Madison Yn
ASA 002 - A02
09.30.17
One of my closest friends continues to share her aspirations in academia with me and quite often mentions the strenuous and seemingly impossible pursuit of tenure, which is difficult in itself to achieve however being even more unattainable due to the systematic disadvantages against women of color, her included. I didn’t fully fathom the selective and competitive nature of the tenure process and the difficulty of being a respected and successful person in the academe until reading Professor Valverde’s “Fight the Tower: A Call to Action for Women of Color in Academia” where I was introduced to the overlooked plight of women of color in academia. Being an avid Survivor fan, I found the allusion to the television show very helpful in explaining and dissecting the process of tenure where their remains and social, intellectual, and physical aspect to navigate. Before fully reading the excerpt, my thoughts were why should and does achieving tenure have to involve political alliances and strategic game play? I naively assumed tenure was purely reliant on one’s merit and qualifications, but after reading more I understood the importance and urgency to network, build connections, and reach out to others for support in such a rigorous climate. I also wasn’t familiar with the existing physical (whether external or internal) ailments many have endured throughout their course of tenure. The health issues and tolls on the body related to scholars are often overlooked by those in fields with more overtly physically demanding jobs such as professional athletes. And while these struggles may be different and have varying degrees of severity from case to case, there is no doubt people in academia have fewer resources when in need of medical attention and emotional guidance. In accord with Professor Valverde, health should remains one’s most valued priority. So it struck me extremely offensive when Professor Valverde’s department head demanded the student’s grades for that quarter when she was having a near death experience, because letters on paper are clearly more urgent than comas and fatal blood clots. Later in the process, Professor Valverde mentions having to defend her qualifications of tenure while presenting her book which received high praise which illustrates the systematic injustices and flaws of the academe that women of color are subjected to. Through the tribulations and trials of Professor Valverde’s unisolated case of discrimination within the ivory tower, it has become increasingly apparent that women of color are marginalized by an ostensibly liberal institution that is theoretically based on meritocracy and that these malpractices will not be tolerated as the concerted effort of fighting the tower is burgeoning in support and recognition.
Are “mob” members within the Ethnic Studies Department more prevalent than those of the white establishment? Why are marginalized groups typically unwilling to act jointly in dismantling the ivory tower?
References:
Valverde, K., (2013). “Fight the Tower”: A Call to Action for Women in Academia, 12(2), 367-419. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
Taylor Callery., (n.d.). I Want Your Respect, Not Your Advice. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from http://www.chronicle.com//img/photos/biz/photo_77686_landscape_650x433.jpg
One of the major points of the article is also say that workplace discrimination and violence can happen anywhere, even in academia. That it's perceived as an exceptionally civil environment only serves to perpetuate the wrongdoings. Please bring up your question in class.
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