Conscious non-involvement. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)

SIR: Alan Barcan's essay (July-August 2002) carefully maps out the landscape of student associations and clubs, both political and social, at Sydney University. From my own experience at the University of Melbourne (1994 to 1997), I can confirm that a very similar landscape exists there. Certainly Mr Barcan's observations on non-participatory students (the politically inactive) would also apply at Melbourne.

Mr Barcan raises a number of reasons for large-scale apoliticism at our universities: increased vocationalism, more continuous assessment keeping the traditional activists (Arts, Humanities and Economics students) too busy to protest, increased numbers of students working to supplement government financial assistance, and more people juggling the role of parent with that of student.

I would suggest that the existence of this inactive majority is also a result of the generally apolitical outlook now common among many of today's university students, stemming from an inability. to associate their beliefs with any specific movement or group. The plurality of clubs to which Mr Barcan refers is itself problematic--among such a range of groups on campus it is startling how many students cannot find a single club with which they can comfortably associate.

With SRCs, student unions and the majority of clubs and societies spending their time, money and energy on the important--but narrowly focused--needs of particular interest groups, indigenous students, queer students and other generally "left"-ish causes (refugees, anti-globalisation), we should perhaps not be so surprised that only 2000 (out of 40,000) students voted in Sydney University's 2001 elections. By definition, many campus clubs and political groups exist to further the needs of small but active interest groups--the inactive majority is not represented with a club for the politically apathetic (unless one includes the perennially popular--among First Years, at least--Chocolate Appreciation Society and More Beer Club).

Having recently emerged from undergraduate life, I can report a distinct lack of attachment among the "non-participatory" majority to the established political bodies. Many students today find it difficult to associate with the ...