An academic in my field – whose work I’m being told to use in my research, by the way – suggests that at the time of hiring professors should be judged not only on their teaching experience and research agenda but also on the “social responsibility” of their work. What is this but a blatant attempt at introducing censorship into a profession that is already censored to the gills?

We will truly police and censor ourselves into extinction one of these days.

9 responses to “Social Responsibility”

  1. el Avatar
    el

    What is meant by “social responsibility” ?

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    1. Clarissa Avatar

      “What is meant by “social responsibility” ?”

      • Reciting the accepted platitudes verbatim and as eagerly as possible.

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  2. David P. Bellamy Avatar

    It seems frighteningly difficult to avoid censorship in the name of “Social Responsibility” because anyone can be a target. Would you be able to evaluate dispassionately a candidate who argued that women with children should never be hired for an academic job because their job would not be their top priority? This is not far-fetched. I heard this argument firsthand in 1972.

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    1. Clarissa Avatar

      “Would you be able to evaluate dispassionately a candidate who argued that women with children should never be hired for an academic job because their job would not be their top priority?”

      • Argued where? As part of their research? Yes, absolutely. During a job interview? No, absolutely not because that would make them an unstable, weird person.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. cliff arroyo Avatar

    “What is meant by “social responsibility” ?”

    I’m betting it’s a glorified version of “do things I approve of” or “(don’t) be a member of group X”

    There’s no other real possibility.

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  4. Z Avatar

    Who is it? Hernán Vidal said that kind of thing but he’s not in your subfield and he’s retired.

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    1. Clarissa Avatar
      1. Z Avatar

        I may misjudge but he appears to be a neocon in anarchist clothing and his book costs $113, scandalous

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        1. Clarissa Avatar

          The comparison of the title with the price is, indeed, galling. 🙂

          Liked by 1 person

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A conservative literary critic and college professor