[Air-l] students on lists

[Jeremy Hunsinger]

I would also note that many members of this list are not either a  
professor or ph.d. student.  We have many professionals and  
practitioners.

In regards to the issues of the 'imposter syndrome' in academia.   
Which I've known people to express all the way through their  
careers.  I know full professors who still don't think they 'belong',  
'know what they are supposed to', and/or feel  like an imposter.  I  
think this is a great tragedy.  I think  that is clear that it exists  
in many graduate students.   I think that it is more of a condition  
of dare i say it.... 'postmodernity' than anything else.  It is  
related to the 'fragmentation' of knowledge(though it was never  
whole), hyper-specialization, desconstruction of canons(if there was  
ever any fixed canons). It is no longer possible to be an expert in  
the field of communication within the academy... you have to be x  
clarified y, limited by z communication:), whereas compared to  
outside the academy... knowledge creation and maintenance are clearly  
the basis of broad category expertise, even when people seem to have  
little more than opinions, they can be an expert outside.  thus there  
is an insider/outsider dynamic too, but it is complicated by  
constructions of differing constructions of expertise.    Outside  
expertise is constructed as broad knowledges, inside it is  
constructed as exacting knowledges.  Everyone in the cable-tv/USA  
Today generations likely feels that as an origin of imposter syndrome.

However, I for one would like students to know that... they are  
experts, and knowledged people before they start their programs, and  
the process of education is one of refinement of that knowledge  
through addition of tools, concepts, experiences, etc.  I think AoIR  
has tried to be inclusive and encouraging, though we could probably  
do more:)
On May 17, 2007, at 10:43 PM, Suzana Sukovic wrote: