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Something has gone wrong in the university—especially in certain fields within the humanities.
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An interesting assertion. Are we waiting to see the authors take a similar approach with other disciplines to establish whether the humanities are indeed especially problematic in modern academia?
I'm familiar with the current push to publish, at least in NZ universities, and have heard complaints about the drive for quantity over quality. With the suggestion that people are too busy writing to read. And complaints of universities being run like businesses with managers and executives at the helm rather than academics. That doesn't seem to be what the authors are suggesting is what's wrong in the university today.
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Part III: Why Did We Do This?
Because we’re racist, sexist, bigoted, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, transhysterical, anthropocentric, problematic, privileged, bullying, far right-wing, cishetero straight white males (and one white female who was demonstrating her internalized misogyny and overwhelming need for male approval) who wanted to enable bigotry, preserve our privilege, and take the side of hate?
No. None of those apply. Nevertheless, we’ll be accused of it, and we have some insights into why.
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It's comforting to know this exercise was undertaken by paragons of virtue, any critique being about those making the criticism.
What always comes to mind when the study of power and its imbalances is challenged is what would happen as such study finds genuine power imbalances. Would those of us finding our positions undermined by any such research graciously accept our new less powerful positions? Or would we, consciously or otherwise, engage in efforts to bring such research into disrepute?