[Air-L] more fetishism

[Jordan Lynn]

Barry,
Why not write all papers with general consumption in mind? I've worked
through an entire graduate career loathing the fact that my work will
be lost to the relative obscurity of academia (if less than 2% of the
population has access to or can functionally understand a work, I
consider it lost to obscurity). Why write in Latin when the masses
speak English? Are we being elitist, by developing our own language,
or are we truly using the most efficient form of communication
possible? Food for thought.
-Jordan Lynn
University of Georgia
MoWerks Learning

On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 9:11 AM, Matthew Bernius <mbernius at gmail.com> wrote:
> Barry Wellman wrote:
>
> I hope no one uses “self-glossing” except on their lips.
> One problem is that anthropology needs to move beyond is the unnecessary
> use of insy-poo language.
>
> Mea Culpa. Though to be fair, there are a number of (European) Sociologists
> who enjoy a good neologism, oops... I mean insy-poo language every now and
> then. I've been spending a bit too much time with them as of late.
>
> BTW, in general I totally agree that we should work to avoid over
> "academicizing" our writing (and I did have a feeling I was going to get
> some flack for "glossing"). In defense of glossing for a sec, at least on
> the linguistic anthro side, a lot of these terms have pretty specific
> meanings, and by glossing a gloss to gloss the gloss (sorry, I was feeling a
> bit Bourdieuian :-] ) in a paper, we're able to convey a complex concept in
> a single word (for those in the know). That said, if it's a paper for
> general consumption, then a different register/writing and language style is
> completely in order.
>
> - Matt
>
> -----------------------------
> Matthew Bernius
> PhD Student, Cultural Anthropology, Cornell University (
> http://www.arts.cornell.edu/anthro/)
> Co-Director, Open Publishing Lab @ the Rochester Institute of Technology (
> http://opl.cias.rit.edu)
> mBernius at gMail.com
> http://www.waking-dream.com
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