Yesterday, seventy Harvard University undergraduates staged a walkout of Economics 10—the largest course at Harvard, with over 700 students—to protest the course’s conservative bias and in solidarity with the Occupy movement. Economics 10 is taught by Professor N. Gregory Mankiw, who also served on the White House Council of Economic Advisers during the second Bush administration and is currently an adviser to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.
You can read more in the Harvard Crimson’s article on the walkout.
32 Responses to “Harvard University Students Stage Walkout in Protest of Economics Class”
Anyway, can you all please refute this:
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/11/04/3-charged-with-dealing-crack-occupy-boston-deteriorating/?utm_source=home&utm_medium=dl&utm_campaign=occupy-boston-deteriorating
How is this related to this post?
Also, I am a Harvard graduate, and I’m hardly part of the 1%.
Apologies. It’s not related to the post. It would be helpful though if you guys could add some color around the general mood/environment of OB. Is this story true? It paints a pretty rough picture.
Harvard is very much the 1%. You may be an exception, though you are in a position of authority/power. As a general rule, you go to Harvard, you are or will be rich and powerful.
I graduated from Harvard Divinity School in 2010 with a Master of Divinity in Buddhist studies. I’ve worked low-pay office temp jobs since, cannot find any full-time work. The other day I had to borrow money for groceries so that I could continue to eat. Even if I reach my goal of some day being a tenured academic, will hardly be “rich and powerful.” The same goes for many, many of my friends and classmates.
Meanwhile, I was raised by a single mom in a trailer in Georgia. So, I don’t take the label 1% off of anybody.
Josh
I do not have a college education. I was smart enough to get accepted and excel in one but decided the white collar world was flooded. I went into a trade and make an honest living. I am by no means rich but I don’t do without. I HATE corporate greed. If u ever need anything Josh just ask. U have a seat in my home for dinner. Jay
Just a question about your Buddhist studies degree…not trying to be confrontational…..but what job would you be expecting with that degree? Sounds like you limited yourself to specific career opportunities and now seem surprised you can’t find a full time job. I think some of the observers of your movement, like myself, hear complaints about graduates being saddled with high student loans and the lack of jobs but it sounds like jobs in your career field would be limited even in boom times. I know this is not related to the post but I am hoping you reply anyway. I am not looking for a confrontation, just a discussion. Thank you.
Jay: Thank you! It’s the kindness and encouragement of good folks like you that keep this movement going.
Beth: There are jobs to be found with a master’s in religious studies–chaplaincy, nonprofit jobs, NGO jobs, academic jobs, some jobs in government, etc–but they’re relatively rare, especially in this economy. I didn’t expect to get one right out of graduate school. However, I did expect to find a *very* modestly-payed, full-time office job. I’m intelligent, hard-working, conscientious, personable, detail-oriented, have a lot of experience, and have good references. I also have a master’s degree from Harvard and read three languages. So, I didn’t think that was an unreasonable expectation. Apparently, I was wrong. The fact that I was wrong says less about me than it does about the structural problems in our economy, which I’d be happy to discuss if you like.
You don’t know many people from Harvard, do you? While yes, Harvard looks impressive on a resume, it by no means is the general rule that you’ll be rich and powerful. As with any university or college – it’s a big combination of who you know, your skills, and a big dose of luck.
Those who came from poor backgrounds (of which there are many – Harvard does several scholarships via their donations to help lower class students) will likely be a bit better off, but they will NOT be rich and powerful.
Those who came from wealthy backgrounds will likely fall into your stereotype.
They’re “reviewing” Occupy Boston on Yelp:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/occupy-boston-boston-2#hrid:gTjbokx76ivR2z4NajHfmQ
Surprised I see no mention of the below, but you do point out that a professors once worked for a Republican. This, however, seems so much more relevant to the cause:
The bankrupt financial company MF Global, now under federal investigation for possibly misusing clients’ money, is one of the top sources of contributions for President Obama’s reelection, complicating the campaign’s effort to turn public anger at Wall Street into a political advantage.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mf-global-ties-awkward-for-obama-campaign/2011/11/02/gIQA9w5ogM_print.html
We posted very critically about Jon Corzine, Obama, and MF Global in a post yesterday.
The walked out “to protest the course’s conservative bias”…
Which bias are they more in favor of?
That question’s incoherent.
Typo, Captain…
They walked out to protest the course’s conservative bias…
Which bias are they more in favor of?
If it’s still incoherent, rotate your tires.
Still incoherent. Would you care to actually explain?
Seems pretty coherent to me, my mistress, and her cat, too…
They don’t like the conservative bias that’s being taught. What do they want? A course that reflects a liberal bias? A socialist bias?
No bias?
He can’t compute. There has to be a bias. Paying all that money and no bias? How will he know what side he’s on?
Jeremy Patashnik ’12, an economics concentrator who authored a lengthy piece in defense of the course for the Harvard Political Review, rejected the notion that Ec 10 carries a conservative bias.
“I self-identify as a liberal on these issues, and I don’t see the conservative bias. I think this walkout misses the point of what Ec 10 is supposed to be,” Patashnik said. “This class is not attempting to give normative answers about how to address social issues. It’s meant to introduce students to economics as a social science.”
Krass noted that the topic of Wednesday’s lecture—income inequality—might have been particularly interesting to those who participated in the walkout.
“It’s incredible that in the name of advancing a more liberal view of economics they chose to walk out of a class on a social issue they care about,” Krass said.
Do you see no bias as an ‘actual’ choice or as an idealistic one?
Honestly- Buddhist studies sounds amazing- but are you shocked there isnt a huge need to hire fresh graduates in this environment with that focus?
Degrees are only worth what their owner an wrap them up to be- good luck josh – but niche educated and über snarky only get you so far in the world combating a recession.
Sticks and stones.
P.S., If I had an MBA instead of a MDiv you’d just come up with another excuse to justify your world-view.
Not surprised really.
Ha! The Harvard students walked out of the course? Are you kidding me they are all wishing they will at one point in their lives be part of the 1%. Talk about called the kettle black…don’t be so naive to think that they are feeling the financial sting of paying off student loans. And those who are paying out of pocket on their student loans they should be considered the 1% of Harvard. I would love to see them protest their president and ask that he take a pay cutt from his 822,000.00 dollar salary well that was in 2010..not sure if it’s gone up…but he’s not part of the problem nor is the BC president who was making a million bucks last year…are they the 99% or are they the 1%..college is a scam
Do you know how many Harvard classes I have sat through where the professor admits up front they are liberal? Too many. I’m walking out in the name of Occupy next time.
A liberal professor and a liberal bias are different things entirely. It is entirely possible to have a personal opinion while also being fair-minded.
They admit it to explain their liberal bias. But I really care less how bias a person is, and always welcome the chance to hear opinions other than my own.
When I was young Harvard was cool. There was a beautiful sun lit building where I would just drop in and visit the architecture students. Everybody liked me even with my drug problem. There was a blurred out picture of me masturbating kept as part of a photo exhibit near the front entrance. I could just walk in to the Widener Library and look at hundred year old books of India that you couldn’t find anywhere else. It was so funny that even then older people complained how things used to be so much better 20 years before. How do we get it back? Are the rich really the problem?
http://hpronline.org/campus/in-defence-of-the-students-who-walked-out/
My article in defense of the students who walked out.
Harvard students walking out of Econ huh? White people problems.
on November 7th, 2011 at 11:42 pm #
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