The number one thing that might save academia

Last updated on: April 24, 2016 at 10:55 am by Jennifer Woodruff Tait

The number one thing that might save academia 2016-04-21T15:25:23-05:00 Jennifer Woodruff Tait

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

faculty-979900_960_720

Possibly. Or destroy it. Not sure either way.

A few weeks ago I read an article by Katherine Hayhoe at The Well where she talked about her commitment to always take her toddler son to academic conferences. I haven’t taken my children to all the conferences I’ve gone to–not by a long shot–but I’ve taken them to quite a few. I once schlepped my at that point 10-month-old younger kid from Indiana to Seattle so I could keep nursing when I unexpectedly won a book prize at that particular conference (I had written the conference off for that year because, well, it was in Seattle and I had a 10-month-old).

At another conference, my older daughter went with me so many times between the ages of 6 months and 6 years that the conference photographer always made it a point to take pictures of her and send them to me. We called her the “conference baby.” Relatives have watched kids in hotel rooms for me. Babysitters have watched kids in hotel rooms. Sometimes my husband and I have both gone to conferences and juggled the children (“You going to this session? Ok. I’ll take the kids to the pool and meet you at 3:30 so I can go to the session after that.”) Once we juggled the children, the conference, and an exhibit table for Christian History….and pottytraining. Everyone survived, including the magazines.

I’ve generally met a good reception doing this (this was also Dr. Hayhoe’s story.) People have carried baby carriages up and down stairs for me. Dignified elderly scholars in the field of religious studies have cooed at infants while I presented papers.

But it’s always been ad hoc. It’s always been simply because the people involved were genuinely nice, helpful people. It’s never been because someone sat down ahead of time and said “Now, how could we make this conference work better for parents who want to be parents and scholars?”

Academia is such a disembodied thing. (I’ve written about this before.) (Twice, actually.) (No, make it three times.) No matter how diverse the membership of the modern academic world has become, its institutions and procedures run as though they were intended for disembodied heads on sticks, or possible tweedy guys with pipes who have 1950s wives.

I have gotten the occasional comment that I would surely find my children “distracting” from the experience of conferencing. Partially, yes, children are distracting from attempts at sustained thinking. But partially the kinds of attempts at sustained thinking that go on at many conferences are artificial.

We may gather in a too-cold hotel room to hear a paper presented and posture through the comment period as though all that mattered were the ideas the paper contained. But ideas always, always come in the heads of people that have bodies. Sometimes those bodies are grieving bodies. Sometimes they are suffering bodies. Sometimes they are rejoicing bodies. Sometimes they are parenting bodies.

What would happen to academia if we started treating each other as people?

(And in my case, it would start with a list of vetted childcare providers. Thanks. I’ll even send you an SASE. Keep the stamp.)

Previous Post

April 21, 2016

Why a Lutheran pastor offers "free prayer" in a coffeeshop

Next Post

April 29, 2016 Mindfulness and Losing My Wallet

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Audio posts Bible and Work Book Review Books Budgeting Calling Common Good Community Development Conferences Discipleship Economics Entrepreneurship Ethics Faith and Family Faith and the Marketplace Faith and the Workplace faith and work History of Work and Vocation Leadership Local Church Meaning New Blogger News Prayer Relationships Seminaries Theology of Work Uncategorized Video posts Vocation Worship Resources

Select a Month April 2026 October 2025 September 2025 July 2025 April 2025 January 2025 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 May 2024 March 2024 February 2024 December 2023 November 2023 August 2023 July 2023 April 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 June 2021 May 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 January 2020 December 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 April 2018 March 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What island was John on when he wrote Revelation?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Patmos Malta Crete Cyprus