Re: activism and academia

>The activism/academia question is very vexing, and one I am quite familiar
>with as someone with a long activist background before going back to
>school and becoming an academic.
>
>My general impression is that activists look to academics for 2 things:
>
>1) inspiration and to confirm what they already think,
>       and
>2) structural analysis.

Yes, I think some activists get a sense of 'deepening' with issues 
through their links with academics: the broad sense that they can 
attain an understanding of the history and development of some 
particular issue. Talking to many activists in London and the English 
midlands recently, I came away with the impression that they were 
most knowledgeable about activism and anarchism, but lacked a deeper 
understanding of the Bretton Woods institutions and their world 
history, for example. Taking a direct stand against global injustice 
is of merit in itself - being able to deeper understand both actions 
and the reasons for those actions ultimately produces a more 
qualitative result. Of course, activists might do well to be less 
'reactionary' at times and not lock out academic analysis. By very 
nature they are often hyper defensive of their ideological beliefs 
(who isn't?)

>Academics, of course, look to activists to *look to them* for wisdom and
>leadership.  Most do not get what they want.  There seems to be only a
>limited number of authors that activists read and follow, starting with
>Noam Chomsky, and if you are not one of them, you are not given special
>treatment.  This is one (clearly secondary) reason that academics stay to
>themselves -- they just do not tend to get the sort of worshipful
>treatment they think they deserve from activists.

Let's face it - if you haven't had the privilege of a college or 
university education, then most academic's books are going to be a 
distinct turnoff - especially with anything that concerns the social 
sciences. Personally, I find the likes of Chomsky, Bello, George,etc. 
relatively easy to follow - I think this is the crux of the problem. 
Many academic texts are just not accessible to the non-specialist and 
the 'layman/woman'. I've helped organise workshops and teach-ins and 
academics and activists generally get on very well at these - no 
doubt because presentations are pitched a level everyone can 
understand. Therefore, we could say that activists distrust academics 
because they perceive them unable or unwilling to replace some of 
their critical analysis with a more understandable dialogue.

On one hand, it's an element of trust - but on the other it is much 
more. I also wonder to a degree just how many academics are wiling to 
engage in physical 'vulgar' activism? Many I know aren't - they 
prefer the cosy world of armchairs and single malts to running the 
risk of arrest because they are actually practising democracy.

What we need are more workshops and teach-ins throughout the year 
where both communities can discourse, instead of only when some big 
'event' is planned. Communication and more importantly interaction is 
the best way of breaking down barriers and forging new alliances.

Paul.
-- 

----------------------------------
"The Macintosh isn't a computer...
it's a way of life."  Don Rittner.
o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o
Paul Broome
Centre for Developing Areas Research
Department of Geography
Royal Holloway, University of London
Egham, Surrey, TW20 OEX, UK

Tel (Work):+44 (0)178 444 3574
Fax:      :+44 (0)178 447 2386
Voice Mail:+44 (0)207 681 2867
http://www.appleonline.net/pbroome
o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o