Mainstream Academia Research Articles

Topics, Notes and Comments

From them one learns to recognise the great gulf which exists between those who really use their brains to solve important questions and those who think that anything can be answered if you dig a big enough hole (Acknowledgements in T.C. Lethbridge, 1957). Introduction The year 2001 marks the one-hundredth year since the birth of one of the most compelling, if not controversial, figures in the history of twentieth-century British Archaeology. Thomas Tom Lethbridge (1901-71) was at one time an honorary keeper of Anglo-Saxon antiquities at the University of Cambridge, author of a number of books on the British Dark Ages and maritime archaeology, a leading light in the Cambridge Antiquarian Society; but he is perhaps better known today as the pioneer in the scientific study of one of the most arcane aspects of archaeological survey: dowsing. The purpose of this contribution is to investigate the legacy of this intriguing man--a former fellow of the Society of Antiquaries--after the centenary of his birth and the thirtieth year since his death. Before considering the controversies that surrounded his life, a brief biographical sketch of Lethbridge is needed to frame the context for his later ideas, which crystallised as a reaction to a rather rigorous and unbending training as an antiquarian. Lethbridge: The Man and the Archaeologist Lethbridge's academic and own personal life could be seen as a perfect conventional paradigm. Born into an old Devonian family, he was educated at Wellington College and went up to Trinity College Cambridge ostensibly to read for the Natural Sciences Tripos, but he ultimately came into the formidable orbit of Louis Clark, the then Director of the University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, and a lifelong interest in archaeological fieldwork was kindled. Lethbridge made three expeditions to the Arctic between 1921 and 1937, but ultimately found his interest in the archaeology of Anglo-Saxon England and, as a man of extensive means, he was able to indulge what was becoming more than a mere hobby. Lethbridge's obituary in the Antiquaries' Journal of 1972 hints already that he was beginning to acquire a more curious approach to the past, something that would have initially sublimated itself in a preoccupation with archaeology, but would later lead to other things. Lethbridge, according to his obituary, emphasised experimental testing of what he found by observation, but also respected the work of others, yet he preferred to test that too (Anonymous 1972). The apogee of Lethbridge's career in mainstream academia came with his appointment as honorary Keeper of Anglo-Saxon antiquities at the museum in Cambridge, but it would be fair to suggest that Lethbridge never really felt at home here, despite his leading a number of excavations for the Cambridge Antiquarian Society and his publishing extensively. The eminent archaeological historian, Glyn Daniel, noted this theme in his Antiquity editorial in the year after Lethbridge's death. Daniel stated that that this colourful, stimulating, provocative and often controversial figure never felt as if he was a member of the mainstream archaeological establishment. Daniel attributes this feeling of insecurity to a dilettante outlook and emphasises Lethbridge's semi-professional status (Daniel 1972). As an archaeologist, he had a distinguished if fairly unspectacular reputation, but perhaps Lethbridge needed more of a challenge; it is almost as if he anticipated the widening interest in popular archaeology that has burgeoned in recent years. Lethbridge's book Merlin's Island shows how his ideas were steadily developing in the context of his later interests (Lethbridge 1948); essentially a personal book, filled with anecdote and reminiscences, it was rather aimed at a wider, popular audience. Although it was not generally appreciated by academic reviewers, this work occasionally met with qualified praise. …

The Development of 'Newspaper Studies' as an Academic Discipline in the Discursive Space of 1930s Japan

There has long been a conventional understanding that mass communication studies in Japan started with the introduction of theories of mass communication from the USA in the 1950s. However as this paper demonstrates, a new academic paradigm,'newspaper studies' (shinbungaku) had begun to take shape as early as the 1920s. At first the infant discipline occupied a very marginal position in mainstream academia, but as Japan prepared for war during the 1930s, giving information increasing strategic importance, these early media studies became associated with the state's mobilization for total war This paper identifies three competing perspectives in pre-war newspaper studies: an empiricist-historical perspective, a constructionist perspective, and a Marxist perspective. It then demonstrates how the second perspective transformed itself into a logic of propaganda, and joined hands with ultra-nationalism.The paper concludes by arguing that the parameters of the discursive space concerning mass media in the 1920s and 1930s survived to the post-war era.

Nurturing and Validating Indigenous Epistemologies in Higher Education: Comment on "Domestication of the Ivory Tower"

Ray Barnhardt addresses a long-overdue search for a balance between indigenous cultures of America and mainstream academics that enhances students' connections to their communities, cultural traditions, and the larger society. Since its official conception in 19th-century federal Indian policy, the goal of Native American education has been to assimilate Native American children into the mainstream culture and to

From Text to Context: How Anthropology Makes Its Subject

Much has been said about writing culture. I argue that, underlying anthropological lies not just ethnographer as author but, more importantly, institutional embeddedness of scientificity and rootedness of academia in a public sphere. I have chosen to review critically development of anthropology of Taiwan to show in what senses it shares problematic features with social scientific subjectivity everywhere. At same time I will describe certain excesses in bureaucratization and politicization of knowledge.' Moreover, indigenous anthropologists have ironically long been studying their own societies-but not in way it has been trumpeted naively by advocates of the new ethnography. Far from being pristine, content and form of this knowledge reiterate even more academia's embeddedness in politics of public sphere. Over 25 years ago, in a work largely ignored by mainstream academics that became a cult classic among counterculture anthropology students, Robert Murphy (1971) pointed out that breadth and diversity of U.S. anthropology, as opposed to British anthropology, for example, were less a matter of intellectual influences than a function of rules of tenure and modes of academic

Academics' perceptions of their professional development needs related to leadership and management: What can we learn?

Enquiries into the governance, structure and management of higher education institutions across the globe have stimulated changes to the legislative and policy frameworks within which universities operate and to their organizational structures and processes. These changes have subsequently brought into question the proper role of academics in relation to the leadership and management of their departments/institutions. While mainstream academic staff conceive of academic leadership as being strictly associated with teaching, research and community outreach, university administrators and policy makers conceptualize it more broadly. Their definitions often include the management of change, quality, information, finance, and physical and human resources - functions that many mainstream academics perceive as being the responsibility of departmental/institutional administrative or support staff. Such differences create major challenges for academic development units. What type of training should they provide? Should they embrace activities that support these new conceptions of leadership and management? These are among the central issues explored in this paper.

Slouching Toward Bork

The appeal of hip-hop and rap music in the United States grew considerably in the early 1990s. A dynamic culture that had its beginnings among working class African Americans and Puerto Ricans in New York, hip-hop evolved into a multimillion-dollar industry with far-reaching influences in marketing, popular culture, and politics. Coterminous with this rise in popularity was the emergence of a highly visible campaign against rap artists for promoting offensive and socially irresponsible music. These attacks were the most visible battles in America's "culture wars" that pitted cultural critics against each other in the realms of music, cinema, and visual arts. Peaking in the years 1992 through 1996, this public discourse regarding cultural standards and hip-hop involved presidential candidates, congressmen, and academics who joined the chorus to condemn what they considered violent, sexist, and bigoted rap. Few, however, in the mainstream media or academia gave attention to the many in the hip-hop community who were also involved in the debates. In fact, many rap artists offered fresh analyses and observations of the culture wars from a unique perspective that necessarily presented nuances in the discussion that had been absent. This article examines these marginalized voices in the debates of the earlyand mid-1990s. It studies the efficacy of these voices and reveals how they deviated from the typical parameters of the public debate. In June 1995, William J. Bennett, former drug czar of the Bush administration and head of Empower America, and C. Delores

The Revival of the Romantic Means a Revival of Psychology

In the past 20 years, American psychology has firmly dissociated itself from its romantic roots. This article elaborates the reasons for this development, the consequences of it, and the rationale for reclaiming those roots. The marginalization of existential-humanistic psychology within mainstream academia, the loss of the influences of the arts and humanities on psychology, and the rich and practical advantages of literary investigations of human experience are detailed. Finally, romanticism is discussed in light of the growing postmodernist movement in psychology. Although the orientations are seen as compatible in certain respects, the limitations of this compatibility also are acknowledged.

Educational Development Units in Higher Education: much ado about something?

The paper provides a functional context for the establishment of units whose aim is the promotion of quality teaching and learning in higher education institutions. Referencing studies on the types of services offered and the role of change agent, an outline is provided of how the unit at Bradford University evolved and is situated organisationally. As a case study, the Bradford Unit is examined to evaluate the extent to which it meets various criteria of success, including its degree of ‘institutionalisation’. Concluding comments argue, in the light of major trends in higher education, for the need to consider ‘value‐added’ and multi‐dimensional strategies or approaches to change if mainstream academics are to play a central role in educational reforms and thus become more closely aligned with teaching quality and innovation.

The Psychological Health of Shamans: A Reevaluation

Journal of the American Academy of Religion I_XV/1 The Psychological Health of Shamans: A Reevaluation* Roger Walsh INTRODUCTION THE PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH of spiritual practitioners has long been a point of contention, both in the culture at large and among researchers such as anthropologists, religious scholars, and especially mental health professionals. William James wrestled with this issue in The Varieties of Religious Experience, and almost a century later the debate continues (Lukoff, Lu, and Turner; Walsh 1980; Wilber 1993). Witness, for example, the title of a report on mysticism by the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry: Mysticism: Spiritual Quest or Psychic Disorder? Perhaps the most controversial figures of all have been shamans. The range of descriptions and diagnoses that have been given these individu- als is nothing less than extraordinary, and two extreme views are now prevalent. Among mainstream academics probably the most common assess- ment of shamans is that they are psychologically disturbed individuals who have managed to adapt their psychopathology to social needs. Shamans have been diagnosed, labelled, and dismissed in many ways. To start with some of the kinder diagnoses, shamans have been described as tricksters and healed madmen (Eliade; Warner). The terms neurotic, epileptic, and charlatan have been applied liberally, and the shaman has Roger Walsh is Professor of Psychiatry, Anthropology, and Philosophy at the University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92717. ‘The author would like to thank the many people who assisted in the preparation of this and related papers. These people include especially Angeles Arrien, Marlene Dobkin de Rios. Gordon Globus, Michael Harrier, Arthur Hastings, Stan Krippner, John Levy, Larry Peters, Don Sandner, Hus- ton Smith. Frances Vaughan, Michael Winkleman, and the ]AAR editor, Glenn Yocum. J.P. Tarcher gave pennission to use portions of The Spirit of Shamanism as a partial basis for an expanded, updated discussion of the psychological health of shamans. Bonnie mllier provided her usual excellent ad- ministrative and secretarial assistance. I01

Techno-economic paradigm versus the market: on recent theories of late industrialization

The recent resurgence of intellectual interest in industrialization has been stimulated by the emergence of a wealth of empirical evidence which constitutes a reinterpretation of the East Asian experience, and the rise in mainstream academia of the 'new' theories of trade and growth. Both of these two bodies or writings point to the necessity of placing technological development at the centre of industrialization. There is however considerable doubt among economists over this tematic shift away from the hitherto dominant emphasis on incentive. There are also conceptual ambiguites over the nature of technological development that need to be clarified. This paper aims to reaffirm the centrality of technological development, and to argue that the imperative of technological development normally outstrips the capacity of the regulation of the market.

Putting cholesterol control on a diet

<h3>To the Editor.—</h3> In the July 7 issue Dr Palumbo¹editorializes on the cost for screening and treatment of cholesterol levels in the entire population. Careful observers of the letters sections of several journals will have noted a thin stream of protests from various parts of the country, over the last several years, regarding the numbing costs of the great cholesterol public health initiative, if applied as recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program. It seems that at last some of those considerations have come to the attention of mainstream academia. I only regret that such considerations have followed, rather than preceded, the publication of the National Cholesterol Education Program, which may produce the largest collection of malpractice litigation ever seen in this country if the courts come to agree that failure to apply the explicit algorithms and recommendations constitutes negligence. The fact that the program contains a disclaimer

Putting Cholesterol Control on a Diet

To the Editor.— In the July 7 issue Dr Palumbo 1 editorializes on the cost for screening and treatment of cholesterol levels in the entire population. Careful observers of the letters sections of several journals will have noted a thin stream of protests from various parts of the country, over the last several years, regarding the numbing costs of the great cholesterol public health initiative, if applied as recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program. It seems that at last some of those considerations have come to the attention of mainstream academia. I only regret that such considerations have followed, rather than preceded, the publication of the National Cholesterol Education Program, which may produce the largest collection of malpractice litigation ever seen in this country if the courts come to agree that failure to apply the explicit algorithms and recommendations constitutes negligence. The fact that the program contains a disclaimer

Journalism Knowledge and Jounrnalism Practice: The Problems of Curriculum and Research in University Schools of Journalism

Although university schools of journalism are wellestablished in North America, they continue to be viewed skeptically by some mainstream academics and journalism practitioners. Additionally, journalism faculties are themselves sometimes divided internally between professors who identify with the practice of journalism and professors who identify with the university and its traditions of teaching and research.