Professional Documents
Culture Documents
P-3893
THIS
DOCUMENT
IS
BEST
WHICH
REPRODUCE
DO
LEGIBLY.
NOT
Santa Monica,
California
is
worldwide phenomenon.
recent years is
subject to the
one which is
involvement in
as it
The lack of
to
is
impor-
In both
to the institutions
And given a
high degree of concensus among liberal intellectuals concerning the threat, many who were deeply critical of
various domestic institutions and practices found thenselves
historically speaking,
western democratic
actions which
as well as increasing
Communism,
For
the third
In a real sense,
and
As a group,
-4-
Jews as a
radical
activities in
a phenomenon which
from experience
and
As ideological anti-comniaem
More
elders.
revolution,
found little
ideological climate,
as well as the
emerged in
since it
society,
in
manifest creed of
toto,
Most Americans,
recognized
and in principle,
actions which
particularly in
the
itself,
i.e.,
The confrontationist
which first
emerged in
the South,
-6-
mains that more has been attempted by government to improve the situation of the Negro in
Many of
Congress,
But though
and uneducated,
labor market.
the
-7-
in
found themselves in
facing few,
black faculty,
if
any,
The concern
-8-1
well.
The issue of the acceptable pace of reform also has
been affected by events abroad, particularly in Cuba and
The triumph of the Castro movement,
Viet Nam.
an event
dominated by young men, produced an example of a revolution, seemingly uncontaminated by Stalinism. Cuban events
helped to generate the sense that revolution was both
possible and desirable as a way to eliminate social evils.
Again generational differences divided the liberal-left
communities.
of
-9initially
episode in
a two decade
imperialist expansion.
of self-determination
Given the existence
Communism,
it
those of anti-imperialism,
of politically
of a poly-centric
weak
divided
Here it
-10-
to changes in mood,
the population,
As a
stimulating
The special
the
Revolutions of 1848,
in
in
the various
century,
in
Germany,
in
a host of
economic,
it
is
times
seem to question
and political arrange-
Although it
the result,
in
students
as well as in
specific
creating period.
dents,
the
in
in
status,
Studenthood is
has
-12-
and that
is
counts.
Hence,
young people in
a society in
which
high-school.
Hard
While some
of which
one.
Although such
-13-
it
in
is
than before.
to which reference is
equality,
like.
There is
many countries:
have a heart;
head."
honesty,
socialism,
he who still
This statement is
servative one,
democracy,
"He who is
absolute
and the
various forms in
assuming radicalism is
response to politics.
an
fre-
an unintelligent
part of the maxim may
for it
denotes a
praiseworthy behavior.
It
is
out of
even greater
for
It
tends in
general to glorify
the sports,
to behave
the dances,
is
This ties in
a progressive country,
and change.
the future is
of course,
to learn to operate in
a world of conflicting
-15-
values,
roles,
interests,
and demands.
Such compromises
to develop an
are characterized by a
and often
seen as calling
Although living in
a society
especially in
limbo,
or to
Such a situation
a culture like the
-16-
achievement.
Hence,
And in
in
sexual relations,
the university
student activism in
as
which sets it
adults in
particular.
of communication
(relatively
society,
and from
clothes),
dances),
peculiar modes
on music or travel,
adults'
general and
consumption of liquor).
Political extremism,
the
-18-
Students
The university,
itself,
in
spite of its
politics,
increas-
as professors fulfill
emphasis
ever
intellectual conenta-
advisors,
consultants,
and as
Many students
are thus in
have little
or no share in
university.
it
is
but
of the spectrum in
the
Hence,
identity,
student
directed against
it
is
-19-
Since the
Once liberals
indicates
that.
-20-
par-
internationalism,
out over ten years ago that the conservatives who attack
the universities for "corrupting" young people are right
from their political and moral standpoints.
But if
once was.
The research-
Univer-
lobbying public
officials,
There can be
-21-
little
as such,
are of
The
This development
is
the university; it
their
in
their income,
are in competition
-22-
"happier" professoriate.
Faculty,
like students,
one in
are in
national
becoming
tion,
successful,
or who,
if
The universities
by invidiously rewarding,
fashion,
institutional prestige.
-23-
more yet gives less in the form of personal relations (informal influence) among students,
tion.
-24-
the organization of
universities.
Conversely,
the
a sense which in
many cases
also
The two
the more
while campus
the situ-
Young people are more available for new political movements than adults.
political arena,
logies,
As new citizens,
-25-
In his terms,
Students may
drop out of school, may put off their studies for short or
long periods, without paying a great price.
delay taking examinations.
-26-
in
and jobs.
the
Thus,
Moreover,
as noted earlier,
stu-
involved in
In many societies,
politically or other-
In addition,
which makes it
The campus is
the ideal
-27-
Only a
because it
could be mobilized.
if
not
recently,
-28-
pated in
in
1964-65,
cent in
1967-68,
campaigns).
(17 percent
and 20 per-
tiny memberships.
the
both
the 1960s.
influencing
the question
must be raised as who are they, what are the factors which
contribute to activirt- s,:e-ngth.
-29-
dent groupings,
Freedom (YAF)
backgrounds.
is disproportion-
liberal or radical.
and
And studies of
-30-
are
social sciences,
Such
i.e.,
Morris Rosenberg,
-31-
undergraduate major.
A large proportion of
poli-
A comparison by
from working-class
In general,
students in
major in
-32-
parents,
while
tend to be
narrow sense.
businessmen,
first-
engineers,
from
strongly
privileged.
objectives,
on professional
also results
in
activities
job
Negroes apart,
the scions of
the upper-middle-class.
The political
be
the U.S.A.,
orientation of their
those with a
Jewish students,
students.
or currently,
of Negro
-33-
e.g.,
California, Michigan
and Wisconsin, are also schools which have become the most
important centers of confrontationist politics.
These
In the United
-34-
In his Memoirs,
that
and those at
In 1963-64,
the year
San
the
-35-
the country.
who held a police car captive in the first major confrontation of that affair in October 1964, reported that over
half of them had taken part in at least one previous
demonstration,
is not
Universities
The larger
Many students of
-36-
imperatives implicit in
liberal-
however,
existed
it
if
what
many
conversions,
political identity,
among other groups.
drastic changes in
belief,
in
as
-37-
Various
The various
Local students, or
-38-
Thus,
they have
i.e.,
as well as
student intelligence,
At the moment,
are unconvincing,
in
however,
these findings
relevant
For
studies of
-39-
Conversely,
the left-
wing students come from more permissive and femaledominated families than their European counterparts may
be linked to the fact that they have shown a greater
impatience to wait,
-40-
As yet,
however,
characteristics of leftist
it
is
activists by psychologists,
or as often is
done,
with
limited efforts in
The
activists,
student government,
academically
Both leftist
as well as moderates
char-
and
involved
talented in
also present
special
-41-
Committed morally
leftists
feel that
however,
students are,
the
therefore,
Liberals and
A rela-
any country,
the
than it
actually is.
-42-
one should
therefore,
than
that the
politics.
It
student population is
actively involved
It
active one.
What does justify concern,
of course,
is
the exis-
-43-
There is no question
that these are effective tactics, but they also have the
effect of weakening the structure of democratic legitimacy.
More importantly,
Hence,
it
is
-44-
If
Aoreign policy.
reaction,