Theme: 8. Negotiating Margins: Representations, Resistances, Agencies
Lisa Richaud
International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), Netherlands
Soheb Niazi
International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), Netherlands
Benjamin Linder
International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), Netherlands
Laura Erber
International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), Netherlands
Lisa Richaud
International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), Netherlands
Soheb Niazi
International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), Netherlands
Laura Erber
International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), Netherlands
Mariko Murata
Kansai University, Japan
Roundtable Abstract:
This roundtable stems from our shared concern regarding the current trends of performative behavior in academia and how they influence social interaction, especially when mirrored on social media, and their consequences for in-person dialogues. We see this discussion as a platform for a meta-reflection on the conditions of knowledge production and exchange within the academic environment.
With quantification reconfiguring the ecology of scholarly attention, new modes of circulation of knowledge redefine the ways in which we communicate among scholars and relate to each other. But what does this rush toward instantaneous visibility do to academic sociality – which we regard as one important site to produce knowledge? How much of intellectual value is lost as social media narrowly redefines the very meaning of mutual engagement? How does this redefinition of sociality impact our collective well-being?
Colleagues struggling with the requirements of this new academic culture share experiences of awkwardness, disgruntlement, and the insecurity that comes with self-scrutiny. We often vent our dissatisfaction in the informality of the backstage, which we find relieving. However, beyond the need for chest-baring, our ruminations stem from our sense that a collective, critical examination of these transformations is urgent. This roundtable seeks to create a reflexive space where both the so-called twitteratis and the “affect aliens” (Sara Ahmed), could imagine what refusing together offers. The purpose is not to preach a moral program. This is an invitation to (un)learn.
We want to advance that institutions can play a role in providing spaces to do things otherwise – something which we have learned, as former IIAS fellows. By “otherwise,” we have in mind both the serendipity of casual, informal conversations, and the more (in)formalized deliberation where promotional intents and output-driven ambitions take a backseat. Institutions may help us reaffirm the joy of non-instrumental, reciprocal forms of learning, or what Eugenie Brinkema has aptly called “the erotics of the colleague”.
This brings us to the very idea of the university, and how we could reshape it in the interstitial spaces left by neoliberal structures – which may in turn lead to alternative practices. We call for an academic poetics of the “minor gesture”: believing that none of us can embody the currently promoted modes of academic subjectivity, we want to turn this awareness into a ground for a different academic ethics. Here we want to rely on intellectual practices from scholars studying Asia to craft alternative pedagogies.
The concept for this roundtable was initially conceived during our time at the IIAS (International Institute for Asian Studies), where we observed the potential for a deeper exploration of these issues. We view the ICAS (International Convention of Asia Scholars) as an excellent platform to further these reflections, especially given its unique context. This context includes the model of campuses and metrics that often shape universities in Indonesia, which can hinder the development of individualized forms and models of academic interaction and socialization. Many campuses adopt a cold and rational architecture, making it difficult for each context to cultivate its distinct academic identity.
In order to address these issues more comprehensively, we have had discussions with Laura Erber to consider directing this roundtable specifically toward IIAS alumni. This stems from the fact that the inspiration for this event directly arose from our experiences as fellows at the IIAS and reflects our desire to engage other alumni and scholars in this dialogue.
Roundtable sponsored by: International Institute for Asian Studies