ASA 002 A02
Week 1
Fight the Tower displays Dr. Valverde's journey through her fight for tenure. It also serves as a guide for those who may find themselves in a similar position to that of Dr. Valverde. Honestly, I would not have imagined the world of academia in the way that she depicts in Fight the Tower. As a first-year student who hopes to work towards attaining a doctorate, somewhere down the line, this piece gives me a glimpse into this world that is filled with deeply rooted prejudice amongst its members. In my experience, I haven't experienced prejudice to such a degree, as some of my peers. I grew up in Sacramento, which is 20 minutes north of UC Davis. And the population of Sacramento is diverse racially, amongst other things. And this led to a pretty understanding community of people who are aware of each other's difference in perspective. This is the world I grew up in. So, it kind of shocked me to see that the world of academia, and its members, may be subject to the degree of bias that is demonstrated in Fight the Tower. As mentioned in Fight the Tower, Valverde recalls that "... if I just focused on my scholarship, my work would speak for itself and I would earn tenure without issue." I would have the same mentality if I were in Valverde's position. If anything, this article has put me in a better position than I was prior to reading, since I am aware of challenges that I may potentially encounter later on.
Question: If possible, how long would it take for cases like Dr. Valverde's to stop occurring permanently?
References
Dimitrijevic, I. (2014, June 12). Characteristics of Workplace Bullying. Retrieved April 4, 2017, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140612160717-176937618-characteristics-of-workplace-bullying
Valverde, K. (2013). Fight the Tower: A Call to Action for Women of Color in Academia. Seattle Journal of Social Justice. 12(2). 367-419.
As long as humans continue to want more for themselves and okay for others to have less, discrimination will take place.
ReplyDelete