I'll second what Francisco has said so well: it's all in how
onw writes up research and presents it. I haven't had too
many problems even though I work in a department dominated
by materialists -- perhaps because my early work was
squarely within the anthropological mainstream and I am
comfortable using a Gramscian Marxist perspective in some of
my work. And I've been very fortunate to be able to obtain
funding for my research.
Here's what I usually tell students interested in working on
magical topics:
1) Find a program with at least one, if not several,
specialists who support what you want to do; and
2) Frame your inquiry in terms of accepted theoretical
paradigms in your discipline. Insert it into a broad enough
historical and cultural context so that its relevance is
apparent even to those not interested in magical practice.
This helps with funding applications, too -- though these
are increasingly competitive, so being rejected is not
necessarily an indication that the readers are prejudiced
against esoteric topics.
Let's remember that the climate has shifted considerably in
our favor in all academic disciplines as compared to, say,
25 years ago when I started out in this business. We have a
ways to go yet, but we've also come a long way. Yay!
Sabina
---- Original message ----
>Date: Sat, 3 Dec 2005 14:01:19 +0000
>From: Francisco Silva <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: studying magic within academia- problems
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Well, actually never had any problems, but maybe its
> because in my department at least two big-honchos do
> magical stuff (a guy does 4th century Demonology,
> another does mystical Judaism and both are preparing
> works on the Testament of Solomon).
>
> What I have found however is the need to be
> especially academic-like when writing, as I was told
> "distance yourself as much as possible from the
> 'crazies' who do this kind of work". So basically if
> I keep a good academic level and don't start writing
> that actually I got some insights into the Lemegeton
> when I had a demon tea-party, I should be fine.
>
> Francisco
>
> On 12/3/05, janet ifimust <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
> My first (and only so far) interfacutly talk was
> entitled, "Is turning my boss into a frog a
> learning outcome?" Issues in the teaching of
> religion....
Sabina Magliocco
Associate Professor
Department of Anthropology
California State University
18111 Nordhoff St.
Northridge, CA 91330-8244
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