A little while back, I and Supratim (my husband) were having this intriguing and rather depressing conversation—which did not start that way—about research and contributions of research. It started from the fact whether, IF, we were not doing whatever we were doing right now, that is, being involved in these academic careers, doing research, (mark that I’m not using any adjectives here, which are marks of cheap styles of writing, but which I use anyway), would it change anything at all…..to the world? Quite obviously, being humble humans, we knew the answer. It wouldn’t. It wouldn’t create any gap, any vacuous space if we were not doing it. Or, for that any matter, if a lot of friends and colleagues were not doing it.
We, with all our best bets, pompous promises and presumptuous poses, do not matter; cannot change the world.
Though I do not understand Chemistry beyond grade 10 level (the level up till I studied that is), I vaguely understand the fact that Supratim works in Cancer drugs and their delivery. That is a hot field….numerous research papers are published in the field, seminars held, conferences called, and papers presented. But at the end of the day, what happens when someone we know has cancer? Sympathy from friends and acquaintances and Chemotherapy from the doctor. That’s what happens to them. Because, things are still in a testing level. Has Cancer treatment changed for the common people in the last 10 years? Yet, we go on with our pretentious levels that we are PhD students, doing our bit. We are putting our scratches….doing our cumulative bit, which does build on and reach our target audience. After all, what can we do? We can only try, and keep on trying, rather than doing nothing!
Granted. But we do know what we are doing, don’t we? We know that it’s a “publish or perish” world. We are here by our own choice. We are here because we believe we can do something for the people, as well as feed our own stomachs by being paid by it. Because possibly we can’t do anything else. Because possibly, we can’t visualise ourselves anywhere else. We are the academicians, and academia is our temple.
We worship the scientific vocation and the general public basks in the academic benefit. Which is why, we demand that special respectful look when we acquire our Ph.Ds and never forget to mention that dear “Dr.” before signing and introducing our and our colleagues’ names. Because we respect, and are bound to respect, the labour, the motivation, the skill and will of our fellow academicians. If we were not there, there would not be the protectors of the world. United we stand, hail us O public! Recognize the fact that we are different from the techie people…..our efforts are intelligent and meaningful.
Meaningful, of course. The proof if it lies in us being so highly funded. Even though people are homeless, we get fed by sumptuous and gourmet lunches and dinners, thinking about what causes homelessness. How can people be housed? Who are the homeless people? We cater to people…especially in Sociology, the discipline for the people. We deal with life’s problems. We shout at the world telling people that social capital is a good thing….the more trust you place on neighbours, the better connected you are, the better off you are with a valuable resource. We declare in seminars that burnout is as much a subjective and individualized condition, as much as it is a structural condition. And then take a break so that we don’t have burnout ourselves.
And who are we telling? Our peers, of course! The people can’t read our jargons, but it will get to them, somehow. For the moment, let me write my paper, please! Because, if I do not write it, I’ll be erased from my peer’s memory. If I don’t write it, I evoke some rival to take my place. If I write it, I call upon other rivals to negate it, and take its place. This is how we build on knowledge, or science. This is the scientific endeavour.
It is different from doing other things…..like being a clerical worker, being a secretary, being a driver, being a homemaker. We write Papers. If we didn’t write it, nobody would remember us after 5 years. Not to mention, even when we write it, nobody would remember us on the basis of it after 5 years. Hot names in hot discipline, change fast….much unlike change in the real world.
This brings us to the same question—what would it matter if we were not doing the thing we were doing…. If we were writing and checking files instead of academic papers? Honestly speaking would it matter?
Would it matter if there less mediocrities out here and out there? Would life be less beautiful? Would people be less obese? Less insecure? Less hungry and starving? Less terrorizing? Less depressed?
Would life’s problems be less?
If we believe we can bring change, could we produce a map of how it could be?
Could we produce a map of touching base? If yes, can we sell it to the woman who sells fruits on the streets, the man who works in the cash counter in Walmart, our grandparents, and the kid who works as a child labourer?
Why pretend we are working for the people, when actually we are working for a target audience, that audience being a specific group of peers, who like us, are involved in the academic game, because that’s what feeds them and clothes them and makes them.
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