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

[Irene Berkowitz]

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

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