In a message dated 8/5/2 5:03:00 PM, you wrote:
>David wrote:
>>So, maybe a partial answer to [Jenny's] question is: The
>anti-intellectualism is
>>present because the theory behind it has been coopted, and is so pervasive.
Jenny (not James) responded:
>Yeah, this blocking effect happens in feminism too. Women's Studies became
>the study of women, or the study of how people have studied women, certainly
>no longer the study of how women have and are organizing to change the lives
>of women. Women's Liberation, the movement which originally demanded and
won
>Women's Studies, is hardly mentioned except to occasionally criticize NOW or
>feminism for being elitist or racist. Eager feminists come to college, take
>classes, leave discouraged.
.... and, if I'm not mistaken, recent studies show male chauvinism in general, and rape and assault of women in particular, on the rise on college campuses.
But, I don't know if the answer here is to foster more radicalism on college campuses. I feel like somewhat of an 'impossiblist' on the issue: even at the university's most "progressive" moments (someone located one of these to be during the '70s), it has never been a major focal point on actually changing the fundamental social/economic conditions which are of concern to the radical left.
Of course, the university did produce some fine professors of color vis-a-vis affirmative action, but a lot of these turned around and began denouncing affirmative action. Perhaps they realized that only so many could really "make it" in a capitalist system. But, affirmative action's a whole other issue.... I think the change needs to come from below, not from policy wonks, technocrats, or even sincere university aat the pay scale is not great and becoming worse. But, still.)
I, for one, and not cynical about the drive of labor to effect these changes. Someone else on here mentioned the labor party recently, and, though it needs a lot of work, I think the LP at least contains the organic structure for a truly progressive worker's party. The money, ideally, in this situation, would not come from the elites and corporations who fund universities and think tanks, but from the workers themselves vis-a-vis trade unions. There are already a couple hundred union locals out there endorsing the labor party.
Best, David