By Srivi Ramasubramanian | October 13, 2024
I see myself as an artist, writer, and community organizer who cares about the social impact of my work more than its academic impact.
As an artist, to me data -- be it stories or numbers or artwork - have interesting and unique patterns, which I like to play with. Indeed as an artist, quite honestly, I get easily bored with routines. I seek innovation and novelty in every project. This is why no two projects of our group are generally alike.
As a writer, words too, like visual art, can offer meanings that can make us pause, reflect, and change perspectives. I make plenty of mistakes and am constantly learning. I have to force myself to sit down to write --- to have to work with words to gently cajole, rearrange them, and even wrestle with them. Every piece of writing for research undergoes plenty of editing, reframing, and revising. Every published piece goes through multiple rounds of rejections and corrections.
I am not a production machine. A machine simply replicates patterns. A machine is interested in efficiency. A machine doesn't care about impact on the spirit or soul. A machine is ultimately about mass quantity rather than about beauty. One piece of art or writing can move a community more than hundreds of low impact productions.
I see myself as a community organizer. Community building isn't "event management." It is about understanding the community's needs, creating spaces of support, and highlighting others' strengths.
As a community organizer, my approach to scholarship is not only about publishing research that critically questions the system through disruptive discourses. It is about transformation through organizing--- working with others towards actionable policy changes and creating alternative spaces for solidarity towards a more inclusive future. This means building coalitions and partnerships across differences in disciplines, cultures, and priorities.
The downsides of this approach are many. This is certainly not efficient since it means re-reading and reviewing new literature. Collaboration means letting go of control of your ideas of excellence. It means embracing chaos and being willing to find creative solutions to complex problems. It involves plenty of negotiation and dialogues to establish goals, motivate team members to stay accountable, and be willing to adapt to others' approaches to scholarship.
Indeed, it would be much faster for me to do all the work myself without having to collaborate or mentor others. I could likely easily double my publication count if that was my goal. But it isn't.
I am here for the love of learning & teaching and to share the joys of creating art & writing. I believe that one learns best by teaching and mentoring others. And that the gifts we have are meant to be shared with others. I believe in collective impact through shared networks of support. I am proud that none of my close research collaborators are my "mini-mes"- they use multiple theories, methods and case studies that I enjoy learning from. Each one is already an impactful scholar in their own right.
Most of all, I believe that joy is the biggest resistance. I don't believe that we need to work constantly to be impactful. We need to balance rest and work to live a fulfilling life. Our loved ones and health are super important. When you do what you love with those you care about, then it becomes an elevated joyful spiritual practice rather than a mechanical routine.
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