I suspect it may be relevant that article was published in the week that in
the UK BBC Radio 4 convinced me - and many others that - Brian Eno had
prepared a new "techno" version of the Archers theme tune.
But for those who do not believe that there is much to be gleaned about
health impact and the broader determinants of health by a consideration
Cricket, and I would refer you to Ashis Nandy's 1989 book "The Tao of
Cricket". It is published by Penguin and categorised as sociology/sport and
accordingto the blurb "shows howa game that was once identified with the
British Empire...is now more more South Asian than English". Nandy "argues
that the demise of traditional cricket....may mean the defeat of the idea of
the plurality of cultures and the final victory of the modern ideas of
nation-state and market".
It may be that cricket isn't a fit subject for the BMJ, but if Nandy is even
half right it probably is a fit subject for a health equity network. It may
not be laddism, so much as sociologism masquerading as laddism.
As a foot note I also personally welcome any article which quotes C L R
James in the BMJ. If just one reader discovers him as a result of the
article that's ok with me.
Mike Hughes
----- Original Message -----
From: "alex scott-samuel" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2004 6:51 PM
Subject: Laddishness at the BMJ
I thought you might be interested in
this letter which I wrote in response
to the outrageous publication by the
BMJ of an article about cricket
masquerading as a research paper:
India versus Pakistan and the power of
a six: an analysis of cricket results
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/328/7443/800
As a BMJ reeder for over 30 years, I
was appalled to see this paper which,
as others have pointed out, is both
irrelevant to the BMJ and also appears
at the expense of real, valid medical
research which the BMJ is forced to
reject because of pressure on space.
What the publication of this paper
represents to me is that 'laddishness'
- the assertive display of childish
forms of patriarchal behaviour, found
equally in the pub and the Cabinet room
- has now infected the editorial
offices of the BMJ. I believe it is
essential that the editor of the BMJ
responds personally to this deplorable
lapse in editorial standards.
URL of letter
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/eletters/328/7443/800#57587
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