"Unions in 'not very good at the moment' shocker!!"
Jon, you have a good point, but i did write " *building* and
maintaining...". i.e. just like the rest of the suggestions people have
posted up here, it's something that requires effort. rigorous radical
academia doesn't fall out of trees, and nor does a strong labour
movement. neither are easy, although both are necessary to "battle
against the neoliberalisation of the university". such is life.
ant
ps. i'd love to join your unicorn owners club, but my 'optimists
anonymous' dues are really expensive.
Jon Cloke wrote:
> Excellent idea, Ant - if you ever find a 'strong, militant and
> rank-n-file controlled union' then please let me know and I'll let you
> join my Unicorn owners club... Jon
> ---------------------------------------- > Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2007
> 15:19:51 +0000 > From: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Top Ten Ways to
> Battle Against the Neoliberalization of University Life? > To:
> [log in to unmask] > > i know this may be a "boring" one,
> but building and maintaining strong, > militant and rank-n-file
> controlled unions in HE is something that would > help - beyond our
> social/cultural positionality as academics, and more > to do with our
> economic positionality as workers. > > ant > > Maxey L. wrote: >> How
> about critters getting a list together? Lots of ideas already up from
> recent correspondence, my in-put at this stage would be something along
> these lines, any other ideas? And/or offers of helping compile the list?
> Larch >> >> 1) Using critical pedagogy - encouraging critical thinking,
> moving beyond lecture-exam format to group discussions, more
> participatory/empowering approaches, etc. (e.g. Cook et al paper in
> latest Geoforum) >> >> 2) link with activist, community groups, etc.
> beyond the academy >> >> 3) carry out critical (including participatory)
> research >> >> 4) make research findings and publications freely and
> publicly accessible on the web (vis a vis recent discussions on this
> list!) >> >> 5) expose and oppose corporate control of academia >> >> 6)
> for me there would need to be something on climate change/sustainability
> - e.g. use the growing 'sustainability consensus' to push for a
> democratisation of academia - as sustainability centrally implies
> participation. And encourage awareness of the wider implications of
> academia e.g. climate change and campus energy use/academic travel >> >>
> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: A forum for critical and
> radical geographers [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Duncan Fuller >> Sent: 16 November 2007 11:22 >> To:
> [log in to unmask] >> Subject: FW: [anarchist.academics]
> QUERY: Top Ten Ways to Battle Against the Neoliberalization of
> University Life? >> >> Bizarrely pertinent discussion just starting on
> another list...! >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From:
> [log in to unmask]
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> broca >> Sent: 16 November 2007 09:37 >> To: Angela Jancius >> Cc:
> Anarchist Academics Listserv >> Subject: Re: [anarchist.academics]
> QUERY: Top Ten Ways to Battle Against the Neoliberalization of
> University Life? >> >> Dear Angela and friends >> >> I think the topic
> is interesting enough to be debated on this list. I can give a few
> examples of my anthropology department in Sevilla (Spain): >> >> + We de
> not have assistant students that work for free (called "alumnos
> internos") which are very common in other depts. >> + PhD canditates and
> research fellows are allowed to teach much less classes than what is
> suggested in the instructions of their fellowships. So the University
> has to employ more professors, and the quality of eucation is (supposed
> to be) higher. >> + We pressure university managers to contract as much
> professors as possible, and in the better working conditions as
> possible. (Not always with succes. There is also some union struggle
> among precariuos professors). >> + Now it is taking place a process of
> homogeneization of university studies all over Europe. In Spain
> universities are negotiating with government the new catalogue of
> studies. Antropology, in order to survive, has to demonstrate that it
> has a demand from the job market. And courses must be oriented towards
> market demands. It's hard, but we are trying to preserve the critical
> perspective and independence of our discipline, while surviving. >> >> I
> hope those ideas are helpful. >> >> Beltrán >> >> ----- Mensaje original
> ----- >> De: Angela Jancius >> Fecha: Jueves, Noviembre 15, 2007 11:14
> pm >> Asunto: [anarchist.academics] QUERY: Top Ten Ways to Battle
> Against the Neoliberalization of University Life? >> A: Anarchist
> Academics Listserv >> >> >>> Dear Colleagues, >>> >>> In preparation for
> an upcoming special issue of Anthropology News, on >>> the >>>
> "Political Economy of Academia," I'm preparing a top ten list of ways
> >>> to >>> "battle against the neoliberalization of university life."
> >>> >>> Here are a few examples I thought of, upon initial reflection:
> >>> >>> * Invite adjunct and part-time faculty to departmental
> meetings. >>> * Don't require standardized testing for student
> admissions. >>> * Use course packets or next-to-last edition textbooks,
> which >>> students may >>> purchase for $10 (rather than $120). >>> >>>
> I'd like to make this a collective list, as I am sure that you also >>>
> have >>> many excellent ideas. What practical steps might we to take, to
> make >>> >>> our departments more about people, and less about budgets?
> >>> >>> Please email your ideas, by 11/19/07, to: [log in to unmask] >>>
> >>> >>> Thank you in advance! >>> >>> Angela Jancius >>> >>>
> Anthropology News Column Editor, >>> Society for the Anthropology of
> Work (SAW) >>> [log in to unmask] >>>
> _______________________________________________ >>> anarchist.academics
> mailing list >>> [log in to unmask] >>> >>> free
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> >> anarchist.academics mailing list >>
> [log in to unmask] >>
> http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/anarchist.academics >> free
> hosting provided by http://www.mutualaid.org/ >> > > -- > > Anthony Ince
> > Research Student > Department of Geography, > Queen Mary, University
> of London, > Mile End, > E1 4NS > >
> www.geog.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/student/ince.html > > www.iww.org.uk >
> > www.socialcentresnetwork.org.uk
--
Anthony Ince
Research Student
Department of Geography,
Queen Mary, University of London,
Mile End,
E1 4NS
www.geog.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/student/ince.html
www.iww.org.uk
www.socialcentresnetwork.org.uk
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