From our brother list: IFETS
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2004 07:47:02 -0500
From: Professor Andrew Lian
andrew.lian@ANDREWLIAN.COM
Subject: Re: the need and proof for theories in learning and e-learning
artefacts
Dear George and others,
A quick comment - could not resist.
In the e-mail below you make the following point:
>thank you for your point and I am quite interesting to see evoloving
comments. Don't worry, I also doubt if I ever get the PhD because my
thoughts are far 'too exotic' to my supervisor :-(
It is always difficult to bring new ideas into a world where dominant ideas
and theories rule. After all there is a reason why they are dominant.
Exoticism is often frowned upon even if well argued. It is of course a
hugely political and politicised game controlled by various gate-keepers who
will decide whether or not, and how, to allow you recognition from the
academy which they represent. The situation is clearly recognised in
Molière's Le Malade Imaginaire in the 17th century where in order to be
admitted to the rank of (medical) doctor, the aspirant to the title had to
answer many questions from the academy assembled about how he (it was always
he then) would cure a long list of diseases. The answer was always the same
in Latin doggerel:
Clysterium donare,
Postea seignare,
Ensuitta purgare.
(Give an enema, then bleed the patient (i.e. take blood) and then give a
laxative).
The academy would then respond:
Bene, bene, bene, bene respondere.
Dignus, dignus est entrare
In nostro docto corpore.
(You have answered well, you are worthy of entering into our knowledgeable
body/organisation/corporation- actually much stronger but cannot translate
but you can see the word doctor in it) - play the game and you're in!
.
And.... not all thesis supervisors react badly to exoticism (you just have
to be in the right place) - so there is still some hope for us all :-)
Ciao
Andrew Lian
Dr Andrew Lian
Professor of Humanities
Director, Center for the Study of Languages Rice University, 6100 Main St,
Houston, Texas, 77005, USA
ph: +1 713 348-5913, fax: +1 713 348-5846
e-mail:
lian@rice.edu or
Andrew.Lian@andrewlian.com What's the point of
calling yourself a scholar if all you do is quote others?
http://www.andrewlian.com