Research Proposal

Working Title:

The Rise of the Repressive Left: 

How College-Age Millennials Have Confused Narcissistic Individualism with Progressive Social Change

Topic:

“Micro-aggressions,” “trigger warnings,” and “safe spaces” are buzzwords being thrown around college campuses across the nation by a student population of self-proclaimed social justice warriors. Recently these terms have garnered the interest and scrutiny of the general public through national headlines. Rutgers University itself was recently the interest of some controversy when a conservative group on campus invited Milo Yiannopoulos, an outspoken, conservative, gay journalist to hold a forum on the topic of free speech. The event was interrupted by a student protest that involved shouting and red face paint. The students claimed that Yiannopoulos’s speech was merely, “‘racism and sexism hidden behind the blanket of free speech’” (Biryukov). Many students reported they “‘broke[n] down crying’”, were “‘scared to walk around campus’”, and felt “‘scared, hurt…discriminated against,’” and generally “‘unsafe’” following the event (Bokhari). Some of the specific criticisms addressed by Yiannopoulos included that of trigger warnings, safe spaces, third-wave feminism, and the existence of rape culture on college campuses. He is also known for making controversial and, frankly, crude statements, such as this Tweet cited in an article written for the Daily Targum: “Feminists want to do away with gender pronouns in that they’re all so disgustingly fat no one can tell what sex they are anyway.” Nevertheless, what are we to make of the fact that the presence of controversy and alternate perspectives are enough to incite seemingly unbearable levels of anxiety for some students, and justify shutting down an individual or group’s ability to exercise their First Amendment right on campus?

My initial thoughts begged to question what role the concept of individualism has played in molding this segment of the Millennial generation into these displays of narrow-mindedness and self-victimization. Generally, individualism is associated with self-reliance and independence, but is it possible that Millennials have redefined individualism to be narcissistic and self-serving? Do their causes really promote progress in the realm of social justice, or do their actions promote regression? Are “trigger warnings” and “safe spaces” really promoting a form of progressive liberalism and civic-minded behavior, or are implicit (and perhaps unconscious) self-serving ambitions underlying these themes? Milo Yiannopoulos himself made a valid point in noting that, “Offensive speech is what gave women the right to vote. Offensive speech is what Martin Luther King Jr. was doing. Offensive free speech got gay marriage. Standing up to the establishment and saying 'fuck you guys' has been the primary engine of progressive progress for decades.” In other words, offensive free speech is the gateway to progressive social change, so why is it being limited? It is certainly debatable whether calling feminists ‘fat’ will promote any social progress, nonetheless, it is concerning that the doors for any and all open discourse are slowly being closed for fear of hurt feelings.


Research Questions: Does the concept of individualism or narcissism play into the rise of shutting down free speech on college campuses? If so, how and why?

Theoretical Framework:
The protests of the previous Liberal generations constituted dismantling segregation, ending war, and providing women with equal rights. The current wave of college age Millennials grew up primarily in the 90’s and early 00’s when technology created a wave of economic boom and the playing field for opportunity had already been leveled in contrast to past generations. With such a comparatively cushy social upbringing, perhaps Millennials deserve the title, “The Entitlement Generation.” Twenge’s book Generation Me- Revised and Updated: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and More Miserable Than Ever Before provides evidence to support the claim that today’s youth are more narcissistic than previous generations. According to Brummelman, et al., social learning theory can be applied to children to account for the development of narcissism. Specifically in their study, narcissism was predicted by parent overvaluation. Furthermore, I would like to see if I can apply this theory to the college administration/faculty and student relationship. Catherine L. Langford, in her essay, “Consumer Student or Citizen Student? The Clash of Campus Speech Codes and Free Speech Zones,” describes the rise of the student consumer mentality and the diminishment of the role colleges play in promoting civic-minded thought processes and behavior. I believe that the consumer mentality of administration plays into teaching students by socialization that their feelings are more important than open discussions.

Furthermore, I will utilize the theoretical framework provided by Twenge and Campbell's The Narcissism Epidemic which reveals how narcissism develops on a cultural and individual level. I will apply their theory directly to the instances of limiting free speech on campus.


Case Study:

I will be analyzing these theories by connecting them with the events that transpired around Milo Yiannopoulos’s kick-off to his “Dangerous Faggot” tour here at Rutgers University. This is a prime example of students pushing for the restriction of free speech on campus, and can be directly attributed to tendency for Millennial age college students to embody 'personal politics', which I will argue is rooted in narcissism.





Working Bibliography:

Biryukou, Nikita. “Milo Yiannopoulos Speaks About Free Speech at Rutgers.” The Daily Targum, 10 Feb. 2016. Web. 9 March 2016.

Bokhari, Allum. “Fake Blood and War Chants: Milo Yiannopoulos Event at Rutgers Disrupted by Feminists, Black Lives Matter Activists.” Breitbart, 18 Feb. 2016. Web. 9 March 2016.

Bokhari, Allum. “Rutgers Students Hold Group Therapy Session After Milo Yiannopoulos Visit.” Breitbart, 10 Feb. 2016. Web. 9 March 2016.

Brummelman, Eddie, Sander Thomaes, Stefanie A. Nelemans, Bram Orobio de Castro, Geetjan Overbeek, and Brad J. Bushman. “Origins of Narcissism in Children.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112(12), 24 March 2015: 3659-3662.

Langford, Catherine L. “Consumer Student or Citizen Student? The Clash of Campus Speech Codes and Free Speech Zones.” Free Speech Yearbook, 43 (2006): 93-105. Web. 6 March 2016.

Lukianoff, Greg. Unlearning Liberty: Campus Censorship and the End of American Debate. New York, NY: Encounter Books, 2014. Print.

Lukianoff, Greg and Jonathan Haidt. “The Coddling of the American Mind.” The Atlantic, Sept. 2015. Web. 9 March 2016.

Robbins, Susan P. “From the Editor-Sticks and Stones: Trigger Warnings, Microaggressions, and Political Correctness.” Journal of Social Work Education, 52.1, 1-5. Web. 8 March 2016.

Twenge, Jean M. Generation Me - Revised and Updated: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and More Miserable Than Ever Before. New York, NY: Atria Books, 2014. Print.

Zoppo, Acalon. “Rutgers Students Protest Journalist Milo Yiannopoulos’s Visit to Campus.” The Daily Targum, 9 Feb. 2016. Web. 9 March 2016.