[Xmca-l] Re: (non)grieving scholarship

[Alfredo Jornet Gil]

Greg, Huw, and others, I do often get worried that in the formals and informal meetings at our department (department of education), conversations tend to focus on the "micro" developments that you mention (students, grades, getting a next grant, getting that paper published, making sure you've got enough) most of the time, and not so much on what society we would like to have, and how our institution could/should contribute to that. I do not have any suggestions on the type of studies that you ask about—dealing with how ecologies of scholarship in academia lead to given developmental dynamics—other than the classical studies in STS, like Latour & Woolgar's on laboratory life, or S. L. Star's. But when I look forward at what lies between me (or anyone in my institution) and a change in the way this institution has impact in the life of many, what I see is lots of routines, habits, documents, and paperwork entangled in the middle, such that the idea "mediation all the way through" makes all the sense. And seeing things that way (from the ecological perspective), makes the possibility of changing things to look actually feasible, or more accurately perhaps, imagine-able. I'd like to continue being part of the ecology to be able to be also be part of its changing it. I hope others will bring more specific literature to bear. I am already downloading some of Peter Sloterdijk's to read. 

Alfredo



________________________________________
From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu <xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu> on behalf of Greg Thompson <greg.a.thompson@gmail.com>
Sent: 24 February 2018 17:45
To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: (non)grieving scholarship

I appreciate Huw's concern about academia and the push to orient to a
broader and more systemic concern with "development". I think that this is
what institutions of higher education are supposed to have, right? - at the
very least a concern for the development of individual "students", but
also, one would hope, a concern for "development" at a longer timescale
(e.g., how to be a better society, a better world). They certainly tout
these in their promo materials.

And yet, in practice, these institutions often fall back on bureaucratic or
economic logics. Bureaucratic logic goes something like, "just publish (in
"good" (i.e., high impact factor) journals), who cares what you publish so
long as we can count it to determine its (and your) 'value'(!)".

As for the economic logic, I was just talking with Rick Shweder the other
day about this issue and he expressed the concern about the push towards
STEM education at the expense of all else and the way that STEM buildings
are slowly starting to take over his campus (the University of Chicago - a
place that was long held to be a hold out of liberal arts education -
apparently they now have an engineering program). He suggested that this is
tied to an early 80's court decision that gave universities ownership of
patents developed on their campuses.

To my mind, this calls to mind a concern with ecologies of development
(across the shorter and longer timescales). What are the ecologies (social,
economic, political, etc.) within which development (at these various
timescales) occurs in our world today? This is really a question of what is
possible and/or what is likely with regard to becoming. What are the forms
of life and forms of development that are sustainable given the larger
ecologies in which that development happens?

And for thinking through that problem, I've had a hard time thinking of
anyone who has better thought through this problem than Marx - at the
longer timescale of development, that is (Vygotsky would, of course, be
better at thinking through development at the shorter timescale of
ontogeny).

I'd love to hear others' thoughts on those who have studied activities that
can begin to shed light on these ecologies of development (particularly at
the longer timescale). Any thoughts/suggestions? I would imagine this work
considering various kinds of institutions that run the gamut - from venture
capitalist firms to non-profits to governmental institutions to
institutions of higher education. I would presume that each of these kinds
of institutions would have a local ecology within which they work, but I am
tempted to imagine some kind of global meta-ecology (perhaps Marx's "global
capitalism"?) within which each of these local ecologies operates. I'd be
curious about actual research that has been done documenting the nature of
these ecologies - e.g., what kinds of resources are available to be
exploited? What kinds of possibilities are there for different forms of
life? What institutional organisms can thrive? Which are dying off? (and
just to be clear, I am intending a biological/evolutionary nature of the
metaphor).

It seems that this kind of work would be most likely to have been done by
folks in the CHAT world, but perhaps the scale (of time and space) is a bit
beyond the scales that CHAT folks prefer to consider?

(I should add that I've recently discovered the work of Peter Sloterdijk's
Bubbles trilogy and am curious if anyone has any thoughts on the value of
his approach - it seems to fit very well with Marx and with CHAT/Vygotsky,
my only initial concern was that he seems to fly a little fast and loose
with pyschoanalytics at times - not a serious problem, but perhaps in a few
places).

Sympathetically,
greg




On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 1:57 PM, Huw Lloyd <huw.softdesigns@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Well, I would say there is more to it than simply transfer-ability, which
> might be thought of as a good bureaucratic requirement. Really what is
> required is genuine development -- reorganisation of thought and learning.
> That is what is significant at a personal level, which is also the basis of
> insights and creative work (i.e. personal knowledge rather than second hand
> knowledge). The researcher in the blog article does not evince this (with
> allusions to the nature of her training). There is the history school
> children learn, which largely concerns the use of memory, and then there is
> the history of conditions, relations and processes, which concerns
> protracted thought. This developmental emphasis is what is lacking in
> institutions which is why I have frequently pointed it out.
>
> This principle apples to "secure" jobs too. The jobs I have walked away
> from have been due to the overly narrow scope, where I felt it was
> necessary to be far more ambitious to achieve modest satisfaction, an
> ambition which included achieving the wider scope within the norms
> established. Similar issues pertain to my peripheral engagement with
> academia. Twenty years ago, after completing a masters in cognitive science
> (a good year), I decided against pursuing any further formal education with
> any immediacy due to my sense that what I was encountering in the subject
> (and related subjects) was fundamentally wrong or inadequate, but I
> couldn't quite discern what that was. So, for me, I had no interest in
> furthering the academic course at the time, because I was concerned with
> understanding, doing, discovering and development, not being a "good
> researcher". I was and am uninterested in the trappings of academia, what
> it looks like from the outside (with dubious ethics of promoting those in
> society who least need it) -- hence I am not too bothered about where the
> experiences come from. After all, if you want sound knowledge then it
> should be validated in places where it counts (in action), not in an echo
> chamber of words.
>
> >From my (developmental) perspective academia appears to be chockfull of
> unproductive thinking. The lack of systems understanding in the social
> sciences (which has been pointed out by key persons for two generations) I
> find to be quite incredible. This, as far as I can see, is the panacea to
> the stasis and lethargy that I have seen in certain institutions, where
> there are people in secure jobs with no interest in revitalising an
> institution (perhaps the same people who rely upon their status for
> authority). In the UK, in the social sciences, the whole social science
> infrastructure is built upon a notion of quality that is ignorant of
> systems -- that is the degree to which unproductive thinking has penetrated
> social science.
>
> Yet there is much more to it still. Recently I have also come to a
> surprising awareness that developmental prerogatives have rather a
> significant amount in common with spiritual ones. So I would offer broader
> advice than Michael's of staying clear of hardship. It may be that in that
> "nadir" something surprising may be discovered. For anyone with a passion
> "job security" is not a goal, at best it is a means to an ends, at worst it
> is an obstacle.
>
> Over and out. :)
>
> Best,
> Huw
>
> On 20 February 2018 at 07:12, Alfredo Jornet Gil <a.j.gil@iped.uio.no>
> wrote:
>
> > Huw, Helena, and all,
> >
> > thanks to you both for taking the discussion where I was hoping it to go
> > further: first, towards a reflection on the nature of training academic
> > scholars go through as it concerns the classical problem of learning
> > "transfer"; and then, as it regards the question of academic freedom
> (which
> > actually may be the same question, just taken in a language more adequate
> > to an ecological understanding of the problem). This is absolutely not
> just
> > an individual problem. And, on that matter, I should be clear that I am a
> > privileged in a privileged land, where, despite all uncertainty and pains
> > that my family have gone and go through, I have today a good background
> and
> > network, and probably better prospects than the majority of junior
> scholars
> > out there. Not that I have earned this privilege for nothing: my migrant
> > history and that of my family is all connected to an effort and quest to
> > get better chances of academic opportunity in this market Helena talks
> > about. But my personal story, as that of the historian in the article
> > shared or of my French astronomer friend, are relevant in as far as they
> > help us reflect on just those questions. They really also make one wonder
> > on the sense of the term "academic freedom", for the latter term cannot
> be
> > about doing whatever research you want to do independently of some market
> > conditions and societal needs and economy. We may then pose the
> questions,
> > what type of "freedom" is the "freedom" current systems (of incentives,
> of
> > ISI lists) afford, and what type of system could allow for another
> meaning
> > of the term "freedom"?
> >
> > Not to get too abstract, I guess that those reflections may be best
> > pondered along concrete cases, if people is willing to take on Helena's
> > suggestion to share particular stories of all that goes into getting into
> > secured academic job positions, or else, of pursuing (in)dependent
> careers
> > outside/at the borders of/across academia.
> >
> > Alfredo
> >
> >
> > ________________________________________
> > From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu <xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu>
> > on behalf of Helena Worthen <helenaworthen@gmail.com>
> > Sent: 19 February 2018 19:19
> > To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> > Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: (non)grieving scholarship
> >
> > In the interests of widening the discussion:
> >
> > I’ve described my work history before on this list — basically, moving
> > from teaching literature and writing (with stopovers in landscape
> > architecture and theater production) to concern about the working
> > conditions of teachers, especially academics in higher education, the 75%
> > who are contingent/adjuncts. The concern is both for the people employed
> > this way and for the integrity of the institutions that employ them. I
> > eventually engaged this concern by working with and for the labor
> movement,
> > ending up first working for the garment/apparel workers union in
> > Philadelphia and then at the Labor Educaiton Program at the U of
> Illinois,
> > from which I retired in 2010.
> >
> > The new twist to this story is about the employment of academics on
> > short-term contracts in Viet Nam, under conditions that seem to be
> > increasingly frequent in the “developing” world, where the market for
> > education is booming. University World News http://www.
> > universityworldnews.com/  tracks this phenomenon and includes occasinal
> > critical articles about the competition for rankings. The university
> where
> > my husband and I have been teaching on and off since 2015, Ton Duc Thang
> in
> > Ho Chi Minh City, recruits professors from all over the world with a
> > promise of $2,000 per month US — but extending their contracts depends on
> > producing articles published in journals on the ISI list; the nature of
> > this list is worth taking a look at. The impact of this practice on the
> > culture and student body is not all bad.
> >
> > My point here is to place the issue of the challenge of getting a
> > tenure-track job in a global context. This is not just an individual
> > problem.
> >
> > I’m willing to go further down this line of discussion. However,
> academics
> > are often reluctant to reveal and compare their working conditions on an
> > “academic” discussion list. Maybe by putting up the issue of what
> academic
> > freedom requires, and how these requirements fare in the global market
> for
> > higher education, we can shed the embarassment of revealing information
> > about our own experiences with getting the brass ring of a full-time,
> > secure job.
> >
> > Let’s see if anyone picks up on this. Maybe I’m being too vague.
> >
> > Helena Worthen
> > helenaworthen@gmail.com
> > Berkeley, CA 94707 510-828-2745
> > Blog US/ Viet Nam:
> > helenaworthen.wordpress.com
> > skype: helena.worthen1
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > On Feb 19, 2018, at 9:19 AM, Huw Lloyd <huw.softdesigns@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > The article describes accumulating large amounts of knowledge
> pertaining
> > to
> > > history, which (the author maintains) cannot be turned to other
> > endeavours.
> > > This, no doubt, is true for her. If, however, her approach to studying
> > > history had been systemic, then there would have been a powerful form
> of
> > > re-application and continuity in any work that was turned to. Perhaps
> the
> > > same can be said for "phd/postdoc training". If it cannot be reused or
> > > isn't enabling, what, substantively, is it?
> > >
> > > Best,
> > > Huw
> > >
> > >
> > > On 18 February 2018 at 18:32, Alfredo Jornet Gil <a.j.gil@iped.uio.no>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > >> Really inspiring words and work, Francine. I do see community colleges
> > and
> > >> many other educational settings apart from universities as really
> > valuable
> > >> and exciting opportunities; the PhD and following postdoc etc training
> > in
> > >> universities, however, tend to be very much targeted towards a very
> > narrow
> > >> spectrum of positions, or at least that's been my experience. I am
> very
> > >> happy that this thread may widen that scope and make visible other
> > paths.
> > >> And as Mike suggested, it would be very interesting to hear from
> several
> > >> others who have followed distinct trajectories apart from the
> > >> phd-postdoc-assist/assoc. prof-prof, and yet made a career in touch
> with
> > >> most of what was developed in the junior (phd and few later) years.
> > >> Thanks!
> > >> Alfredo
> > >> ________________________________________
> > >> From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu <xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.
> edu>
> > >> on behalf of Larry Smolucha <lsmolucha@hotmail.com>
> > >> Sent: 18 February 2018 06:20
> > >> To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> > >> Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: (non)grieving scholarship
> > >>
> > >> Message from Francine Smolucha on a scholar's life with or without
> > academia
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Alfredo,
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> There are other jobs that pay well (sometimes with tenure and early
> > >> retirement benefits) - besides professorships at four year colleges
> and
> > >> universities.  Administrative and support staff positions pay well.
> And
> > >> don't overlook community colleges, technical colleges, and public
> grade
> > >> schools and high schools. There is also the private sector and
> > government
> > >> jobs.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> As a 'low status' community college professor, I managed to translate
> > >> Vygotsky's
> > >>
> > >> overlooked writings on creativity (back in the 1980's) and introduced
> > his
> > >> theory of creativity to academia.  I got early retirement at age 53
> and
> > >> continue to write and publish. While my Ph.D from the University of
> > Chicago
> > >> gave me academic bona fides, it was the quality of the scholarly work
> > that
> > >> ultimately mattered.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> I was always inspired by the harsh circumstances of Vygotsky's life
> and
> > >> how he still kept on writing.
> > >>
> > >> [When I felt really sorry for myself, I would actually say "Well at
> > least
> > >> I am not coughing up blood"]
> > >>
> > >> So many of his works were not published in his lifetime, he did not
> > >> collect a royalties check, and    they say he was depressed at the end
> > of
> > >> his life.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> I leave you with this quote from an ancient Sufi mystic -
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> You can't always get what you want but you can get what you need
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> .
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> ________________________________
> > >> From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu <xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.
> edu>
> > >> on behalf of mike cole <mcole@ucsd.edu>
> > >> Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2018 7:07 PM
> > >> To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> > >> Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: (non)grieving scholarship
> > >>
> > >> Yours is a quandary shared by your generation, Alfredo.
> > >> Being allowed to teach and conduct research in a quality institution
> is
> > a
> > >> great privilege and an
> > >> increasingly rarer possibility.
> > >>
> > >> There are several people on this list who have organized their lives
> to
> > be
> > >> independent scholars
> > >> while staying connected to the core institutions of disciplinary
> > training.
> > >> It might be nice to hear
> > >> the variety out there.
> > >>
> > >> It appears pretty certain that the situation is going to get worse
> > >> before/if it gets better.
> > >>
> > >> What can the collective experience of xmca come up with that would be
> > >> useful to the many
> > >> of you caught in this meat grinder?
> > >>
> > >> mike
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> On Sat, Feb 17, 2018 at 4:49 PM, Alfredo Jornet Gil <
> > a.j.gil@iped.uio.no>
> > >> wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> Good luck then, Wagner!
> > >>> A
> > >>> ________________________________________
> > >>> From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu <xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.
> edu
> > >
> > >>> on behalf of Wagner Luiz Schmit <wagner.schmit@gmail.com>
> > >>> Sent: 18 February 2018 01:07
> > >>> To: eXtended Mind, Culture Activity
> > >>> Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: (non)grieving scholarship
> > >>>
> > >>> This just hit me in the spot...
> > >>>
> > >>> Wagner
> > >>>
> > >>> On Feb 17, 2018 9:48 PM, "Alfredo Jornet Gil" <a.j.gil@iped.uio.no>
> > >> wrote:
> > >>>
> > >>>> I have not been able to contribute to this list as much as I'd like
> to
> > >>>> lately, among other things, because I need to find a job, and I need
> > to
> > >>>> make sure that I have checked all those boxes that selection
> > committees
> > >>>> will check (enough first-authored publications? in good enough
> > >> journals?
> > >>>> enough leadership in projects? teaching? supervising? acquiring
> funds?
> > >>> more
> > >>>> than all others candidates? and more than
> favoured-for-whatever-other-
> > >>> reasons
> > >>>> candidates?). So I have been doing all I can these weeks to fill up
> a
> > >>>> competitive CV, for my contract is about to expire.
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>> And, although I did not think that it was particularly well written,
> > it
> > >>>> was both relieving and discouraging to read this article (see link
> > >> below,
> > >>>> which I take from the facebook wall of a colleague who I think also
> > >>>> subscribes this list). The article makes visible the pain scholars
> go
> > >>>> through when, after so many years of digging and digging and
> digging a
> > >>>> little (but deep!) hole, may after all have to leave it and find
> some
> > >>> other
> > >>>> thing to do. In Canada, I met a French astronomer who was moving
> > >> through
> > >>>> the world with his lovely family, short-term project after
> short-term
> > >>>> project, getting better and better at what he worked on (apparently
> he
> > >>> was
> > >>>> among the few who had expertise in computer modeling simulating some
> > >>>> astronomic events) , and finally having to step out academia last
> year
> > >> to
> > >>>> find something else to do, for his family no longer could stand the
> > >>>> constant uncertainty and travelling. It could be me soon. And that
> may
> > >>> not
> > >>>> be a bad thing, or even a thing in itself, but the story seems to be
> > >>> quite
> > >>>> endemic to academia and may be interesting to some of you:
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>> https://www.chronicle.com/article/Why-Everybody-Loses-When/242560
> > >>>>
> > >>>> Alfredo
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>
> >
> >
>



--
Gregory A. Thompson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology
880 Spencer W. Kimball Tower
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
WEBSITE: greg.a.thompson.byu.edu
http://byu.academia.edu/GregoryThompson