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July 24, 2003

Labor Studies v. Business Schools

Here is a perfect example of why all the conservative whining about "leftism" in academia is such rotgut.

Frontpage magazine complains about the existence of labor studies programs at some universities:

For years, universities have offered courses in "labor studies," often taught by ardent labor movement activists...Increasingly, these programs have come to define their mission chiefly as supporting labor and its organizing efforts rather than educating students."

First, only a handful of schools have labor studies programs, so if academia was so leftist, every school would have such a program.

However, almost every major university has a business school or business studies major. And what is the purpose of those business program? Oh yeah, to train students to become "activists" in various business enterprises. Oh yeah, and to support faculty who often consult on behalf of business in a whole variety of ways.

The reality is that between business schools and economics departments, there is a vast apparatus on campuses training students and supporting ideas at the service of business interests.

But the handful of labor studies programs are continually under assault by conservatives. The conservative slant of academia is shown in the fact that business schools are seen as "normal" education while labor schools are treated as some politicized illegitimate endeavor.

Posted by Nathan at July 24, 2003 08:29 AM