In today’s schools, students are losing out. What was once rigorous academic research founded on the scientific method is now being reversed: ideology drives conclusions, and studies are built to confirm them. That’s the argument raised by Dr. James L. Nuzzo. He claims that much current research—especially on race, gender, and identity—no longer begins with open inquiry. Instead, it starts with politically correct conclusions, then works backwards to support them.
A recent example is a study from the University of Chicago, funded by the NIH, opens by refusing to capitalize “white” to symbolize what they call the “oppressive history of whiteness.” That choice sets a tone: whatever students say, the outcome is already decided. In interviews with 69 white high-school students, the researchers asked such questions as “What are good things about being white?” or “Have you ever been treated differently because of your race?” Their results? Students expressed little overt prejudice, said they saw others as individuals, and even felt that social expectations were unfairly stacked against white people. Nevertheless, the researchers interpreted the responses as evidence of “white ignorance”—a term meant to imply that the students are unaware of systemic privilege and racism.
Nuzzo points out that what might logically be considered positive—rejecting prejudice—is instead portrayed as evidence of ignorance. Disagreement is stripped of legitimacy and turned into proof of ideological deficiency. Know that these trends aren’t isolated. More research, curricula, and school policies are being shaped less by fairness or fact-finding and more by political identity and radical ideology. The National Education Association recently admitted that teachers “don’t have time for reading and writing”—because they are expected to spend that time “fighting Trump.”
Conservatives understand this as a broader assault on fundamental pillars of civilization—family, faith, and personal dignity. The “woke” movement values identity politics over common humanity, political will over reason, and human authority over traditional moral authority. Conservatives’ response must be more than protest—it must be constructive. Parents and teachers must reassert the importance of free inquiry, restore curricula rooted in objective reality, and uphold the values of family and faith. Only by doing so, can we push back against woke ideology that divides.
The woke agenda is corrupting classrooms in colleges and schools across the country. If you’re a parent, teacher, or administrator who really cares about our children, we promise to keep you informed at PhyllisSchlafly.com. Again, let us hear from you at Phyllis Schlafly dot com. Thanks for listening and join us again next time for the Phyllis Schlafly Report.
This post originally appeared at https://phyllisschlafly.com/family/education/backwards-research-promotes-woke-ideology/