Re: authenticity

Jeffrey R Galin (galin+@PITT.EDU)
Fri, 23 Aug 1996 10:12:15 -0400

Steve,
Well, no. Your statements suggests that students have control
over the social forces that send them to college in the first place. What
you say below is akin to date rape or cyberrape. The fact that the person
says no or stop or can "just turn off the machine" does not alter the fact
that this person entered a space for a host of reasons and found
herself/himself in a situtation that was unexpect and unwelcome. Once in
that situation, saying no or turning off the machine does not make the
problems go away. Nor does it bode well for future work or play within
that space.
It would seem that you think students have control over their own
destinies, outside of the strategic relations of power and social forces
that bind them to their "chosen" paths.
I'm sorry. I don't buy it.

cheers,
jrg

On Fri, 23 Aug 1996, Steve Finley wrote:

> Re this "force" thing that Dave Lewis and Darlene Sybert have been
> talking about:
>
> I think Darlene's right. Extending the use of the word "force" to
> include what happens in a classroom after a student has voluntary
> placed herself in college (and possibly in her major and even in that
> specific class) renders it nearly meaningless. Not to keep ridin'
> the old "game metaphor" train--because I'm not one of those who
> thinks the whole process is nothing but a game--but it's a little
> like saying someone who enters a golf tournament is "forced" to hit
> shots and hole out on every hole and write down scores. The issue is
> who ultimately has control, and at the university, the student ALWAYS
> does, because all she has to do is walk out, go union and work in a
> factory, or whatever, and end up making more money than she would
> have if she'd finished her B.A. (OK, but it makes a good story,
> anyway.)
>
> And as for learning, why is that not the student's responsibility? I
> mean, there's nothing about a golf tournament that "forces" you to
> learn to become a better player, really; you have to find ways to
> learn from the experience, to read it correctly, to figure out where
> you need work and to do it on your own. (Stop it! No, I want to
> extend this metaphor to infinity and beyond!) When did we become
> the Salvation Army, anyhow?
>
> steve "nicklaus" finley
>

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