This morning, yet again, I was reminded by one of Harvards many gatekeepers that I do not belong, that Im not *really* valued here. Duly noted. Whenever things like this happen to me, I try hard to let them go, to attribute the relentless policing of hierarchies to the obsessions of small people, and I try not to feel--or be made--small myself. But its hard, really hard. The academy can break you down, especially after two decades. The only things I have to offset the way I feel right now are my record of achievement, my willingness to work hard on behalf of my terrific students, my capacity to laugh it off and look to the horizon, and my now (in)famous refusal to take this shit when it flies in my face. So here are two gems from my response to the person who is probably already regretting sending me that email before my morning coffee: After nearly 15 years of teaching and advising theses at Harvard, these are the moments that send me reeling. They are deeply insulting and embarrassing, and further alienating. But Ive labored long enough at Harvard to know that the dignity and achievements of lowly people like me--those who do a lions share of the teaching work at this elite institution--are totally irrelevant when it comes to preserving rank and following rules. and... Perhaps [my student] should find a faculty member who knows nothing about his subject, but whose rank is sufficient to the standards that FAS has established. That would be a shame, of course, because my expertise on social movements aligns perfectly with [XX]s proposed project (one of the reasons he picked me as an advisor in the first place). But if you require a real faculty member who knows less than I do--who has not actually been trained in oral history methodology, and who might not even be interested in the project--to babysit and oversee our efforts, then I will step aside. As eager as I am to advise [XX]s work, at this point in my career, I dont need a babysitter or an overseer. Apologies for the rant. Back to my real writing.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 15:11:13 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015