Wake-Up Call for Academics

Three-Pound Brain has a poignant and punny post about the plight of "post-academics," "para-academics," and the insularity of the academy.

Perverse Egalitarianism has a response discussing post-academic employment and para-academics.

Agent Swarm continues in this line.

Three-Pound Brain paints an enlightening image of the problem. The small group of Ph.D.s who make it into the academy cast a large shadow of para-academics, those Ph.D.s who did not alight on an academic job. Masses of post-academics desire to be part of scholarly culture, but do not have the resources or the social inclusion to participate as an equal member--if even recognized at all. For the most part, the academy is unaware of how large a shadow it casts and how complete the division is. However, this also means that the far larger proportion of America's intellectual acumen seeks an outlet, and it remains to be seen if this will alter the dynamics of academic power, scholarship, and institutions.