how traditionally a lot of classes have focused on the contributions of men.  However, at least in terms of history classes (whether American history or the history of mathematics, psychology, etc.), males have contributed more.  Therefore, it's fair that the focus would be on their contributions.  Now, there are reasons that women haven't had the same achievements in a lot of fields that men have, and it's fair to highlight those women who have overcome societal prejudices to achieve great things.  However, there's also a good reason why most history classes have focused on men until recently. 

I guess I just don't see actively rejecting the role of men in an anthropology class as the same as focusing on the movers and shakers in world history (almost all of whom happen to be men, in relative terms).

[angryguy77]

Let's not forget he is paying for a product. He is only getting half of what the class should be offering.

[tenn_smoothie]

Higher education is a cesspool of mindless, victim-centered philosophy. unfortuantely, it is also the direction our entire country is headed.

i'm just glad to hear that there is a college student (you) with enough clarity to be upset by this obsessed and angry woman who calls herself a professor.

i'd finish the class quietly, avoid this woman in the future, spread the word about her and once you graduate or leave the school, talk to someone you feel like will have enough sense to understand your position - it may not be easy to find that person, but hopefully a few folks with common sense still work in Higher Ed - i know - i work at a college.

[PosImpos]

Where is the injustice in a teacher choosing to teach about women for once instead of focusing entirely on men?

It depends upon the course description, but if this was supposed to be an intro to anthropology, and the professor is only teaching a very narrow perspective, I can see where students would be upset.  It's only telling part of the story.

I know a lot of people have drawn parallels to how traditionally a lot of classes have focused on the contributions of men.  However, at least in terms of history classes (whether American history or the history of mathematics, psychology, etc.), males have contributed more.  Therefore, it's fair that the focus would be on their contributions.  Now, there are reasons that women haven't had the same achievements in a lot of fields that men have, and it's fair to highlight those women who have overcome societal prejudices to achieve great things.  However, there's also a good reason why most history classes have focused on men until recently.  

I guess I just don't see actively rejecting the role of men in an anthropology class as the same as focusing on the movers and shakers in world history (almost all of whom happen to be men, in relative terms).

I agree with all of what you said, but I still don't see any "injustice."  The professor is entitled to teach the class however she wants.  As long as she isn't spreading misinformation or actively discriminating against male students, I don't think there's much room to cry foul.  

There are class evaluations available online at most universities for a reason.  Do research beforehand so that you know what to expect.  In any case, if you learn anything at all that sticks with you in this class then you should count it as a class well taught.  Most of the information that you digest in a college class will be out of your head by the end of the next semester anyway.


p.s. 7,000

[fairweatherfan]

Kung Powe, what is the class advertised as anyway?  What's the gap between what you thought you were signing up for and what you got?  Seems pretty relevant.

[dlpin]

Let me offer a different perspective, the perspective of someone who teaches social science courses at the college level.

Are there professors with an agenda who push their views as fact? Sure. Not only on the social sciences but in every science. And though people often single out the social sciences for that, the fact is that in every science there are differing schools of thought that have different perspectives.

But just as there are close minded professors with an agenda, there are also close minded students ready to yell bias the first second something you are teaching doesn't exactly line up with what they believe in. I am not saying this is the case with you, but the fact is that there are many students who are convinced they are a victim of professor bias when they are, in fact, the ones who are close minded and partisan. If there is a lot of "victim centered philosophy" in higher education, there is also a lot of "triumphalist jingoism" in it.

And this is something I've seen from the left and the right. I've seen people being accused of bias for including mostly white European men in a class about classic social thinkers. I've seen people being accused of bias for discussing the role of European colonialism in the underdevelopment of Africa. There really are all sorts of biases on both sides.

If you really believe that there is a case of bias here, then you definitely should write someone. But the only way you will be taken seriously is if you can clearly articulate why do you think there is a bias. Who are the key figures and authors that are missing that should be in the class? What are the key theories that should be covered more extensively but aren't? How is her class (which I gather is an intro class) different from what normal intro classes look like?

And I say this because just saying "we read too much about women" isn't really a valid argument. I am not saying that you don't have a valid argument, just that you need to make it. The gender division of labor, patriarchal vs matriarchal societies, gender inequality and gender bias are all valid anthropological areas of study, so unless you can show that he is not presenting an accurate picture of the field in her class no one is going to take you seriously.

[Rondo_is_better]

ITT:

[Atzar]

As a student in Economics at UMass Amherst, I've taken a class in which I felt the professor had an agenda, a History of Economic Thought. 

It was one of my favorite classes in my time here.  The professor graded fairly, and the content was balanced, rather than focused almost exclusively on men or women.  The only reason I say she had an agenda was because the content on women was a bit of a stretch given the subject at hand - Malthus, Keynes, Hayek, etc. are all established economists who have had tangible impacts on the field of economics.  On the other side, we'd talk about political figures like Susan B. Anthony and the indirect role she played on economics. 

In this case, I actually viewed her bias as a positive influence on the subject.  As I said, she didn't promote feminism to the exclusion of important content.  Rather, she simply made a noticeable effort to include another side to the story, and I thought it was an interesting and welcome addition to the class.

I'd advise just going with the flow in your class.  Take it as an opportunity to learn material that you wouldn't have otherwise been in a position to learn.  If you really don't feel that you learned enough of the stuff you wanted to learn or thought you were going to learn, make a note of it in the evaluations and take a different Anthro class.  However, as long as she's a fair grader and the content isn't unrelated or inappropriate, I'd just go with it.

[footey]

I have a female professor with a clear feminist/man hating agenda. The semester is ending, and I can't believe I've lasted in the class this long.

The class is Anthropology. But the way she teaches it, you would think the class was called "Women's Studies." I've got to do something about it. I'm just not quite sure what to do yet.

To cover herself, the work she assigns is related to anthropology, but it's all about the struggle of women! It's not right, and it is terribly biased.

To sum, the class had to watch two documentaries. Both documentaries were about women. We also watched a movie. The three main characters in the movie were women, and the movie was based on a true story. We also had to read two books, both written by women, which were both about the struggle of women.


How can I stop this injustice from continuing to happen? I'm only one of a few guys in this class, so I think I'm one of the only ones who notices...

Why did you take that course? Thought it would be a good place to pick up girls, eh?  Sorry, you should have dropped it the first week.  Now that you have gone this far, just pretend you are a radical feminist, and suck up for a good grade.

[action781]

I also am a (community) college professor and maybe I can give you some advice. 

1.  A few posters have spoken about course/instructor evaluations.  I can say, for certain, that they do not always get looked at.  So, firstly, you need to bring to the attention of your dean to look at the evaluations.  They will be kept on file and available to be looked at by the dean and by the instructor.  Secondly, I have been specifically told by my dean to not be concerned with one outlier's bubbled grades and/or comments, but to look towards the masses.  (Which I think makes sense, there are some ignorant jerks out there.)  So, if it is only you who gives the professor negative feedback, your thoughts will be disregarded.  You must find and talk to other students who feel and will evaluate similarly to you if you want your evaluation to be taken seriously.

Let me offer a different perspective, the perspective of someone who teaches social science courses at the college level.

Are there professors with an agenda who push their views as fact? Sure. Not only on the social sciences but in every science. And though people often single out the social sciences for that, the fact is that in every science there are differing schools of thought that have different perspectives.

If you really believe that there is a case of bias here, then you definitely should write someone. But the only way you will be taken seriously is if you can clearly articulate why do you think there is a bias. Who are the key figures and authors that are missing that should be in the class? What are the key theories that should be covered more extensively but aren't? How is her class (which I gather is an intro class) different from what normal intro classes look like?

2.  This, as articulated by dlpin, is how to make something happen.  Send this email to the department chair and dean of the division of social sciences and perhaps something might come of it.  I must beware you, this won't be an easy task.  I google searched "course objectives anthropology" and got a link to a course from Tulane which gave me:

Supply overview of the fundamental characteristics of culture and uses of ethnographic research. Define concepts and terminology related to the study of kinship and descent, patterns of subsistence, political organization and social control, and spirituality. Provide comparative treatment of social organization, economic systems, and processes of cultural change with a focus on non-Western societies.

I don't know how you will address that your course did not meet objectives similar to these.  Social sciences is very subjective.  If you think you have a good case and are seeking advice, feel free to contact me.  Although, I must humbly say, I would imagine dpin and even Roy H. are probably more articulate, better sources for help if willing. 

And, dlpin, I'm sorry, but I have to say that there is nowhere close to as much room for "pushing agendas" in every science as there is in social sciences. 

[dlpin]

And, dlpin, I'm sorry, but I have to say that there is nowhere close to as much room for "pushing agendas" in every science as there is in social sciences. 

Yes, absolutely there is. The disagreements in the "hard" sciences may not have as many direct policy/real world consequences, but agendas are every bit as present. It is the nature of scientific inquiry that there will be disagreements, and people will not always play fair. All one has to do is read through tenure decisions in some more contentious areas of hard science to see it. But that is something for another day.

[nickagneta]

Not sure why such a class wouldn't be interesting. An anthropology class geared towards the study of women, or in other words, half the population on the planet would seem, to me to be a prerequisite for every male college student in America.

My opinion is if the professor wasn't negligent in teaching you something, if she came to class, gave lectures, assigned homework, graded fairly and presented definitive subject matter within the parameters of the course description, she hasn't done anything wrong. On the contrary, I might deduce that the problem lies with you and your attitudes towards women. Anthropology is not the study of men, it is the study of human beings, of which women make up half.

I would suggest what others have. give the professor what she wants and keep your mouth shut or suffer the consequences, at least until you have received your grade.

I might also suggest some self reflection to try to understand why the subject matter bothers you so much. As Shakespeare once wrote, sometimes "The fault, dear Brutus, lies not within our stars but within ourselves".

I have no problem with women. My problem is that I don't feel the course is balanced.

Let me give you an example. Say you were taking an introduction psychology course. In this case, you would want to learn about the most important psychologists, whether they were male or female.

However, you have a feminist psychology professor who doesn't balance the work. Therefore, you don't cover the most important psychologists in history, like Freud, Skinner, Piaget, Erikson, Pavlov, etc.

Instead, for four months you cover Karen Horney and Anna Freud. It's okay that neither of them did anything close in importance as Skinner, Erikson, Pavlov, etc., but they're women, so your professor is giving them precedence.

Does that sound like a balanced education to you? That's what my anthropology class is like.

KPC, this a fabulous example that you would need to use in your arguments against the unbalance you perceive exists in your class when discussing this with someone of authority(such as a dean) if you want to enact change. However, I must warn you if this is a respected professor with tenure and you do not know the material well enough to argue your point coherently about the material that was missed, your complaints will probably be filed under the heading of "student with a personal agenda....disregard".

I have no opinion on you or this predicament whatsoever. Your professor could be a male hating feminist with an agenda and bias. You could be a supreme male chauvinist that that he was going to study the study of man and is wondering why women are being discussed and not liking it. Or as is usually the case the truth lies somewhere in between.

All my advice was to you was to exam exactly how far off from the course description the course is and then examine why you are really so upset about it if it isn't EXACTLY what you thought it was.

Is anthropology an elective or a major part of what you will be studying? If it is just an elective then why do you care so much because little of what you will learn in that class will do anything but impress people in intellectual conversation at parties. If it is your major, take the course over with another professor and explain to the dean why you are doing so and petition for the college to pick up the tab for not fulfilling their obligation of instructing you properly the first time due to the gross negligence of the professor pushing a feminist agenda.

Do realize though that this claim will be investigated and so most of the other students might be contacted to see if they felt similarly. If they didn't, then essentially you are crap out of luck and will be the one labeled as a complaining male chauvinist student.

Lots to think about. You might want to talk to fellow students regarding their opinions on the matter, see if they would also go to the dean with you, find out exactly what your grade is before complaining, and ultimately decide if the possible consequences for you if the college or university doesn't agree with you is really worth all the trouble.