The Dissidents

“Modeling civil discourse is crucial”. In this episode of the Free Speech Forward podcast, Chris and Joia engage with Erec Smith, an expert in Rhetoric, discussing the critical role of free speech in society. Smith emphasizes the importance of effective communication skills, the concept of Defensive Confidence, and the need for resilience in the face of criticism. He shares insights on preparing for public speaking and the significance of modeling civil discourse to foster a culture of free speech. The conversation highlights the necessity of understanding rhetorical principles and the value of individual expression in a thriving society. Discover more about Erec’s work championing the importance of civil discourse and the rhetorical skills necessary to practice it at: https://www.cato.org/video-series/competencies-civil-discourse/competencies-civil-discourse-0

In this week's episode frequent contributors Mark Horowitz, Nafees Alam join Elizabeth to discuss quality college teaching and how it is measured. University students typically complete one of several commercially available evaluation forms at the end of each semester.  Administrators use responses to evaluate faculty for reappointment, tenure, and for other forms of recognition. The research on student evaluations of teaching has been mixed, but overwhelmingly show at best a weak relationship between teaching evaluations and student learning. The author of a recent paper revisited prior work and used a variety of data analytic techniques to debunk the usefulness of student evaluations all together. The author, Bob Uttl, describes these evaluations as a highway to hell, as they fuel faculty popularity contests over merit. Mark, Nafees and Elizabeth can find little to disagree with, and each adds their own examples of documented confounds such as whether the course is considered easy, has lenient policies, or an attractive teacher (better ratings), versus more difficult, is science or math oriented, or the teacher has an accent (lower ratings).  We try to end on a high note by suggesting different methods, but we admit that a definition of good teaching is elusive and far too nuanced to be captured by a single measure or snapshot in time. Podcast notesUttl, B. (2024) Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET): Why the Emperor Has No Clothes and What We Should Do About It. Hu Arenas 7, 403–437.Please consider donating to the Institute for Liberal Values, a 501c3 non-profit organization at ilvalues.org. All donations go to support our continued programming to realize our mission to provide the skills and support required to build community where there has been division, encourage free expression where there has been censorship, and foster optimism where there is fear.

In this week's episode Elizabeth and Matt start by discussing an Op-Ed about the dangers of demonizing Donald Trump. The author (David Scharfenberg) reminds us that when we label a person or group as evil we tend to look away.  We may focus on fighting against an enemy, dehumanize, and become more afraid than proactive.  We also do not learn.  Elizabeth reveals that she chose the article because she recognized her own biases in the description. She admits to demonizing both ideological extremes, and feels squeezed by the potential threats.  Matt first suggests that we try to find shared values to remind ourselves of our common humanity.  Elizabeth is very skeptical of that strategy, but is more receptive to assurances that we can turn to our own core values and principles for respite and strength. This episode is a little bit of talk therapy for the politically exhausted.Podcast notesBoston Globe Article: "Dealing with the Devil" by David Scharfenberg https://edition.pagesuite.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?artguid=9b0cb8e2-4801-487e-8fa9-dbf0fd531d03&appcode=BOSGLO&eguid=2df733aa-711b-4c1c-8cf4-bb49b7d95a38&pnum=110#ProSocial Workers is committed to creating a viewpoint inclusive and politically diverse environment for social workers and other helping professionals.  Professionals can find support and continuing education at ProSocialWorkers.com.  Please consider donating to the Institute for Liberal Values, a 501c3 non-profit organization at ilvalues.org. All donations go to support our continued programming to realize our mission to provide the skills and support required to build community where there has been division, encourage free expression where there has been censorship, and foster optimism where there is fear.

 “Check your premises, always.” In this episode of the Free Speech Forward podcast, Brent Hamachek joins with Chris and Joia to discuss his journey as an advocate for free speech and individual liberty. He introduces several initiatives he is involved in, including The Common Ground Campus Program, The Free Society Coalition, and The American 250. Brent emphasizes the importance of free speech for individual liberty and societal flourishing, and he shares insights on effective communication and the need for young people to engage in civil discourse. He also points out that history shows societal change often comes from motivated minorities and reminds listeners that personal attacks are a reality when speaking out, so you need to focus on the message. Find out more about Brent’s work at: https://www.commongroundcampus.com/, https://www.freesocietycoalition.org/, and www.TheAmerican250.org

This week Jennifer Richmond and Angel Eduardo continue their conversation on faith and liberalism. The main question we tackle in this conversation is: do we need religion? Jennifer credits her faith to her “upward aim” and “striving” and doubts that she would approach life with such a conviction without her faith. Angel says that he can accomplish this same quest for moral “goodness” without the “baggage” of religion. Instead of “systematizing” his moral objectives to the Bible or Christian principles, Angel takes the good from innumerable stories that span history. What we both know, albeit from different perspectives, is that we are all a collection of miracles. We end the conversation promising to continue the discussion and will do so in our live March Liberalism in Practice Panel Discussion on March 27 at 7pm ET. We hope you can join us.In the meantime, please consider donating to the Institute for Liberal Values, a 501c3 non-profit organization at ilvalues.org. All donations go to support our continued programming to realize our mission to provide the skills and support required to build community where there has been division, encourage free expression where there has been censorship, and foster optimism where there is fear.Podcast Resources:Cross Purposes Book Club: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_YD42csnK6eXuY1nCI7Yc-OPFzAygC1ZJesus and Superman: A Faith and Liberalism Series with Angel Eduardo: https://youtu.be/C6CZvlWqETc

In 2022 Counterweight, the organization that Helen Pluckrose founded and that was absorbed into the Institute for Liberal Values had a virtual conference on Alternatives to Diversity and Inclusion. Starting in 2025, we will be rolling out one talk a month that was presented at the conference. We sit down with the original presenters throughout 2025 to see what has changed since 2022. With Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives seemingly on the chopping block, we are curious to hear what our original participants are witnessing and experiencing on the ground. Is DEI really dead or just in remission? Are there healthy alternatives to DEI that we should consider, or do we throw the baby out with the bathwater and wipe our hands clean? What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments.This month Jennifer Richmond interviews Ellie Avishai. In her update to her original talk on Liberal Approaches to Diversity and Inclusion, Ellie reminds us that is always our job to be truth seekers despite which way the winds shift. And our conversation shifts from its original emphasis on DEI in the workplace to DEI in schools. In her original talk she underlines the importance of having clarity for workplace values, here we talk about clarity of purpose in our schools. So, just what is the purpose of schools? Well, the answer is complicated and varied, but if Ellie could boil it down to one thing, it would be the development of democratic citizens. The ultimate aim of education is to develop the intellectual capacity and curiosity to engage people different from oneself, and that is exactly the work she does as the Director of the Mill Center at UATX. You can find her original conference presentation here: https://youtu.be/kGE6TsZ00mMPodcast Notes:Public Goods, Private Goods: The American Struggle over Educational Goals, David Labaree, American Educational Research Journal, Vol 34, No 1 (Spring 1997) pp. 39 - 81.The Mill Institute: https://www.uaustin.org/mill

 "Speak up. Your voice is important." In this episode of the Free Speech Forward podcast, Chris and Joia speak with Sangeetha Shankar, who shares her journey as an advocate for free speech, a journey rooted in her upbringing in India and her experiences as a homeschooling mother. Sangeetha discusses the challenges faced by Hindu communities, particularly in light of the SB 403 bill in California, which she argues would lead to racial profiling and discrimination. She also emphasizes the importance of free speech for individual and societal flourishing, drawing on her Hindu beliefs that celebrate freedom and diversity of thought.  Finally, Sangeetha offers insights on effective communication and encourages listeners to find their voice and their community in the face of cultural pressures. She would like to suggest the following tips to help others in sharing their voice:Write, write, write- long-form, journal writing works wonders to get your genuine voice out. Do self podcasts -record yourself on the camera and see how you sound. Talk aloud in the bathtub!Talk to yourself in the mirror. Practice in front of friends, friendly communities like Toastmasters. Get out of your comfort zone and speak on uncomfortable issues.  Learn more about Hinduism in America and Sangeetha’s work at: https://www.hinduamerican.org/

This week Jen & Wink speak with Susanna McIntyre about her transformation from Catholicism to Atheism, Antifa to Dissident, and an alignment with Preference Falsification that turned into a Preference Cascade. Susanna claims that her journey towards critical thinking was an “accident” but we find inspiration in Susanna’s very intentional search for truth and the embrace of disagreement. 

Respect for human diversity is inherent in social work education, practice, and is an essential element of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. Yet many social workers and others are unaware that political and religious diversity are referenced several times in the Code. Is social work becoming ideologically intolerant, illiberal, orthodox, and incompatible with the profession’s ethical values and principles? Listen to experiences of several social workers who confronted viewpoint orthodoxy in their education and professional settings. Podcast notes: Tiffanie Jones Interview on Free Black Thought, “Canceled for Challenging Gender.” Third part of the series: Privileged Perspectives: Orthodoxy and Self-Censorship in Social Work Education Second part of the series: Left Turn in Social Work Education: The Harmful Effects of a Narrow Political Ideology First part of the series: Critical vs. Classical Social Justice in Social Work ProSocial Workers is committed to creating a viewpoint inclusive and politically diverse environment for social workers and other helping professionals. Professionals can find support and continuing education at ProSocialWorkers.com.

Welcome to today’s episode of the Free Speech Forward podcast, a conversation between Joia, Chris, and John Suarez, Executive Director at the Center for a Free Cuba. John shares his journey as a human rights advocate, discussing the importance of free speech particularly in the context of Cuba. He describes his early experiences with censorship, the historical repression in Cuba, and the need for regime change to restore free speech. The conversation also touches on the cultural decline of free speech in the U.S. and the courage required to speak out against oppression. Find out more at: https://cubacenter.org/