Graduate Program
College Student Affairs
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Semester of Degree Completion
2010
Thesis Director
Charles Eberly
Thesis Committee Member
James Wallace
Thesis Committee Member
Les Hyder
Abstract
The concept for this study came about after a book read by the researcher claimed college faculty across the United States were "closed minded professors who tum their students into socialists, atheists, race-baiters, and sex-crazed narcissists" (Shapiro, 2004, p.1 ). Statistics and experiences in the book appeared extreme, leading the researcher to gain interest in further understanding the political nature of Eastern Illinois University faculty members.
The purpose of the present study was to examine differences between professors who identified politically as conservative and those who identified as liberal or progressive, andthose who identified as middle of the road, and the impact of their political beliefs on their teaching philosophy and personal experiences. This study also examined faculty participant views of the First Amendment and academic freedom in the classroom. In this case study, one on one interviews were conducted with Eastern Illinois University professors and analyzed using cross-comparative analysis.
Recommended Citation
Zazove, Robin, "Political Perspectives And Freedom Of Speech In The College Classroom" (2010). Masters Theses. 164.
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/164
