University ‘Diversity Week’ hosts pro-Jordan Peterson session
But the University of Rhode Island's "Diversity Week" will host a session on Peterson's book, "12 Rules for Life," which appears to present the professor's views in a positive light.
Proponents of campus diversity often view University of Toronto professor Jordan Peterson as an adversary.
The University of Rhode Island’s 22nd annual Diversity Week will include a session dedicated to the teachings of Dr. Jordan Peterson, presenting them in what appears to be a positive light.
The school’s Multicultural Center is hosting the event, which will focus not just on skin-deep diversity, but also diversity of ideology. This is reflected in the 2018 theme, “Youth Activism Across Identities, Issues and Ideologies.”
The session that will be led by Peterson is titled “Youth Culture” and will be based off Peterson’s book, 12 Rules for Life.
“Younger generations face challenges and difficulties that many of their parents never went through, and for which many feel unprepared,” the University of Rhode Island program description for Peterson’s session reads. “Living in a chaotic world is never easy, but with some basic tips it can become manageable and, just maybe, enjoyable.”
While speaking with Campus Reform, Peterson noted that he was surprised by his inclusion in the diversity-themed event, adding, “it seems like it could be a good thing.”
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“When I first received the [event description]...I thought that any comments of my book in a diversity initiative would be thoroughly negative, but it doesn’t look like it,” the University of Toronto professor and best-selling author said.
“I can’t help but see it as a positive thing. Hopefully, more of that sort of thing will happen because the book concentrates on the development of resilience,” Peterson added.
College campuses have historically been less than friendly toward Peterson and his viewpoints. As recently as July, a group of students at the University of Texas at San Antonio petitioned the school to cancel a guest lecture by Peterson, on the basis that he was “transphobic” and held views that were “very harmful” to the city of San Antonio.
Other sessions that will be hosted at the diversity event include “Cracking the Codes of Racial Inequity: What Activists Need To Know” and “Acknowledge Pagans on Campus.”
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“We see young people speaking out on issues that they are passionate about such as early age voting rights, same-sex marriages, Black Lives Matter, immigration, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and school shootings: a culture of violence,” URI’s Multicultural Student Services Center Director George Gallien said in a press release.
“Students want to be more involved in policy-making decisions that affect their lives. I believe Diversity Week will give them the knowledge and confidence to continue this movement throughout our campus,” Gallien added.
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