History of the Protests

Many American universities have historically offered courses focused on the foundation of western civilization. These courses are often mandatory for undergraduates. In these classes, the term “western civilization” is usually presumed to be a cultural identity shared between North American and European cultures that traces back to ancient Rome and Greece. As a result, the content of these classes mostly comes from Anglo-European writers with little coverage on communities of different cultural backgrounds. 

Since the 1980s, students in American universities have been protesting against these required “western civ” courses. Starting at Stanford, over 500 students protested against the Eurocentric requirement for all undergraduates to take one western civilization course. Quickly, this movement expanded its reach across top American universities. After Stanford, other school administrations made significant changes to address the protests. They either made major revisions to their western civilization courses or straight up eliminated them. However, the battles are not yet over. Despite these changes, students continue to protest over the revised classes. 

Is It Justified? 

When you examine the composition of American society today, it’s clear that the premise of these protests is justified. Immigrants, as cultural minorities, have been a crucial part of the United States for a long time. In the past century, first-gen and second-gen immigrants have consistently accounted for a substantial percentage of American population. These immigrants maintain a strong sense of their native culture which is foreign to mainstream American culture. Their presence in America makes those cultures a part of American culture. Therefore, protesting higher education institutions’ failure to represent these cultural minorities seems justified. 

Where the Premise Goes Wrong

However, many of the protests are later met with resistance and criticisms. Just after a few years Stanford students showed their opposition to the curriculum changes. The newly added texts also gave professors problems, as most professors are educated from a western cultural background which gives them little familiarity with the new texts. How is it that a justifiable movement should encounter so much objection? 

In fact, it’s fair to say that some protesters have steered away from the original premise. From Stanford’s slogan of “Western culture’s got to go,” to critics claiming western culture is an imaginary concept, many protesters have turned the focus away from helping shine the light on cultural minorities onto outright rejecting western cultures and traditions. The truth is the United States does indeed inherit many cultural traits and ideologies from Europe and ancient Greece. The founding of America was heavily influenced by Christian ideas (which was brought by Europeans), and the system of democracy (the essence of the U.S.) took notes from ancient Greece in many ways. These ideologies are ingrained in the Constitution, in political systems and in everyday values shared by many Americans. Since students at American colleges are living and getting an education in an American cultural setting, it is only natural that they should get to know the histories and ideologies that had the most influence on American society. 

The Value of Western Civ

The knowledge on western civilization can also be beneficial for any individual in American society, as evidenced by a Reed College alum saying “the grounding I got at Reed in Greek and Roman classical texts and ideas has repeatedly proven invaluable to me in making my way in the world.” Even for international students or students of other cultural backgrounds, it’s not all bad news. Using myself as an example: I am an international student with no religious background. Since the majority of Americans identify as religious, sometimes the reliance on religious texts and religious guidance can be baffling to me. Reading the Bible in a Catholic high school and in a western civ class like Legacies certainly teaches me how to interpret religion’s role in American people’s lives. Other than religion, reading Plato’s account of Socrates helps me better understand the struggle of democracy as well. I understand that the lack of representation of minority cultures is frustrating, and I feel it as well. But that should not enable us to deny any value in learning about western civ. 

What Should Colleges Do, Then?

The protests on the western civ classes had a justifiable cause. But it is not inherently wrong to teach western civilization. By reason of history, American cultures and European cultures do share similar origins. The universities have to be careful in teaching writings that had the most significant impact on American culture through a critical eye, while also incorporating the newest contributors to modern American culture.