How to Handle Touchy Subjects in a Liberal Major?

[GingerWarrior]

I’m a major in Anthropology. For those who don’t know much about it, it’s a pretty liberal field nowadays… very relativist and post-modern. I don’t share many of the opinions of my peers, particularly involving abortion, gay marriage, and sex in general. These topics come up fairly regularly. I want to be honest about my opinions, but I don’t want to drive away every person in my department and severely limit my opportunities for contacts/references/help (I’m not going into Anthro as a specific field, but I may go into grad school later for Counseling). This is my last semester coming up, but it will be my hardest as far as my major is concerned. Has any one been through something similar? What should I do?

 

[OneDayASaint]

You know, when I read touchy subjects I thought you meant liberals! The liberals in my family yell at me if I disagree with them in conversation. Sometimes they yell if I agree with them, too, because I guess they’re just really angry. That’s just the ones in my family, though. Hopefully all liberals aren’t touchy or they’ll rant and rave after reading that.

If I feel that inserting my opinion into a conversation will cause them to react like certain family members of mine I just keep it to myself. But I do engage them. People love telling you what they think so I will just ask them a lot of questions about why they feel that way. That way they don’t ask me and I learn more about their point of view. Sometimes you can return their answers with more question or repeat the answer back to them in your own words and it will make them think about it more. Sometimes they might just have a bad idea or an illogical reason for their beliefs and hearing someone else say it out loud gives them pause.

Sometimes topics will come up and I’ll talk about Catholic beliefs without calling it “Catholic” because quite frankly, the Church knows what She is talking about. Someone was talking about birth control and I told them that people on birth control are more likely to have abortions and the odds are the same or more likely that they’ll get pregnant on birth control as opposed to NFP. Plus there is no added risk of birth defects, infertility, or other health complications. I also told them that another benefit of NFP is there are no side effects, and it doesn’t cost any money. I made a strong case for it, and maybe they won’t be running to RCIA after our conversation but maybe I convinced someone to not use birth control. Not for religious reasons, but for sound scientific and financial ones. There are many topics like that where you don’t even have to tell people what your stance is - you can just give them actual data (oftentimes put out by secular sources) and let them see for themselves that perhaps they’re supporting something that isn’t in their best interests.

That’s just two examples, I’m sure there are a lot of people on here that can give you more insight.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

I’m a major in Anthropology. For those who don’t know much about it, it’s a pretty liberal field nowadays… very relativist and post-modern. I don’t share many of the opinions of my peers, particularly involving abortion, gay marriage, and sex in general. These topics come up fairly regularly. I want to be honest about my opinions, but I don’t want to drive away every person in my department and severely limit my opportunities for contacts/references/help (I’m not going into Anthro as a specific field, but I may go into grad school later for Counseling). This is my last semester coming up, but it will be my hardest as far as my major is concerned. Has any one been through something similar? What should I do?

My opinion? Keep your mouth shut, your head down, and get your degree. Their opinions are just that, an opinion, and fighting with them about these subjects will earn you a punishment of some kind. Do what you need to do to graduate. And get out of there.

 

[TheDoors]

You know… my faith and I agree on nearly everything. And on those things where we don’t, I’m fairly sure that I’m wrong and just being stubborn.

This may seem obvious, but it isn’t. I’m against abortion. I’m Catholic. Now, my faith does influence my thought, but there are many, MANY reasons for my stance. As an American, I’m against abortion because it violates our basic freedoms of Life, Liberty and the Persuit of Happiness. As one can not exercise the latter two without the former, Life must therefore be the greatest of all rights. As a man of science, I have not found any scientific reasoning to believe that life does not begin at conception, and noone to whom I’ve presented this challege has been able to provide solid reasoning to change my mind.

If your peers are against your faith, speak to them in a language that they will understand. Look at the impact on society, on culture, on education. Look at how these issues effect care for our elderly, on birth rates and on poverty. Look at the spread of disease and broken families. God doesn’t restrict us or guide us because He doesn’t want us having fun. He cares for His children, and when we disregard His commands, the results are obvious and telling.

But over all, stay calm and speak with love. Don’t let them get your goat.

 

[Frank956]

Case by case basis my friend. If you believe your opinion matters, and most importantly you can defend your position, then speak up if asked but do not look for the opportunity to be on the offensive. Diplomacy may be the best option. You can let them know you don’t agree with their positions but you respect them/theirs, that you believe otherwise then proceed to give xyz why.

Keep in mind I say this as a person who is well informed about his faith and am confident in my ability to reason a strong argument. If you do not feel you are up to this task take note of their positions when they speak and listen carefully to their arguments, do your homework and be prepared to answer them at a later date.

Above that, enjoy your time and studies. Don’t take things too seriously, college has a way of “liberalizing” people. Love them all as if they were Christ, your actions will speak louder than words.

 

[Julia_Mae]

I want to be honest about my opinions, …

Why? I’m serious, why bother? You aren’t going to see these people again, I assume you aren’t trying to evangelize them and the instructors, as you are majoring in Anthro, will be pivotal in recommendations for grad school. Or getting a great Internship or other stuff.

In personal conversations, keep quiet unless they ask you and if they do, instead of voicing an opinion ask a question: “Well, I was just wondering if there were any recent studies about the impact of _____.” People hate other people who want to bring up actual facts and they’ll stop asking.

If your instructors in class want opinions, then what you need to be is very very well-informed on the topics. They aren’t asking for your personal religious beliefs, they are asking your opinion as a budding anthropologist. If they want to know about the shift toward same sex marriage you say that you wonder how much population pressure of the baby boom generation in the West impacted the shift in cultural perceptions of gays in society and how the present trend in lower birth rates will affect that in the future. Be smart and show intellectual curiosity.

Just be a quiet 4.0 student in your major student and get what you need: letters after your name so you can get more letters after your name and do what you want with your life.

My advice in life is: Be smart about picking your battles and then fight like a tiger. But these folks are just on the same escalator with you right now.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Why? I’m serious, why bother? You aren’t going to see these people again, I assume you aren’t trying to evangelize them and the instructors, as you are majoring in Anthro, will be pivotal in recommendations for grad school. Or getting a great Internship or other stuff.

In personal conversations, keep quiet unless they ask you and if they do, instead of voicing an opinion ask a question: “Well, I was just wondering if there were any recent studies about the impact of _____.” People hate other people who want to bring up actual facts and they’ll stop asking.

If your instructors in class want opinions, then what you need to be is very very well-informed on the topics. They aren’t asking for your personal religious beliefs, they are asking your opinion as a budding anthropologist. If they want to know about the shift toward same sex marriage you say that you wonder how much population pressure of the baby boom generation in the West impacted the shift in cultural perceptions of gays in society and how the present trend in lower birth rates will affect that in the future. Be smart and show intellectual curiosity.

Just be a quiet 4.0 student in your major student and get what you need: letters after your name so you can get more letters after your name and do what you want with your life.

My advice in life is: Be smart about picking your battles and then fight like a tiger. But these folks are just on the same escalator with you right now.

ITA. Pick your battles, and this one, you ain’t gonna win.

 

[OneDayASaint]

If they want to know about the shift toward same sex marriage you say that you wonder how much population pressure of the baby boom generation in the West impacted the shift in cultural perceptions of gays in society and how the present trend in lower birth rates will affect that in the future.

That’s a very interesting question! I’d like to look into that myself.

 

[Catholic1954]

I’m a major in Anthropology. For those who don’t know much about it, it’s a pretty liberal field nowadays… very relativist and post-modern. I don’t share many of the opinions of my peers, particularly involving abortion, gay marriage, and sex in general. These topics come up fairly regularly. I want to be honest about my opinions, but I don’t want to drive away every person in my department and severely limit my opportunities for contacts/references/help (I’m not going into Anthro as a specific field, but I may go into grad school later for Counseling). This is my last semester coming up, but it will be my hardest as far as my major is concerned. Has any one been through something similar? What should I do?

Wow! Anthropology has sure changed since I took it in the '80’s. I found the best way to deal with the liberal profs was to remember enough to pass the test and forget about the class as soon as the final was over. These guys have been teaching the same thing for years and years and nothing a mere student has to say will change their positions.

 

[GingerWarrior]

Thanks for all the advice! Coming from an evangelical background, I was told that not sharing your religiously-formed opinion is tantamount to denying Christ… So, this is comforting. I’m going to mind my own business most of the time, and if I’m required to speak my opinion, I’ll approach it at a scientific/social level so I can communicate in a way they’ll understand without getting them to jump down my throat. I guess this should have just been common sense, but I’m happy you all could help me reflect on things.

 

[GingerWarrior]

Wow! Anthropology has sure changed since I took it in the '80’s. I found the best way to deal with the liberal profs was to remember enough to pass the test and forget about the class as soon as the final was over. These guys have been teaching the same thing for years and years and nothing a mere student has to say will change their positions.

One word, friend: Post-modernism.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Thanks for all the advice! Coming from an evangelical background, I was told that not sharing your religiously-formed opinion is tantamount to denying Christ… So, this is comforting. I’m going to mind my own business most of the time, and if I’m required to speak my opinion, I’ll approach it at a scientific/social level so I can communicate in a way they’ll understand without getting them to jump down my throat. I guess this should have just been common sense, but I’m happy you all could help me reflect on things.

Yeah…Catholics tend to use more common sense and pick our arenas to fight in. It’s not denying Christ to use discernment so you don’t burn a whole bunch of bridges and be left with nothing except living under one of those burnt bridges.

 

[GraceSofia]

Yeah…Catholics tend to use more common sense and pick our arenas to fight in. It’s not denying Christ to use discernment so you don’t burn a whole bunch of bridges and be left with nothing except living under one of those burnt bridges.