[Air-l] What is a discipline - and publishing tips.

radhika_gajjala radhika at cyberdiva.org
Thu Nov 7 11:42:28 PST 2002


Actually I agree - but inaccessibility of content is not just an 
issue of how we write (whether post or not modern) - but of whether 
or not the complexity of context is addressed and (although this is 
ironic, since "feminist movements" started with the need to make more 
voices heard and to "speak to" locations  not validated within 
patriarchal hierarchies) whether they actually validate and speak to 
the real life activities of various men and women...

so I guess some of the problems arise out of the appropriation of 
women's studies into the academic structure of "disciplining" and its 
structural separation from activism/everyday life (not that women's 
studies depts intend this to happen - or that feminist and related 
scholars are hypocrites).

As some members in our AOIR panel on Feminist Internet Studies 
pointed out, some female activists dont necessarily want to use the 
label "feminist" ... ..

but before someone says - but what does all this have to do with Aoir 
or "Internet studies" (:)) ...

the link is still the issue of interdisciplinarity...



>
>
>My problem is how do you keep this kind of study from being
>marginalized both within and outside of the academy?  I, personally,
>sometimes find the content so inaccessible that even I, as a somewhat
>sympathetic and reasonably well-educated person easily become lost in
>the writing. 
>
>
>Irene Berkowitz
>Coordinator for Curricular Publications and Systems
>Office of the Vice Provost
>Temple University
>tel. 215-204-7596  fax. 215-204 3175
>berkowitz at mail.temple.edu
>
>>>>  radhika at cyberdiva.org 11/07/2002 11:09:38 AM >>>
>I too have to rush and I really know what you mean and maybe this is
>what you are saying in a different way - ..
>
>just wanted to point out that "feminist theory's" *is* "usefulness"
>in the economy - it is made useful when consumed and circulated in a
>certain way (and then it's political purpose is diffused and
>scattered and less threatening - its made more palatable etc) - I am
>talking about a kind of appropriation (which nonetheless *does* -
>even if accidentally _ open up spaces...) look at how "gender" issues
>and "women's research" is so "hip" to do these days - as long as you
>can sell it in a "What women Want" kind of way...
>
>more later,
>
>and Steve - thanks for the chronicle articles .
>
>r
>
>
>
>At 10:11 AM -0500 11/7/02, Irene Berkowitz wrote:
>>Radhika,
>>
>>I can't write much now because I have to go back to precisely what we
>>are selling, but the issue, I believe, is that feminist work may not
>be
>>viewed as clearly "useful" to the social or cultural organization
>>external to the university, but within which the university exists
>and
>>depends upon for its existence.  (I.e., How does it increase
>economical
>>or political control or expansion, etc.?).  This is not to suggest
>that
>>it may not be as useful, but in terms of the popular perception of
>what
>>content is useful to fund.  I think that we need to look beyond the
>>university to get insight into some of those questions.  And, this is
>>why the issue of our internal ethics is so important.  In thinking
>about
>>this question on my way home yesterday, I think that in terms of
>process
>>the way that a discipline gets legitimized at least where I work is
>>answered in part by a very simply question, "Do we have tenure track
>>lines assigned to teach in this area?"  Many of the study areas
>(Women's
>>Studies being a good example, have what we call an instructional unit
>#,
>>but all of the faculty have appointments elsewhere, including the
>>Chair.)
>>
>>Just my two cents, before I return to "selling, cataloging, storing
>and
>>transmiting the wares of this university."
>>
>>IB
>>
>>
>>Irene Berkowitz
>>Coordinator for Curricular Publications and Systems
>>Office of the Vice Provost
>>Temple University
>>tel. 215-204-7596  fax. 215-204 3175
>>berkowitz at mail.temple.edu
>>
>>>>>   radhika at cyberdiva.org 11/07/2002 7:27:01 AM >>>
>>This discussion on disciplinarity has been very interesting so far,
>and
>>I
>>just know its going to feed into a small presentation I have to give
>>here
>>at my university tomorrow (entitled "tips on publishing" - what do
>*I*
>>know
>>about that - but if they dont mind hearing me, of course I'll
>talk;-))
>>. So
>>thanks all (I'll make sure to acknowledge "the list").
>>
>>The problem of inter/cross/trans disciplinarity - when this issue
>>becomes a
>>battlefield - in the case of promotion, tenure, getting a phd etc in
>>the US
>>(so I am being very US centric and self-centric here) is accentuated
>in
>>
>>relation to publishing.... where you publish etc - and some
>>publications in
>>some disciplines dont allow the saying and asking of certain types of
>>questions and critiques (again I'm simplifying and being extremely
>>polite...) - which is why of course those of us who do more than
>token
>>
>>feminist and cultural studies type work (however much I may mumble
>and
>>
>>grumble about some kinds of appropriation of these - these are still
>>some
>>of the only academic spaces that even allow  certain kinds of
>>conversations) sometimes have an interesting time in relation
>>definitions
>>of disciplinarity.
>>
>>Now with "Internet studies" being "interdisciplinary" however - I
>find
>>less
>>resistance (again depending on the kind of *questions* one asks in
>>relation
>>to the Internet...this resistance is less or more) - perhaps because
>>the
>>Internet "sells" (in relation to the corporate world, I mean) better
>>than
>>critiques coming from various counter-mainstream locations?
>>
>>So when we talk about ethics of inter/trans/cross etc disciplinarity
>in
>>
>>relation to Internet studies - what are we selling?
>>
>>
>>
>>r
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Radhika Gajjala
>>
>>_______________________
>>http://www.cyberdiva.org
>>
>>
>>
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