tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post3863776448670549369..comments2023-07-05T06:55:53.577-04:00Comments on College Ready Writing: Bad Female Academic: Am I In the Wrong Class?Lee Skallerup Bessette, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12243750156552824701noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post-25030596059216525142012-10-10T13:51:26.040-04:002012-10-10T13:51:26.040-04:00The other day in my grad class, my professor sugge...The other day in my grad class, my professor suggested listening to NPR. I listened for about 5 minutes before deciding that it was not for me; glad I'm not the only one in the academic world that can't stand talk radio. I would much prefer some lively DJ banter and upbeat rock and roll any day. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), I will not be adding to the discourse on NPR during class any time soon. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04063353033529950805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post-9961149997267169742011-08-09T17:46:12.072-04:002011-08-09T17:46:12.072-04:00I never remember discussing any of that kind of st...I never remember discussing any of that kind of stuff with colleagues when I lived in the US. Maybe it's just different in economics departments... My Swedish colleague just loved Walmart when she visited the US - such low prices. I never know, what all this discussion of "fit" is about. They do check whether you can "behave" yourself - dress nicely and eat properly etc. I guess. But the presentability criteria would come up in any professional job I think. And if you are a genius you can get away with anything in academia. Again, at least in science and econ.mOOmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03440274434662150925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post-57131698293954940582011-08-05T12:51:16.280-04:002011-08-05T12:51:16.280-04:00I don't understand all the complaints about el...I don't understand all the complaints about elite *culture*. What I remember from graduate school was the disdain (supported by the Cultural Studies mentality) for high culture (you know, "canonical" as a term of slander, as opposed to a synonym for "really good") I thought I was finally getting access to. I don't miss that. <br /><br />I'm listening to Beethoven right now, while I do my software engineering job. If I were defined by my background (Detroit, working class), I'd be listening to Ted Nugent.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post-43289621430083561612011-08-02T10:27:07.623-04:002011-08-02T10:27:07.623-04:00Interesting. My dad was a truck driver and my mum ...Interesting. My dad was a truck driver and my mum was a nurse, so I relate. Some different cultural references, and I did HE here when it was free and Johns Hopkins paid for most of my grad school, but same game. Here there's more consciousness about your primary/secondary educational background or its legacy--can you play the viola (can't), speak mandarin (can't) etc. I get some satisfaction catching people out, like a famous historian who blathered on about his French, and laughed at "tossers"* who say they can speak French but in fact only have holiday French, until his wife revealed he only had holiday French. *low-registering British word meaning one who masturbates.Steve Sarsonhttp://stevesarson.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post-73631402938868611082011-08-01T23:44:13.048-04:002011-08-01T23:44:13.048-04:00I love this post even though my background probabl...I love this post even though my background probably *does* easily conform to at least a secure middle-class upbringing... As a student I function quite well in my chosen university environment (well, sort of), but there are so many classist aspects to not only the access, but also the material and experiences in academia, it drives me batty.Arihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00234258178787623615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post-27568540986875965332011-08-01T20:25:26.937-04:002011-08-01T20:25:26.937-04:00Excellent, terrific, and, hey, loved it. Sez the w...Excellent, terrific, and, hey, loved it. Sez the woman who spent MANY years hanging out with dishwashers and busboys and so never *quite* got the hang of academia. <br /><br />And yes, the posturing is, well, depressing.Maureen Oglehttp://www.maureenogle.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post-26870548531319247672011-08-01T14:58:00.114-04:002011-08-01T14:58:00.114-04:00I like to tell people about "last night's...I like to tell people about "last night's episode of American Idol."Karen Kelskyhttp://theprofessorisin.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post-5449164337545541412011-08-01T11:01:20.504-04:002011-08-01T11:01:20.504-04:00Thank-you, everyone, for the supportive words! I k...Thank-you, everyone, for the supportive words! I know I'm not to the only one, and it drives me nuts that we don't talk about these issues. We all seem to suffer in silence. Let's break that silence! <br /><br />@Anonymous: I, too, like a good explosion and car chase. Summer blockbusters are my bread and butter.Lee Skallerup Bessette, PhDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12243750156552824701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post-87393837266097065172011-08-01T10:32:35.196-04:002011-08-01T10:32:35.196-04:00We need more people telling inconvenient truths ab...We need more people telling inconvenient truths about academia. Keep it up.Henry Adamshttp://chronicle.com/article/Academic-Bait-and-Switch-Part/127956/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post-50945611136836319492011-08-01T10:23:53.058-04:002011-08-01T10:23:53.058-04:00Thank you. This is an excellent essay, and absolu...Thank you. This is an excellent essay, and absolutely accurate. I teach at a small liberal arts college, and I'm recommending that my advisees read it. (I confess I prefer movies with car chases and explosions to exotic foreign films.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post-5610730211178500952011-08-01T10:19:49.500-04:002011-08-01T10:19:49.500-04:00Yes to all of this!
NPR is pretty much my nemesis...Yes to all of this!<br /><br />NPR is pretty much my nemesis. I understand why people like it, but classical music bores me and I hate having the radio talk at me. This has everything to do with my upbringing, with its complicated immigrant / raised-working-class parents and yet a more-or-less middle-class existence.<br /><br />And yes, it was one of many reasons I didn't fit.Juliehttp://www.escapetheivorytower.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post-25705599153948434632011-07-31T17:15:23.526-04:002011-07-31T17:15:23.526-04:00Ha, well, you know I agree with you here! And re: ...Ha, well, you know I agree with you here! And re: what Karen says, I too have witnessed many academics trying to hide where they really came from...it's just sad. I mean, I got in trouble all the time but at least I wasn't wasting my energy trying to pretend!WorstProfEverhttp://www.worstprofessorever.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post-84284228066076487732011-07-31T15:49:48.741-04:002011-07-31T15:49:48.741-04:00I've been through so many incarnations of this...I've been through so many incarnations of this, myself: not shopping at Walmart, shopping at Walmart and not admitting it, not shopping at Walmart and saying I did (just to be *that* person), shopping at Walmart and admitting it, not to mention boycotting Walmart and then secretly shopping there... Eventually, yes, I came around to just shopping there and admitting it. But if I had a nickel for every time some colleague bragged "oh I never even go over to that side of town"..... <br /><br />What's it all about? What's funny is just how many of those same colleagues do NOT come from privileged backgrounds. It's all playacting and insecurity, which makes it all the more necessary, I guess.Karen Kelskyhttp://theprofessorisin.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post-1717378048403779692011-07-31T15:47:04.344-04:002011-07-31T15:47:04.344-04:00Well done. Excellent post.Well done. Excellent post.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com