http://theconversation.com/snobbery-in- ... harm-32037
Snobbery in universities
You might imagine that universities would be free of snobbery, because everyone is involved in a quest for knowledge and scholars are supposed to make judgements about ideas, not about people. Anyone who has been around people in universities will soon hear plenty of stories to the contrary.
When we started investigating academic snobbery, we discovered that everyone we spoke to had a story to tell. There were stories about arrogant professors, about snooty students and about individuals who thought they were superior to just about anyone. There are some relevant writings about emotions in academia and, more bluntly, about “academic arseholes”.
Academic snobbery comes in multiple forms - for instance, connected with a person’s university, field of study or position. Teachers who are on short-term contracts may not be treated as real colleagues. At conferences junior scholars may be ignored by leading figures in the field.
Those at the bottom of the status hierarchy are invisible. This sort of environment breeds snobbery.
Many students gain their sense of value from their peers and from their achievements at school and university. Snide comments about their clothes, tastes and intellectual skills can be deeply hurtful.
However, this type of snobbery has consequences beyond the immediate effects on people’s emotions. When teachers make belittling comments about students, it can cause some students to quit. Some junior scholars may even reject an academic career because of the patronising attitudes of senior figures.
Another possible consequence for universities is that relevant questions and concerns are not addressed because they don’t come from the right sorts of people. Or research findings may be ignored because they come from the wrong discipline.
Snobbery is not good for universities in another way. If members of the public think academics are inflated with self-importance, they are less likely to support universities when it comes to funding or academic freedom.
Secular intolerance is an obnoxious form of academic snobbery and can easily lead to metaphysical repression because students take these snobs seriously. After all they are teachers and control grades.
As the article states: “Many students gain their sense of value from their peers and from their achievements at school and university. Snide comments about their clothes, tastes and intellectual skills can be deeply hurtful.” Secular intolerants have perfected their snide comments and attitudes to the degree that their spirit killing techniques have become as highly developed as their puffed up egos.
Openly expressed attempts at spirit killing through secular intolerance are praised. However, some guys having a raunchy BS session in private are committing the unforgivable sin. The fruits of progressive education.