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

radhika_gajjala radhika at cyberdiva.org
Thu Nov 7 08:09:38 PST 2002


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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