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

[Huw Lloyd]

Perhaps this will help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzS5V5-0VsA

I'm not sure I'd use Ackoff's terms (wisdom), yet the meaning is
appropriate. The word play he uses also potential obscures the genetic
basis for the distinctions. I suppose he is endeavouring to provide pithy
expressions to summarise more complex processes.

Best,
Huw

On 26 February 2018 at 13:32, Glassman, Michael <glassman.13@osu.edu> wrote:

> Hi Huw,
>
> Thanks for the response. I'm not really sure I'm understanding what you
> are trying to say. I was going to say what I think, but I'm not sure I have
> enough of a grasp of your point for it to be effective.
>
> Michael
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-l-bounces@
> mailman.ucsd.edu] On Behalf Of Huw Lloyd
> Sent: Monday, February 26, 2018 5:28 AM
> To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity <xmca-l@mailman.ucsd.edu>
> Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: (non)grieving scholarship
>
> Hi Michael,
>
> The issue can be explored in terms of effectiveness. Superficial
> approaches may succeed (technologically) yet inevitably create messes
> through a lack of awareness of integration issues. Knowing how to design
> well entails much improvement in this awareness, with the broader (rarely
> touched) reaches of design encompassing the developmental and ecological
> requirements of the practitioners, users, resources, pollution etc .
> Operationally, however, one can be deemed useful without awareness of this,
> and the majority of "technological" work is undertaken in ignorance of
> integration issues.
> Instead efficiency becomes a priority which is reinforced through
> bureaucratic procedures. Really, one would probably lose the majority of
> technologically focused workers in a technical discussion of developmental
> design. It probably can be considered relatively advanced knowledge, yet it
> can be reached tractably through technical problem solving. How one would
> come to an awareness of integration issues without STEM practice
> (graduating on to systems knowledge) is a different matter, probably only
> vaguely and ineffectively. Hence the basis for knowledge is not necessarily
> different between social science and STEM, rather there is a difference in
> focus, with the asymmetry being derived from their different foci and what
> is required to be effective. If one considers that the value of social
> science is in realisation of effective organisation, then it follows that
> this necessarily requires relatively advanced practices to achieve
> effective results.
>
> Best,
> Huw
>
> On 26 February 2018 at 01:15, Glassman, Michael <glassman.13@osu.edu>
> wrote:
>
> > Hi Huw,
> >
> > Perhaps the opposite is also true though.  STEM researchers can better
> > understand what they are doing if they are well versed in the social
> > sciences. Understand the history and the meaning of what they are
> > doing so they do not act as androids (sorry, been watching the Aliens
> > trilogy of late). Perhaps we made the wrong calculation. We have lost
> > control of our great STEM innovations because the people using them
> > don't understand the social webs that they create.  So we have people
> > pushing xMOOCs (whatever happened to MOOCs anyway) as saving education
> > (and also a bundle so everybody gets tax cuts, wheeee!), saying that
> > they are good because they can reach many, the proverbial long tail,
> > with great education (Harvard, Stanford).  Yet nobody asks the
> > question, "Why is this a good thing." There really isn't much
> > supporting this in earlier distance education.  There is actually more
> > evidence of how dangerous it is (Participatory Action Research).
> >
> > Michael
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-l-bounces@
> > mailman.ucsd.edu] On Behalf Of Huw Lloyd
> > Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2018 7:32 PM
> > To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity <xmca-l@mailman.ucsd.edu>
> > Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: (non)grieving scholarship
> >
> > I would ask, what makes you think you have an ecology (or niche)? It
> > seems that the notion of topologically derived ecologies is still
> > bandied about since Bronfenbrenner (1977), though I do not know
> > whether he managed to refine (overhaul and improve) his notions into
> > something integrated and agent-centric. One does not provide an
> > ecology or an environment. The environment is different for everyone,
> > a simple consideration of a rock-face or climbing wall is sufficient
> > to grasp this -- the so called environment (the rock face) is
> > different to each climber, their environment is that which is
> > appropriate to them which includes contexts well beyond what is
> > established in an institution. From what I can gauge, historically,
> slack was deliberately introduced into courses to afford personal enquiry.
> > There was the basic work and then there was the genuine enquiry. Who
> > in their right mind wants to write an exam essay on a question they
> > are expected to pre-write and repeat by memory? Why would someone who
> > enjoys thinking about their subject want to go through that kind of
> > impoverished tedium? These systems are obviously geared for "delivery".
> >
> > Perhaps the biggest cultural shift can be achieved through instituting
> > joint and personal enquiry. A teacher that stands before their class
> > and delivers their subject inevitably obscures and obstructs the
> > process of enquiry, although many students will have learnt from a
> > young age that this is what to expect and demand. Engagement with
> > genuine problems rather than what students are expected to do is the
> > basic orientational issue. Dispose of grades, then anyone who isn't
> interested is free to go home.
> >
> > The advance of STEM research is probably a good thing for social science.
> > For productive work, social science must understand the structure of
> > STEM based work, in addition to bureaucratic processes and
> > circumstances for creative work. Sticking one's head in the sand over
> > STEM-like research serves merely to perpetuate the impoverished side
> > of social science. It reminds me of the scene in Pirsig's Zen and the
> > Art of Motorcycle Maintenance in which a couple lack the wherewithal
> > to fix a dripping faucet that gives them grief and instead choose to
> > ignore it. Though it was a very long time ago, Pirsig's book may have
> > contributed to my understanding of quality and might be thought of as
> > an exploration of some social issues pertaining to technical
> > enterprises. Another good text to appreciate quality more directly,
> > probably outside the formal area of STEM, is Alshuller's Innovation
> Algorithm.
> >
> > Warm regards to you Henry, Greg, Alfredo.
> >
> > Best,
> > Huw
> >
> > On 25 February 2018 at 22:39, Alfredo Jornet Gil <a.j.gil@iped.uio.no>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > 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/
> > > > > >>>> 24
> > > > > >>>> 2560
> > > > > >>>>
> > > > > >>>> 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
> > >
> >
> >
>
>