Comments on: Not Fully Fit http://www.trenthergenrader.com/wordpress/2007/03/30/not-fully-fit/ Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:04:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Trent http://www.trenthergenrader.com/wordpress/2007/03/30/not-fully-fit/comment-page-1/#comment-32987 Trent Sun, 01 Apr 2007 21:51:02 +0000 http://www.hergenraders.com/wordpress/?p=704#comment-32987 Absolutely! I had a lecturer my final semester of undergrad back in '96 who pushed the same thing. He taught courses in an <a href="http://www.wisc.edu/ils/" rel="nofollow">Integrated Liberal Studies program</a> that mixed history, philosophy, literature, history of science, art history, etc. Unfortunately I didn't find out about these courses until later in my education but I probably would have made ILS the backbone of my studies if I was going to do it over. But the principle is that a solid grounding in many disciplines is much better than a single specialty. Absolutely! I had a lecturer my final semester of undergrad back in ’96 who pushed the same thing. He taught courses in an Integrated Liberal Studies program that mixed history, philosophy, literature, history of science, art history, etc. Unfortunately I didn’t find out about these courses until later in my education but I probably would have made ILS the backbone of my studies if I was going to do it over.

But the principle is that a solid grounding in many disciplines is much better than a single specialty.

]]> By: Dr. Phil http://www.trenthergenrader.com/wordpress/2007/03/30/not-fully-fit/comment-page-1/#comment-32834 Dr. Phil Sun, 01 Apr 2007 07:53:06 +0000 http://www.hergenraders.com/wordpress/?p=704#comment-32834 Eric, do you mean to do writers in two non-contiguous months? Or are you adopting the old convention of starting the new year in March, so adjacent December and Januarys in the same winter are "in the same year"? I love CP. When I first ran into her, reading The Chronicle of Higher Education back in the 80s, she's been painted all over the place from saint to The Devil Herself. Firebrands are always good to shake up complacency. What specialists, in many fields of study, fail to understand is that they need to be generalists as well -- or their narrow focus will stifle and die due to lack of breathable oxygen. Dr. Phil Eric, do you mean to do writers in two non-contiguous months? Or are you adopting the old convention of starting the new year in March, so adjacent December and Januarys in the same winter are “in the same year”?

I love CP. When I first ran into her, reading The Chronicle of Higher Education back in the 80s, she’s been painted all over the place from saint to The Devil Herself. Firebrands are always good to shake up complacency.

What specialists, in many fields of study, fail to understand is that they need to be generalists as well — or their narrow focus will stifle and die due to lack of breathable oxygen.

Dr. Phil

]]> By: Eric B http://www.trenthergenrader.com/wordpress/2007/03/30/not-fully-fit/comment-page-1/#comment-32830 Eric B Sun, 01 Apr 2007 05:21:36 +0000 http://www.hergenraders.com/wordpress/?p=704#comment-32830 Pssh, I'm going to one up them all. I'm only going to study author's who wrote books in the month of December and January 1932. I happen to agree with the eternally controversial Camille Paglia. We should be studying broader (getting an extensive background in great literature from all periods and art history and sociology and history and philosophy and anthropology) not going narrower. She discusses this "specialization" as among the many things wrong with contemporary academic studies. Pssh, I’m going to one up them all. I’m only going to study author’s who wrote books in the month of December and January 1932.

I happen to agree with the eternally controversial Camille Paglia. We should be studying broader (getting an extensive background in great literature from all periods and art history and sociology and history and philosophy and anthropology) not going narrower. She discusses this “specialization” as among the many things wrong with contemporary academic studies.

]]> By: Trent http://www.trenthergenrader.com/wordpress/2007/03/30/not-fully-fit/comment-page-1/#comment-32803 Trent Sat, 31 Mar 2007 22:16:56 +0000 http://www.hergenraders.com/wordpress/?p=704#comment-32803 Expertise is the operative word. You don't need that kind of specialization for your PhD or to teach in that area, but to be truly considered an expert by other academic. According to the chair of our Literary Studies program, as quoted by a friend of mine. Expertise is the operative word. You don’t need that kind of specialization for your PhD or to teach in that area, but to be truly considered an expert by other academic. According to the chair of our Literary Studies program, as quoted by a friend of mine.

]]> By: Eric B http://www.trenthergenrader.com/wordpress/2007/03/30/not-fully-fit/comment-page-1/#comment-32801 Eric B Sat, 31 Mar 2007 20:54:16 +0000 http://www.hergenraders.com/wordpress/?p=704#comment-32801 2-3 years area of specialty? Really? I never heard about that one from my peers. 2-3 years area of specialty? Really? I never heard about that one from my peers.

]]> By: Trent http://www.trenthergenrader.com/wordpress/2007/03/30/not-fully-fit/comment-page-1/#comment-32678 Trent Sat, 31 Mar 2007 05:08:58 +0000 http://www.hergenraders.com/wordpress/?p=704#comment-32678 John, I did see that story and I'm amused although I feel bad for Southampton as they already don't get much respect. The funniest comment is from the guy who said it looks like the chairman from Portsmouth, Southampton's hated rival on the south coast. This would be like having Green Bay creating a statue to commemorate Ray Nitschke and having it turn out looking like Dick Butkus. Phil, it's all maggots on an ever-dwindling corpse to me. Another reason why I'm glad I'm a Creative Writing student since all of your work is uniquely your own. UW-M also has a Modern Studies program that's innovative and nationally recognized, and I believe those students are truly doing new and meaningful things. However, I think it's much harder for Literary Studies students to find a marketable niche. John, I did see that story and I’m amused although I feel bad for Southampton as they already don’t get much respect. The funniest comment is from the guy who said it looks like the chairman from Portsmouth, Southampton’s hated rival on the south coast. This would be like having Green Bay creating a statue to commemorate Ray Nitschke and having it turn out looking like Dick Butkus.

Phil, it’s all maggots on an ever-dwindling corpse to me. Another reason why I’m glad I’m a Creative Writing student since all of your work is uniquely your own. UW-M also has a Modern Studies program that’s innovative and nationally recognized, and I believe those students are truly doing new and meaningful things. However, I think it’s much harder for Literary Studies students to find a marketable niche.

]]> By: Dr. Phil http://www.trenthergenrader.com/wordpress/2007/03/30/not-fully-fit/comment-page-1/#comment-32676 Dr. Phil Sat, 31 Mar 2007 02:41:10 +0000 http://www.hergenraders.com/wordpress/?p=704#comment-32676 Back 30 years ago, academic chemists were talking about LPU's -- the Least Publishable Unit. You work on a new synthesis, and then rather than publish one paper, you break it into pieces, write a paper on each development stage and include one or more summary papers, all of which cite each other. Thus thrashing the references and getting 8-20 publication credits for one synthesis. More papers, not much more work. More room for grad students to get a joint authorship with the P.I. on one part of the process, rather than just a team credit on one paper. Dividing lit areas into 2-10 year subperiods is how you deal with the glut of English majors crowding the MLA job fairs... It's also how you can have a niche AND not compete with your advisor. Win-win all around. Sort of. Dr. Phil Back 30 years ago, academic chemists were talking about LPU’s — the Least Publishable Unit. You work on a new synthesis, and then rather than publish one paper, you break it into pieces, write a paper on each development stage and include one or more summary papers, all of which cite each other. Thus thrashing the references and getting 8-20 publication credits for one synthesis. More papers, not much more work. More room for grad students to get a joint authorship with the P.I. on one part of the process, rather than just a team credit on one paper.

Dividing lit areas into 2-10 year subperiods is how you deal with the glut of English majors crowding the MLA job fairs… It’s also how you can have a niche AND not compete with your advisor. Win-win all around. Sort of.

Dr. Phil

]]> By: John Schoffstall http://www.trenthergenrader.com/wordpress/2007/03/30/not-fully-fit/comment-page-1/#comment-32675 John Schoffstall Sat, 31 Mar 2007 02:32:12 +0000 http://www.hergenraders.com/wordpress/?p=704#comment-32675 I know nothing of footie, but I wondered whether you had noticed <a href="http://www.metafilter.com/59785/Limited-Stature" rel="nofollow">this controversy</a>? I was amused. I know nothing of footie, but I wondered whether you had noticed this controversy? I was amused.

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