Naveen has done a great job at identifying a pattern, which, I'm afraid, goes beyond the confines of this list. If it was only a problem here, unsubscribing would "solve" it. Coming from a different culture, one of the shocks that I faced in (Western) academia was the pattern that Naveen describes here.
I will not mention names because I don't see it as an individual problem. I will not use loaded terms to refer to this behaviour because it impedes dialogue. But it seems to me that this kind of behaviour has been normalised by everyone who becomes part of one of the "design research" communities.
From my experience, most high-ranking design academics that I have met are kind and compassionate human beings, but when wearing their academic hats, many feel the right to become obnoxious, disrespectful, and infinitely arrogant. This is frustrating because many of them have great ideas to share, but it can be hard to dissociate the ideas and the social persona from the author of that influential book or paper. And since these people do occupy the boards of every major conference and journal, and shape hiring/promotion decisions, many prefer to remain silent, roll their eyes, and perpetuate the pattern.
On the other hand, we are fortunate that there are many academics in design and related fields who display kindness and care in their professional and authority roles. We should see them as guides, I know I have learned the hard way to rethink my own ways of disagreeing with students and colleagues. It can be hard to escape the cycle. Sharing, teaching, and challenging ideas can be done in considerably more respectful and humble ways than what has become the norm in a specific cultural group -yes, mostly Anglo-Saxon old males. It is time to embrace more diversity of views in how we should talk and write to each other. Academia needs a serious re-think, and the way we communicate is a symptom of the more profound ways that need to evolve.
TL;DR: The problem is broader than this list; look at examples that redefine expectations of power behaviour in academia.
Best,
Dr. Ricardo Sosa
Senior Lecturer AUT + Monash
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3678-0702
-----Original Message-----
From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Naveen Bagalkot
Sent: Sunday, 29 January 2017 4:21 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Goodbye and thanks for all the fish
Hello listers,
Its time for me to say goodbye from this list.
The space has become toxic, noxious, and the last straw has broken for me.
But before I hit the unsubscribe button, I will briefly outline why I am leaving.
A pattern has emerged and is fixed. A pattern where any young/female/PoC dissenting voice is disciplined by usually old/white/male voices.
Disciplined by terming the dissenting voices as rabble rousing, badly behaved, (uncouth?).
Disciplined by demanding for 'objective' and 'rational' argumentation. What is the problem in this you ask? Well, by now it is fairly established that knowledge cannot be objective, even in the sciences. It cannot be removed and isolated from the politics of its situated production. An individual experiences cannot be undermined by generalized common-sense. By not acknowledging and listening to the individual, situated experiences, and demanding objectivity, you are imposing the hegemony of sciences, as if you are stuck in the 60-80s.
Disciplined by talking down to only the dissenting voices, but not to others, mostly because a) they are senior, b) they are your friends, or c) you are scared of the implications.
Disciplined by demanding knowledge labor. Don't know what I mean by knowledge labor? It is a typical trait by the oppressor. When an oppressed person mentions an oppression, the oppressor demands knowledge (usually of the objective rational kind) that will term / define their actions as being oppressive. Another form of this phenomenon is also seen when the oppressor demands to be educated in knowledge presented by the oppressed, without taking the efforts to be educated. Case in point: When Teena raised the issue of gender, the male profs / researchers demanded her to establish the connection between gender and design research. So that the discussion can be edible to them. If as researchers, researching the present and emerging relations between objects and things and people you do not understand the role of gender, then please go and do your homework before demanding from a woman to take time off her day work to summarize to you in couple of paragraphs how gender is related to design and design research. You know, after all it is not just we males who have day work to do!
These and other modes of disciplining are acts of colonizing.
If you do not see that as that, then you are blinded. By your privileges along the race, gender, geographical power axes. When the debate around decolonizing design turned ugly sometime last year, I among others had urged the members on this list to recognize our own privileges along these axes, and be aware and sensitive (and empathize) by assuming that the others on this list (particularly the dissenting ones) do not have these privileges, and hence attune and attend to the difference in experience. By not doing so, you the founders and / or gate-keepers of this list, are colonizing.
And silencing. You wonder why the younger folks on this list do not discuss and debate. Well, here is the answer: You colonize by your acts of disciplining. The 'violent' outbursts you see here, and more on the social media are nothing but the acts to reclaim a space for hearing. The violence is not against you, but against your actions, which you seem not to acknowledge.
If I have to continue on this list, I cannot remain silent, and I will have to call-out each and every instance of colonizing, and that's just too much of time and effort off my day work.
So, goodbye and thanks for all the fish!
Naveen
--
Naveen L Bagalkot, Ph.D.
Researcher & Faculty Member
Srishti Institute of Art, Design, and Technology.
Bangalore
http://srishti.ac.in/ <http://labs.srishti.ac.in>
"This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have erroneously received this message, please delete it immediately and notify the sender. Thank you."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
PhD-Design mailing list <[log in to unmask]> Discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design Subscribe or Unsubscribe at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/phd-design
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
PhD-Design mailing list <[log in to unmask]>
Discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design
Subscribe or Unsubscribe at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/phd-design
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
