VHP and United Way (fwd)

marcus.banks at anthropology.oxford.ac.uk marcus.banks at anthropology.oxford.ac.uk
Mon Nov 7 20:38:46 UTC 1994


>[...]The difference between a warm, vivid, study full
>of meaning and rich with thought-provoking ideas, and a
>dry-as-dust sterile exercise is precisely to do with self-
>awareness (knowing our own psychological and political biases)
>as well as paying close attention to those of our subjects;
>and ignoring all these factors in the name of "objectivity".
[...]
>Rob

I have avoided getting embroiled in this discussion so far, not least
because I am not in fact an Indologist. While I too agree with J Silk and
Rob's sentiments, I feel they miss the point. INDOLOGY as I understood it
when I joined has a specific and narrow brief and one that touches on my
professional work as an anthropologist; that is not to say that the
scholars involved don't feel or care about the contemporary implications of
the issues that they discuss. I'm sure that Indology as a discipline or
cluster of disciplines should discuss such issues, but I wasn't under the
impression that INDOLOGY should do so. As others have pointed out, there
are plenty of other forums for such discussions. I do not feel the need to
live out my entire social and academic persona through a single electronic
discussion group, and I have neither the time nor the desire to witness
others doing so.

Marcus Banks


 






More information about the INDOLOGY mailing list