For instance, the conference format is deeply rooted in "scientific",
"unpassionate", "cool" and "calm" presentation codes and practices; in one
sesssion in AAAL, I was listening to a very "calm" and undisturbing
rendition (though this "undisturbing" quality of what should have been
disturbing is precisely something that disturbs me!)
of the subordinated voices of South African women; my remarks here must
not be taken as any critique of the presenters themselves; I think they
did very good research and did care about the people they did research
with... but it's perhaps just the conference format, like you have to be
dressed up (in middle class formal dress code; jeans and hikers/sneakers
wouldn't be acceptable perhaps) like going to an evening event; you have
to maintain a certain voice quality ("calm and scientific/objective"); I
would call this the TAMING of the voices of the people we work with in
our research; in short, i find this format highly problematic... and
would like to problematize it in this discussion format (i.e., the xmca).
What do you think?
Angel
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Angel Mei Yi Lin
Assistant Professor
Dept of English
City University of Hong Kong
Tat Chee Ave., Kln., Hong Kong
Fax: (852) 2788-8894
Phone: (852) 2788-8122
E-Mail: enangel who-is-at cityu.edu.hk