RE: Silent participation
hillsl (sara.hill who-is-at vanderbilt.edu)
Sat, 11 Sep 1999 10:02:43 -0500
The discussion on silence (and the reasons for it) is the first conversation
I've been enticed into all summer. I've had a lot of mixed feelings and
responses to the times when I've participated on the list. At times I've felt
positively dismissed, sometimes ignored. At other times I've had responses to
my postings that have been incredibly meaningful, thoughtful, and, dare I say
it, loving. All from people who I've never met and don't know me from a hole
in the wall. These responses keep me on the list (even though I've had plenty
of thoughts of unsubscribing) and spurs me to put my two cents in from time to
time. Another reason that keeps me reading some (although I admit not all) of
the conversations is that I'm starting the fieldwork for my dissertation
research, and my theoretical framework is a socio-cultural one. I'm away from
my home university and I'm isolated. There aren't very many activity theorists
running around where I am who I can talk to. I need this list to serve as an
academic forum for my work. I appreciate everyones efforts even though I don't
actively contribute very much.
Sara Hill