The reading that most resonates with me is M. Dalton's "A System Destabilized: Scholarly Works Today." She makes saliently clear how ruthless and cut-throat the humanities have to be in order to survive and compete in contemporary culture. Our American society, our world rather, is vastly changing. Science has documentation and therefore reason to question what it means to be human. Quantum mechanics has found electrons in bacterial proteins, the key here being that proteins are the ultimate building blocks of cells.
More to the point, advancements in technology are going crazy. With touch-free video game consoles, hands-free car telephones, and voice recognition computers, how can a book made of paper and ink last? Well, this is our queue to sit between the two ferns. Professorships and tenure are based on scholarship, as Dalton warns. In a fast paced market, who needs inspirational teachers? In fact, why teach at all?
Clearly, I am being absurd. But, is this not what some ultra conservatives might say is the case? The humanities do not grow as fast as other disciplines, but we have to do our share to reflect the times. My research centers around the reciprocal influence of contemporary culture and thought/language. I want the freedom of expression to remain despite being in Wall Street's wake. Dalton's article invigorates me to action!
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