Hi Simon, I agree, the problem is (unfortunately) so systemic that, many of us (everyone) are caught up in frameworks which appropriate our contexts from such an early age - we then become psychologically and financially reliant on them. Of course, it does depend at what level in respect of our own agency, that we can somehow become closer to who we believe or feel we can be, individually or collectively.
Yet, again it brings us back to the horrible subject of Neoliberlaism, which we have already discussed at length on here a few weeks ago. And I'm sure many are already reaching for their guns as they hear and see this troubling term once more. This insipid disease (which obviously needs a catchier title) the students have, and are now, beginning to understand about more deeply themselves; beyond the situation of education cuts alone. It is one hell of a monster. This, post-capitalist hyper dominating unregulated (free market) approach towards education. Puts everything within the hermetically sealed trappings of economic restraints, whilst throwing out ethical questioning and responsibilities; creating a distance between genuine human and social needs, replacing it with a clumsy and mechanistic form of top-down, neo-colonial form of autism. The key may not necessarily be how we can topple these monsters but how we can find ways around them, actively finding our own shared alternative economies which are not based around shallow, sungular and monocultural functions and beliefs around monetary distinctions alone. But, unless we really want it, it just wil not happen... Wishing all well. marc > Two approaches to that problem. Yes, it is harder to build something from > the ground up and easier to adapt something. However, if something is > entirely dysfunctional then sometimes you just have to start over. I'm not > thinking about higher education here so much (although it does need root and > branch reform) but government. I think we have reached a point where we need > to start over. That means not just removing the current government but the > entire system - state, church, capital, the works. > > It's not going to happen though and if it did the process and outcome would > be terrifying. Year Zero in Kampuchea. Nevertheless, it might be worth it. >> >> It will be much easier to reform and improve the universities if they >> exist than if they don't. ;-) >> >> - Rob. >> _______________________________________________ >> NetBehaviour mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour > ----- > Two approaches to that problem. Yes, it is harder to build something from > the ground up and easier to adapt something. However, if something is > entirely dysfunctional then sometimes you just have to start over. I'm not > thinking about higher education here so much (although it does need root and > branch reform) but government. I think we have reached a point where we need > to start over. That means not just removing the current government but the > entire system - state, church, capital, the works. > > It's not going to happen though and if it did the process and outcome would > be terrifying. Year Zero in Kampuchea. Nevertheless, it might be worth it. > > Best > > Simon > > > Simon Biggs > [email protected] [email protected] > Skype: simonbiggsuk > http://www.littlepig.org.uk/ > > Research Professor edinburgh college of art > http://www.eca.ac.uk/ > Creative Interdisciplinary Research in CoLlaborative Environments > http://www.eca.ac.uk/circle/ > Electronic Literature as a Model of Creativity and Innovation in Practice > http://www.elmcip.net/ > Centre for Film, Performance and Media Arts > http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/film-performance-media-arts > > > > Edinburgh College of Art (eca) is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC009201 > > > _______________________________________________ > NetBehaviour mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour > _______________________________________________ NetBehaviour mailing list [email protected] http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour
