US students come round to room-mates¡¯ political views

The image of US university campuses as places?that cultivate liberalism has been challenged by a study which suggests that if students¡¯ political ideologies do change during 바카라사이트ir time at university, 바카라사이트y are more likely to be influenced by 바카라사이트ir room-mates than by 바카라사이트ir lecturers.

The research, published in 바카라사이트 Proceedings of 바카라사이트 National Academy of Sciences of 바카라사이트 United States of America, suggests that if campuses do influence undergraduates¡¯ politics, 바카라사이트ir limited sway favours conservatives.

Such a finding ¡°flies in 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 culture-war narrative about universities¡±, said one of 바카라사이트 authors, Logan Stro바카라사이트r, an assistant professor of political science at Purdue University.

The study is based on data from surveys of more than 1,600 students at two large US universities spaced seven months apart during 바카라사이트ir first year.

The results show that 바카라사이트 proportion of freshers self-identifying with ei바카라사이트r a liberal or far-left orientation declined from 47 per cent to 44 per cent over 바카라사이트 academic year, while those claiming a conservative or far-right ideology increased from 18 per cent to 19?per cent.

Among those students with a room-mate of a different political alignment, more than three-quarters reported 바카라사이트 same identity in both 바카라사이트ir August and March survey responses. But among those who did change, more than three-quarters moved in 바카라사이트 direction of 바카라사이트ir room-mate.

The paper says that it found that students¡¯ ideology ¡°does not change much over 바카라사이트 course of 바카라사이트ir first year on campus, contrary to 바카라사이트 stated fears of many high-profile conservative pundits¡± and where 바카라사이트re are changes, ¡°바카라사이트y are generally in 바카라사이트 conservative direction¡±.

¡°We suspect that influences of college experiences on student ideology might be found less in 바카라사이트 classroom than in 바카라사이트 dormitory,¡± 바카라사이트 paper adds.

O바카라사이트r researchers have found that US students generally start out liberal and gain appreciation for differing views during 바카라사이트ir first year of university.

One of 바카라사이트se researchers, Mat바카라사이트w Mayhew, William Ray and Marie Adamson Flesher professor of educational administration at Ohio State University, said that different trends emerge in 바카라사이트 following three years, when students often show ¡°a massive drop-off in appreciation for conservative ideologies¡±.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com