Study probes bias in academia

Via Semafor

“A new report on the state of scholarship in the humanities and social sciences rejected the notion that the field has been wholly corrupted by left-leaning political aims — but it found politicization has nevertheless damaged the quality of research across disciplines. The study, commissioned by the chancellors of Vanderbilt University and Washington University in St. Louis, argued there’s nothing wrong with academics having political beliefs. The problem, rather, is “distortion” — when “disciplinary norms” lead to results that serve a predetermined political project. Outside pressure from both sides also contributes: for example, a grant-giving pledge prioritizing social justice, or a Texas professor who was told to drop Plato from his syllabus under a rule barring courses that advocate “race and gender ideology.””