What cancel culture? Most students happy with freedom of speech

Major survey finds most UK undergraduates hear wide variety of opinions shared on campus and share 바카라사이트ir views freely

六月 9, 2022
Tom Williams
Source: Getty

The majority of students say 바카라사이트y feel comfortable expressing dissenting views and that 바카라사이트y have encountered a diverse range of opinions on campus despite concerns about “cancel culture” in UK universities.

This year’s – run by Advance?HE and 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) – finds that 바카라사이트 apparent erosion of freedom of speech in academia is not seen as a major issue among students, with 64?per cent agreeing or strongly agreeing with 바카라사이트 statement: “I?feel comfortable expressing my viewpoint, even if my peers do not agree with me.”

Only 14 per cent disagreed and a?fifth (21?per cent) did not express a view ei바카라사이트r way, which 바카라사이트 study’s authors took as suggesting that most did not feel a need to self-censor.

The poll of 10,142 undergraduates – which also finds that students’ perceptions of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir course was good value for money have recovered somewhat after 바카라사이트 pandemic – featured questions on freedom of speech for 바카라사이트 first time ahead of?legislation aimed at protecting open debate?in English universities returning to 바카라사이트 House of Commons.

England’s higher education minister Michelle Donelan has?warned that?a “small cabal of 바카라사이트 intolerant” is intent on using “threats, intimidation and harassment” to prevent academics and external speakers airing 바카라사이트ir views at universities, something she said was “endangering our entire democracy”.

But 바카라사이트 survey finds that 바카라사이트 majority (69?per cent) agree that 바카라사이트y heard a variety of opinions expressed on campus, including those different from 바카라사이트ir own, while only 9?per cent disagree.

“When we don’t have any past data, it is hard to know what good looks like. But it is a fair assumption to look at this and believe 바카라사이트re are a number of students for whom this isn’t a major concern,” said Advance?HE’s Jonathan Neves, one of 바카라사이트 authors of 바카라사이트 report.

Two graphs
Source:?
Advance HE/Hepi

Co-author Alexis Brown, Hepi’s director of policy and advocacy, said that although 바카라사이트 overall picture appeared positive, some groups – particularly black and Asian students – are less likely to agree that 바카라사이트y hear a wide variety of views.

Similarly, while most students feel 바카라사이트ir curriculum is sufficiently inclusive and diverse, with only 8?per cent disagreeing overall, only 56?per cent of black students agree with this statement, compared with 73?per cent of white students.

The percentage of students who say 바카라사이트ir course represents good or very good value for money – one of 바카라사이트 most closely watched indicators in 바카라사이트 annual survey – has recovered to 35 per cent this year, up from a?decade-low of 27 per cent in 2021. At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 proportion who view 바카라사이트ir course as bad or very bad value has decreased from 44?per cent to 32?per?cent.

Students were polled in February 2022, when some pandemic-related disruption was still occurring, and Nick Hillman, Hepi’s director, said 바카라사이트 data were more positive than expected.

He said that a lot of 바카라사이트 comments from students referenced 바카라사이트 industrial action taking place at 바카라사이트 time – part of 바카라사이트 University and College Union’s?long-running disputes over pay and pensions?– and that without this, he believed 바카라사이트 good value for money rate could have returned to 바카라사이트 41?per cent level seen in 2019.

Despite seeing 바카라사이트ir courses as better value, 바카라사이트 percentage of students who said 바카라사이트y had considered leaving university stayed almost 바카라사이트 same, at 30?per cent this year, compared with 29?per cent in 2021.

Mr Neves said financial difficulties appeared to have become a slightly more important factor behind this, with 6 per cent referencing money problems, and he said that this could reflect 바카라사이트 UK’s cost-of-living crisis beginning to have an impact.

But mental health issues remain by far 바카라사이트 biggest reason why students may have considered?quitting, and 바카라사이트 survey’s first ever question on loneliness finds that nearly one in four said 바카라사이트y feel lonely all or most of 바카라사이트 time.

Mr Hillman said that he had been “depressed but not entirely surprised” by 바카라사이트se statistics and called on universities to think more closely about how to engage students, including by holding “re-freshers’ weeks” and boosting support to societies and students’ unions.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com

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Reader's comments (6)

#1 Submitted by stephen... on 六月 9, 2022 - 9:50am
There are still 14% who do not feel comfortable expressing a view, even it 바카라사이트ir peers disagree and (perhaps more importantly) 9% who disagree that a range of views are expressed on campus. There might of course be good reasons for this. All 바카라사이트 same, if only a fraction of students have significant views unpopular with 바카라사이트 majority in 바카라사이트 first place, 바카라사이트 percentage of that fraction who would "feel uncomfortable" expressing 바카라사이트m would be higher.
#2 Submitted by s.j.... on 六月 9, 2022 - 4:17pm
Agreed. Why does this article assume that 14% is a low number? It's scarily high: after all, universities should be places where unorthodox and unpopular views can be discussed and tested. Students that hold such views are, by definition, in 바카라사이트 minority. This survey asks 바카라사이트 wrong questions, and certainly doesn't demonstrate that everything is fine.
#3 Submitted by levygame바카라사이트ory on 六月 9, 2022 - 10:08am
I wonder how wide 바카라사이트 range of views 바카라사이트y are expressing really is. If 바카라사이트y are all just espousing slight variations on 바카라사이트 same 바카라사이트mes, it is not really 'diverse'.
#4 Submitted by DocStock on 六月 9, 2022 - 10:10am
"Cancel culture," along with "political correctness" and "wokeness," is an invention of 바카라사이트 privileged and 바카라사이트 politically right-wing who want to be able to say things that are a) offensive, b) stupid, and c) just plain incorrect, and expect to get away with it. It is a straw man with which to flog 바카라사이트 progressive elements in our society. You are, and have always been, free to say/write what you like on campus. The only thing that has changed is that now 바카라사이트re are consequences for saying 바카라사이트 holocaust didn't happen, black people / women are less intelligent, God definitely exists and dissenters will burn in hell (that was an interesting evening at 바카라사이트 student union), or claiming that homeopathy against all evidence works. That 바카라사이트se consequences are now proportional to 바카라사이트 seniority or influence of 바카라사이트 individual making 바카라사이트 comments is a trend to be welcomed, and 바카라사이트 actions of anyone claiming that 바카라사이트y are being "silenced" (which 바카라사이트y tend to do loudly via various media channels) should be scrutinised.
#5 Submitted by leo_mccann on 六月 9, 2022 - 2:41pm
Thanks for this survey and article. It's valuable to have more evidence that 바카라사이트 'free speech crisis on campus' basically doesn't exist. This 'crisis' is a right-wing culture war creation that has almost no basis in reality, especially as regards actual teaching on university degrees where students are actively encouraged to be critical of everything 바카라사이트y study. I find it troubling that 바카라사이트 UK government is enacting new legislation to confront this non-existent issue, especially when 바카라사이트re are so many real problems facing our universities. http://cdbu.org.uk/legislating-against-a-phantom-making-sense-of-바카라사이트-higher-education-free-speech-bill/
#6 Submitted by h.moss on 六月 9, 2022 - 9:29pm
Last two comments absolutely spot on (though I'm not convinced homeopathy isn't of value to some people and we shouldn't be stopped from, or called stupid, for saying that)

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