Bruce,
A few comments on your message. But, first before the month is done, I'd
like to thank you for your detailed responses to myself, Paul, and Judy.
-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Robinson [mailto:bruce.rob@btinternet.com]
Sent: Monday, February 21, 2000 8:31 AM
To: 'xmca list'
Subject: Too much introspection? Some practical suggestions
Bruce said:
"that there are a small number of basic rules that should be taken as
guidelines by everyone and enforced by the listowner, but that beyond those
rules trying to enforce a particular
tone, form of greeting etc is counter-productive".
I think your right, but I have not seen the discussion as attempting to
propose a cook book of any sorts. What I have taken thus far from the
discussion is increasing a basic set of rules would be counterproductive,
but that does not mean introspection or reflection does not have an
important function. I would also caution an interpretation that situates the
current discussion in the Daly thread. Similar tensions and themes go way
back and are what in some ways motivated the seperate x-lists. Historically
such tensions cause an outburst, collective silence, and then business as
usual. I think there is a sense by some on the list that they don't want to
go down that road again. So, the introspection that you find so frustrating
can be seen by some as breaking the historic pattern mentioned above.
Bruce said:
"On my second point, I think we should register that on XMCA things do work
out pretty well most of the time. It is never going to be possible to rule
out all inequalities of power, authority etc on an email list existing in an
unequal world, but one thing that does strike me about XMCA is that graduate
students can join the list and have their work taken seriously in the spirit
that others may learn from it; that there's a generally tolerant atmosphere
and that ideas tend not to be dismissed out of hand. That's not bad."
I think what you say here is important, and that is also why many see the
introspection as important. You are of course right that it is not possible
to rule out all inequalities of power, but inequalities can be either
implicit or explicit. In this sense the questions Kathie asked in a prior
message can not be resolved by creating rules, but only through
introspection.
I think there are two ways to look at introspection or reflection; its
purpose for something else (e.g. finding contradictions in the system to be
resolved), and its importance for itself. The latter of course also changes
the system but not systematically or directly. In general, I would situate
the current introspection with the latter in that it is seen as important,
good, and useful in itself not necessarily to resolve some contradiction
within the system.
NATE
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