michiganmsw

I am a current student at Michigan and I can tell you it is an incredibly politically liberal program. LGBTQ issues come up a lot, but are not a heavy emphasis (although course evaluations ask if they are addressed for every course, but not many other issues). But, it is very politically liberal. I am conservative, though I do not share that because conservatives are actively mocked in class. Seriously, professors will lead discussions which call conservatives "the enemy" and make fun of anyone with those beliefs. Students say no social worker could possibly be conservative. I am very sad that this program that is supposedly focused on equality and social justice spends so much energy opposing 1/2 the population. I am sad to feel this oppression every day in class where I cannot share my beliefs or opinions. It is hindering my education. One of my textbooks has the following quotes introducing their chapter on conservatives: "The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in philosophy, that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." "Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives" That second quote blows my mind that it is in a textbook. If any other group was substituted for "Conservative" such as - African Americas, Homosexuals, Jews, Mentally Retarded people, the poor - it would be completely unacceptable. Why is it ok to be so blatantly biased and oppressive of one political party? And coming from the social work field which claims to help everyone, accept everyone, care for everyone. I am very, very sad about this. There are student organization in support of so many people groups, there are students who want to go help people stuck in sex trafficking, they want to help communities in Africa get clean water, they want to make sure children get a good education --- but they're going to insult their our classmates for political beliefs along the way. They won't insult my gender, my sexual orientation or my race --- that would be wrong. But insulting my political beliefs is not only acceptable --- it's ENCOURAGED as evidenced by one of my professors who came out and blamed all the problems in our country on "a certain party" as she phrased it.