7 ms·

I think about this as another of those "industries" in which a lot people want to get into. Similar to art, animation, acting, screen writing, recording artist

I think about this as another of those "industries" in which a lot people want to get into. Similar to art, animation, acting, screen writing, recording artist music; I suppose any creative industries will be like this. All these 'industries' become exploitative (possibly capitalism has something to do with how this happens. but let's stay on topic) So then, I consider this pattern of exploitation -- of "put up with it or get out", to be a sort of collective (or cultural, organizational) trauma in the sense that it self-perpetuates. People join, get overworked, become traumatized, and then some make it through. Now, once on the other side, they proceed to overwork newcomers. It's very common to think "I made it through, and I've become what I am because of those experiences" a rationalization of the trauma. But I wonder about them who make it... was it because of overworked abuse, or was it in spite of it?

photochemsyn 4y ago
Academic institutions are loaded up with people who are skilled at political manipulation and bureaucratic infighting, and who often have little real interest in their supposed field of research. For these types it's basically a game of getting in with the reviewers of grant proposals, rubbing elbows at scientific conferences, hiring technicians and postdocs and maybe some pHD students to generate a steady stream of papers, cozying up to university administration, attending dinners and so on. It's gotten even worse since the corporations started getting exclusive licenses to university patents, now there's all the secrecy in those fields as well as the PIs start salivating about the possibility of getting a small percentage of the royalties on those patents. Trofim Lysenko would have recognized the system, it's similar to the one he ran in the Soviet Union for decades.
- noorkersz 4y ago
  I formed this opinion, that in academic institutions there exist two types of persons: bureaucratic types, who play politics and so on, like the ones you describe. and the ones that actually know the content and love their fields of study. my opinion is that institutions need both types. But what do I know... I am going to finish my masters (or maybe not) and get out of academia.
- aborsy 4y ago
  >> Academic institutions are loaded up with people who are skilled at political manipulation and bureaucratic infighting, and who often have little real interest in their supposed field of research. For these types it's basically a game of getting in with the reviewers of grant proposals, rubbing elbows at scientific conferences, hiring technicians and postdocs and maybe some pHD students to generate a steady stream of papers, cozying up to university administration, attending dinners and so on. This is an accurate description of the current situation!

photochemsyn 4y ago

Academic institutions are loaded up with people who are skilled at political manipulation and bureaucratic infighting, and who often have little real interest in their supposed field of research. For these types it's basically a game of getting in with the reviewers of grant proposals, rubbing elbows at scientific conferences, hiring technicians and postdocs and maybe some pHD students to generate a steady stream of papers, cozying up to university administration, attending dinners and so on. It's gotten even worse since the corporations started getting exclusive licenses to university patents, now there's all the secrecy in those fields as well as the PIs start salivating about the possibility of getting a small percentage of the royalties on those patents. Trofim Lysenko would have recognized the system, it's similar to the one he ran in the Soviet Union for decades.

noorkersz 4y ago
I formed this opinion, that in academic institutions there exist two types of persons: bureaucratic types, who play politics and so on, like the ones you describe. and the ones that actually know the content and love their fields of study. my opinion is that institutions need both types. But what do I know... I am going to finish my masters (or maybe not) and get out of academia.
aborsy 4y ago
>> Academic institutions are loaded up with people who are skilled at political manipulation and bureaucratic infighting, and who often have little real interest in their supposed field of research. For these types it's basically a game of getting in with the reviewers of grant proposals, rubbing elbows at scientific conferences, hiring technicians and postdocs and maybe some pHD students to generate a steady stream of papers, cozying up to university administration, attending dinners and so on. This is an accurate description of the current situation!