tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055932257464975902.post2317833328433423777..comments2024-03-10T23:01:51.493-05:00Comments on Stupid Motivational Tricks / Bemsha Swing: In / OutJonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09371893596402673898noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055932257464975902.post-61907047211105953342017-02-18T16:55:07.037-06:002017-02-18T16:55:07.037-06:00Fair point. But I think many social scientists do ...Fair point. But I think many social scientists do actually have a desire to speak plainly and directly about social issues. They would like to be able to speak to union organizers or social workers in an "inside" way. And those who are actually able to do this sometimes feel that the academic discourse is sort of bullshit.<br /><br />I think it's important not to succumb to this Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04858865501469168339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055932257464975902.post-8367604577254407972017-02-18T09:53:44.023-06:002017-02-18T09:53:44.023-06:00I don't think it has much to do with reaching ...I don't think it has much to do with reaching a broader audience or being a pundit or public intellectual. It is a more fundamental conflict than that. For example, my less academic writings about poetry might also be difficult and technical. The audience might be a small coterie of poets rather than a small group of academics. Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09371893596402673898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055932257464975902.post-56298536915105671842017-02-18T08:31:15.473-06:002017-02-18T08:31:15.473-06:00"I suppose a sociologist never feels this?&qu..."I suppose a sociologist never feels this?"<br /><br />They do actually feel this. Some even feel it in the sense that they would rather write novels. (Jon Elster, if I recall, described himself as a failed novelist or poet somewhere.) Gail Hornstein (a psychologist) expresses the same sort of feeling in terms of "reaching a popular audience". (I <a href="https://Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04858865501469168339noreply@blogger.com