In an episode of “The Dan O’Donnell Show” on Saturday, Milwaukee podcaster Dan O’Donnell criticized University of Wisconsin journalism professor Lindsay Palmer’s assignment which asked students to examine their “socio-cultural identities.”
“The Dan O’Donnell Show” is a conservative talk show that often breaks down recent news, according to O’Donnell and iHeart Radio.
In his show, O’Donnell said how Palmer’s course required students to list their socio-cultural identities and explain how they are either privileged or marginalized.
The course, Journalism 620 – International Communication, is taught by the Helen Firstbrook Franklin Professor Lindsay Palmer, according to an email from UW Assistant Vice Chancellor John Lucas. The course explores the lenses used by media outlets across the world and how different national, cultural and political factors shape the way information is created and consumed, Lucas said in the email.
“The obvious intent is to divide into the classic left-wing dichotomy of oppressors and oppressed,” O’Donnell said. “This is instantly dividing people into groups based upon characteristics that they have no control over.”
O’Donnell expressed his opinion that the class activity and what it represents goes against the American idea that we are to judge based on the individual and not based on belonging to a demographic group.
Palmer is highly qualified as both a former television journalist and published author, and the class provided students with the opportunity to challenge the material if they so chose, Lucas said in the email.
“UW-Madison seeks to create a learning environment where all voices and perspectives can contribute to discussions of important topics of the day,” Lucas said in the email. “The university also believes that it is important for every faculty member to create an environment through their teaching and teaching materials where all students feel comfortable participating in these discussions.”
DEI has received much criticism from public figures and lawmakers, and assignments like Palmer’s fall under those susceptible to these complaints.
DEI has also been under scrutiny in recent months at universities like UW including by Republican-ordered audits to track money spent on DEI in the UW system. O’Donnell further commented on his issues with the activity and the way it paints students’ identities.
“This focus on demographic politics is unfortunately a hallmark of left-wing ideology,” O’Donnell said. “A hyperfocus has been placed on how all these groups must necessarily be in conflict this eliminates or greatly minimizes the self-determinative power of the individual.”
The ability to examine one’s identities and positions in society is an academic skill and a core competency that employers are seeking, department associate professor in the department of educational policy studies at UW Erica Turner said.
Even for students entering fields that seem like they can establish common ground among everyone, there are lurking socio-cultural differences, associate professor of adult and higher education at UW Matthew Hora said in an email.
“I think that having students think through their own socio-cultural identities is a valuable exercise,” Hora said in an email. “An awareness — and respect for — cross-cultural differences is especially important for students going into careers where they’ll encounter co-workers and clients from different countries or life experiences.”
Palmer did not respond to The Badger Herald’s request for comment.
