Re: activism and academia

>I suppose it all boils down to why one becomes an academic in the 
>first place. As someone working in the field of development studies 
>and with those of the world who are amongst the most underprivileged, 
>I thought I could make a difference. I gain much insight and many 
>ideas from 'academic' lists such as WSN - but am disturbed as I (and 
>others) don't seem to be able to translate some of their contents on 
>to the street.  
>
>Paul.

The world systems approach should not be seen as something that gets
translated into strategy or tactics. It is at much too high level of
abstraction. Its most important use is as a defense against Eurocentrism
which is deeply embedded in the Western university. Even subdisciplines
that seem free of it are problematic. For example, Franz Boas has the
reputation of being the first anthropologist to challenge the kind of
Eurocentrism that was institutionalized with the earlier schools which were
influenced by social Darwinims. But Boas went on what can only be described
as criminal raiding parties in the Pacific Northwest to remove native art.
Or look at the horrendous business that went on with the aptly named
Napoleon Chagnon and the Yanomamis. I think books like "Colonizer's Model
of the World" and Janet Abu-Lughod's "Before European Hegemony" should be
required reading for all college first year students.


Louis Proyect
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