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Robert Johnson -- are we his study population?
Carol McDavid (dutch@SAM.NEOSOFT.COM)
Sun, 12 Mar 1995 15:27:13 -0600
I'd like to consider what I think is a telling detail from one of RJ's
recent posts,
" If Hugh Jarvis and Danny Yee can't take my fieldwork among the
anthropologists..."
Has it occurred to anyone else that our infuriated sputterings in response
to RJ's diatribes are exactly what he wants and expects? Most of of his
messages are so *completely* over-the-top in terms of inflammatory language
that I suspect their primary intent is to provoke our frustrated
("why-on-earth-won't-he-conduct-himself-properly") anger. Yes, most of his
comments, lists, and proposals are ludicrously oversimplified,
self-righteous and narrow-minded --- so much so that I can't help but think
that we've been had, folks. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to learn that
he's been doing a long-term experimental study on "anger and rhetoric on
the internet", or some such thing.
However, that being said, I do tend to take some of his messages quite
seriously, and have, at times, actually learned something.....especially
when he shares letters and press releases that are thought-provoking and
entirely appropriate to this list. I would prefer to simply "delete" when
I've had enough.....rather than kicking him off yet another list. Why
bother? Just don't participate in communicating with him if his
intentionally inflammatory approach gets in your way.
And (forgive me if this has been mentioned and I missed it), but here's
another source on the topic of "decolonolizing anthropology":
_Decolonizing Anthropology: Moving Further toward an Anthropology of
Liberation_. Edited by Faye V. Harrison. Published in 1991 by the
Association of Black Anthropologists and the American Anthropological
Association.
I got mine for $10.00 by calling the AAA office.
Carol McDavid
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