Writing Crush Wednesday

Just One Thing:
Reject Scarcity

Scarcity and The Academy

The topic of today is scarcity, in particular how scarcity and it’s near xx can results in not submitting work. 

I’m drawing from Dr. Brene Brown’s research on resiliency as it relates to vulnerability. And as it relates to shame. 

Brown’s research shows a cultural shift in the United States with an increasing belief and stress around not having enough (which she argues becomes not being enough). We begin the morning with “I haven't had enough sleep.” In other words, we start off in deficit. Then we go on: I don't have enough time, I didn't get enough exercise, I don’t have enough; I don’t do enough; I didn't have enough. In other words, everything is just out of our reach. 

Here is the interesting part for academic life.

Scarcity, she argues, is created in a system that embraces three things.

SHAME

If you have a system that is built on negative feedback, put downs, corrections and pushing people into categories of *not being* x then you have shame culture. While we can argue that about the broader culture, certainly, there is no need for argument for academia. It is a demeaning and diminishing culture. 

1/1

COMPARISON:

Let’s be clear, comparison is not in and of itself a bad thing. Healthy comparison is an excellent motivation tool. Wow, I admire the way that person approaches work. I really wanted to challenge myself to do that. Or I really appreciate the way she works as a co-author. And I'd like to model that. That’s a very healthy comparison: I see that. I admire that. And I want to push myself to be that. Owning your own power. 

Comparison that builds scarcity comes is demeaning and shaming. It’s no longer I really respect the way that she goes about this, this way of teaching or this way of writing. And I'd like to emulate that. It's,  Look at how well she does this. I don't do it as well. I am not as good. Or. He published X number of things. I didn't publish that much. I don’t think I belong here.

So we've got the shaming system and we add negative comparison and not enough starts to morph into I'm not enough. 

DISENGAGEMENT.

This is the part that really rang true for me about academia.

We've got shame, which is totally engaged. We've got comparison, totally engaged. And then we have this disengagement, which is this sort of retreating and withdrawing and not being in relationship with people. 

Now, for me, that sounds like the perfect definition of toxic academia. And I'm not saying it's all like this, but those qualities are rampant in a work environment completely built on external approval. And when you are in that environment, especially as you're being trained in that environment, it can be like the air. We stop noticing it until it is really, really bad.

So as you move through the day keep an eye out for when internal scarcity of resources gets shifted to I'm not enough. Look for where the systems in place are shaming you. 

You don't have to take on that shame.