I think this depends on the answer to the question, who are 'we', exactly?
When 'we', the founders of Capital and Class, set it up, it was not
conceived of, and was not confined to, academics.
In fact, it was fairly explicit, as I recall it, that C&C rejected the
imposed division of the world into academics and non-academics.
Somewhere along the way, this changed. I'm not quite sure when, and even
less sure why. I am even less sure why 'non-academics' as the journalists
like to paint themselves, feel obliged to scapegoat someone they choose to
demonise as 'academics' in such a way as to exempt themselves from any duty
of scholarship (as if the record of journalist economists were any better)
nor why the 'academics' feel it necessary to defend themselves in the terms
in which they are attacked.
The real problem as I see it is a generalised failure of paid intellectuals,
whether they work for newspapers, universities, or for that matter, banks or
think-tanks, to respect basic criteria of the search for truth, where
matters of economic science are concerned. In this I don't see that the
journalists have done any better than anyone else, but I don't feel obliged
to make this point by defending some spurious record of the academics.
A
-----Original Message-----
From: To complement the journal 'Capital and Class' (ISSN 0 309 8786)
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Martin Upchurch
Sent: May-09-12 4:48 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: critique
So what can we do to respond to Aditya Chakrabortty? Do we need to write
more for the non-academic milieu, in newspapers, blogs etc? Or is it the
case that we should combine our academic activities with activism in the
political arena?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/may/07/academics-cant-answer-cr
iticism-analysis
Martin Upchurch
Professor of International Employment Relations Middlesex University
Business School The Burroughs Hendon London NW4 4BT
07545 487952
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Global Work and Employment Project (GWEp)
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