edu.bashing

[davemarc]

At 11:08 AM 11/3/96 -0600, Diana wrote:
>I'm wondering how many other academics on the list are constantly
>surprised to find themselves accused of existing elsewhere than on the
>planet. I know I am, tempting as it is to pretend to be an effete snob.
>But remember, people with edu. in their e-mail addresses have been reading
>heavily in the areas they discuss, so rather than dismissing our views
>because they're uninformed, you might consider the opposite--particularly
>in regards to something like feminism, which I can assure you has been
>mispresented by the (non-liberal) media for at least 100 years (e.g. there
>were no bra burnings. Surprise!)  Besides, you want a dose of the REAL
>world?  Check out the job market for Humanities majors...And those of
>us who did manage to get jobs in the last few years are basically serving
>lunch in the Ivory Tower, not luxuriating in it (tips gratefully
>accepted).  Diana
>
I can certainly understand Diana's point here.  The periodic attacks on
Academics (a.k.a. foax with .edu addresses) as stereotypically sheltered are
like the recent attacks on some Feminists as stereotypically irrational (or
whatever).  They fallaciously postulate the Academics/Feminists as
monolithically wrong-minded, and proceed predictably (and distressingly)
from there.  What sense is there for a guy who feels unjustly stereotyped by
Feminists to simply mirror what offends him?  What sense is there for
someone on this list who feels that an intellectual argument is "out of
touch" to attack its proponent instead of the argument itself as "out of touch"?

As for the academic job situation, I think there is room for a little
sympathy.  Out of naivete, deliberate tunnelvision, hard luck, or even
(egad!) passion for education, some academicians do find themselves in
rotten predicaments.  Maybe some of them aren't as flexible (or ready to
give up) as others whose personality types make it easier for them to
retrain and seek employment elsewhere.  Most of us (including P.) probably
gained a lot (or are gaining a lot, or will gain a lot) from some great
teacher who was slammed/is being slammed/is about to get slammed within a
highly flawed academic system.

David