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As problematic as academia is, that's kinda the idea behind tenure - to make the pursuit of research independent of economic incentives. Obviously this is not t
by ducharmdev 5y ago
As problematic as academia is, that's kinda the idea behind tenure - to make the pursuit of research independent of economic incentives. Obviously this is not the case in practice with grants, the allure of industry jobs, low pay, etc., but I wonder if something similar could be achieved in a more contemporary context with platforms like Patreon.
- nickff 5y agoWell, you seem to be tacitly assuming that those individuals have more interesting thoughts to contribute, but the market is somehow corrupting them, or misguiding them. It's also possible that each person only has so much to give, and is thereafter a spent force; tenure/patreon/other wouldn't change that.
- ducharmdev 5y agoNot sure what individuals you're referring to specifically, but I would agree that we are shaped by economic forces - not necessarily "corrupted" or "misguided", simply shaped. Because we have limited time and energy, in general we're more likely to do what has the least resistance (e.g. what's popular or easier) to make money rather than what we want/what interests us. Tenure/Patreon/? loosens this up a bit, allowing people to focus on more niche interests & research. Sure, some of this will be garbage, but some of it may not.