Is the Australian mind at risk of being coddled?
While Australian universities debate the merits of free speech codes, American聽social psychologist Jonathan Haidt warns we may be about to face a much more pressing issue: a repressive university culture.
At the University of Sydney for an intimate symposium on 鈥榲iewpoint diversity鈥�, hosted by the (SSSHARC) and the , Mr Haidt, Professor of Ethical Leadership at聽New York University's聽Stern School of Business, said free speech codes are just the 鈥渢ip of the iceberg鈥�.
鈥淭he biggest issue in the US is 鈥榗allout culture鈥� 鈥� [because of this], students are afraid to speak in class,鈥� Mr Haidt, a global authority on the psychology of morality and in the midst of an Australasian speaking tour presented by Think Inc., said.
鈥淧rofessors are also afraid of students as they can be reported for perceived slights to students鈥� emotional wellbeing. At my university, for example, there are signs in the bathrooms that state three ways to report a lecturer.鈥�
Other examples of American students鈥� increasingly coddled minds, Mr Haidt provided, are relatively novel notions like 鈥榯rigger warnings鈥�; 鈥榮afe spaces鈥�; 鈥榤icroaggressions鈥�; and 鈥榳ords as violence鈥�.
Mr Haidt says stifled debate poses a grave threat to intellectual progress. 鈥淭he magic of university is that it institutionalises disconfirmation 鈥� unless it doesn鈥檛,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat is sacred here is the pursuit of truth.鈥�
In introducing Mr Haidt, Linguistics Professor of the also noted the perils of confirmation bias: 鈥淎s Karl Popper said, we never confirm a hypothesis, we can only show that it has not been falsified.鈥�
A rapt audience listening to Professor Jonathan Haidt.
How the American mind became coddled
Mr Haidt argued that the vision of academia as descendants of Plato鈥檚 Academy 鈥� where intellectuals debated one another without fear of recrimination 鈥� has been diminishing since 2014, when, in the US, a 鈥渨ave of fear鈥� swept through elite institutions, and fast became the norm at all colleges.
He claims this is due to several, oft-interrelated factors:
- Gen-Z arrived on campus, for the first time, with significantly elevated rates of depression and anxiety;
- The entrenched and pervasive use of social media among this generation;
- Overprotective parenting of Gen-Z children;
- Political purification and polarisation; and
- The great 鈥榓wokening鈥� of liberals.
A cure for coddling?
Mr Haidt is optimistic that the 鈥榗ulture of safetyism鈥� that has emerged on US college campuses, and, to a lesser extent, on British, Canadian and Australian ones, can be challenged with principled leadership.
鈥淟eadership and professors must talk about 鈥榓nti-fragility鈥�,鈥� Mr Haidt continued. 鈥淭hey shouldn鈥檛 validate emotional safety. Education is meant to make people think, not be comfortable.鈥�
Vice-Chancellor and Principal also commented on the role of leadership on this issue, in regards to in championing the right to .
鈥淎s an institution, though we have certain moral obligations, we try not to have an opinion but be a forum for various opinions,鈥� he said.
Like Mr Haidt, , a politics and digital media expert from the , was hopeful that students would feel free to express themselves in classrooms, albeit via a different mechanism.
鈥淢illennials and Gen 鈥揨 travel much more than previous generations,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 hope this helps them to engage with diverse viewpoints.鈥�
Professor Jonathan Haidt with University of Sydney Vice Chancellor and Principal Dr Michael Spence.