Diversity And Critical Thinking

¨There is a right time and place to say everything¨ my mom once told me. ¨You never know who is around you¨ she would preach into my head. Now, every time a thought comes to my head about something or someone, I think before I speak. I take into account my surroundings and the environment I am in. Everyone knows that people act differently in front of certain people. That is because people have different expectations of a person’s behavior in various environments. For example, during class I tend to remain more reserved because I want to focus on school and the material, whereas at home I can never stop talking. Schools can be seen as a sacred place, where students must act perfectly and perform to their fullest all the time. This ambiance
has a great impact on the mindsets of students. The environment I am in greatly impacts how I act, but no matter where I am, I am still myself. There are just different sides of me that are shown. I am conscious of my actions and the way I treat people no matter where I go.
Now, imagine if you were asked if you believe in the golden rule. Or if you believed in being kind to people. Or if you wished the world was a safer place. Chances are the answer would come to your mind without thinking. Your mind has already answered these questions before you were even asked. Your morals and principles are wired into your brain to drive your decisions and beliefs. Every individual has the right to think what (s)he wants to think and no one can take that away. The undeniable right to hold your own beliefs is universal, but the right to speak those beliefs out loud, unfortunately, is not.
The world today is a much different place than it was twenty years ago and even more different than it was one hundred years ago. Some may argue that the change is good. Some may argue that the change is bad. Most would argue that change is inevitable, and that individuals can either adapt or resist the change to the best of their ability. Change also brings out the sentimental side of people. Changequestions people's morals, beliefs, and norms. It is hard to accept change. In the recent days, society has shown a trend towards increased sensitivity among individuals. People get upset when they hear something that they disagree with. People get upset when they do not get what they want. People get upset when others do not share the same opinion over an issue. As a result, institutions have been faced with struggles on how to deal with the increasing sensitivity, which is fed by politics, race, class, and gender. It is a difficult question to address because no matter what, someone will be offended. Words such as “micro aggressions”, “cultural appropriation”, “triggered”, and have grown in usage over time with the emergence of the unwarranted hysteria over political correctness and new social standards. Overall, the emphasis on political correctness and not offending others has caused a halt in the progress of society.
While expressing feelings and getting upset occasionally are healthy, students increased hypersensitivity has become a hindrance to their social and emotional development. It has caused students to lose focus of their priorities and focus heavily on their emotions and the way others act. This movement originated with the intent to create environments on campus where every student feels safe. It is important that students feel comfortable at school, as they spend a lot of time there. Anthony Martin Garcia comments on how the movement has mixed with outside factors such as politics, and it has ultimately been reverted in the wrong direction (Brown and Mangan). Students have followed this path of failure at multiple campuses. Therefore, the increase of complaints and outrages at campuses have increased exponentially in the recent years. For example, a fraternity at Dartmouth had a tradition of having a Cinco de Mayo themed party called a Phiesta. The party was canceled on the basis of cultural appropriation (Burleigh). At another university, a yoga class was canceled for cultural appropriation (Edwards). Burleigh and Edwards both explained social and emotional events that were canceled for being charged with cultural appropriation, an act done by one culture that adapts elements from another culture. Students gain a lot from social gatherings and activities for the mind because they provide a balance in one's life. They help alleviate the stress of college academics. Hence canceling these activities serve to the student’s disadvantage. These incidents are just a few of the countless accounts of microaggressions on campuses, ¨which are small actions or word choices that seem on their face to have no malicious intent but that are thought of as a kind of violence nonetheless¨ (Haidt and Lukianoff). This movement is not only impacting student´s social emotional well-being, but also their ability to face adversity.
Even though individuals should consider how others will be impacted by their actions, it is crucial that students learn how to face adversity, as not everyone upholds themselves to such standards.
Burleigh explains research has found a concrete decline in student´s critical thinking skills as a result of political correctness and language phobias (Burleigh). It is a great irony that campuses are facing today because college is meant to prepare students for the real world with critical thinking skills, not take them away. The reality is that one cannot be successful in the workforce without these skills and these skills cannot be taught in a class but rather through experience. In the article “The Coddling of the American Mind,” it describes how ¨attempts to shield students from words, ideas, and people¨ make them bad candidates for the workforce (Lukianoff and Haidt). If students are graduating college with degrees, but are unable to communicate and work with colleagues who may hold different viewpoints from their own, then the degree has no significance. It is one thing to have expertise in a field and another thing to be able to synthesize that expertise with social and emotional skills. According to Burleigh, students need to stand up against censorship demands ¨because they go against the purpose of the university¨ (Burleigh). The purpose of the university is not one concrete goal. Attending a university teaches a student a lot more than academics, but rather it helps them transition into the real world. Therefore, it crucial for the progress and learning of students that universities remain diverse and open to new ideas, so students can grow and add value to the outside
world.