Date: Fri, 20 Feb 1998 15:25:02 -0700 (MST)
From: Martha Gimenez <gimenez@csf.Colorado.EDU>
To: psn-seminars@csf.colorado.edu
Subject: Vocational Pleasure (fwd)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 1998 17:19:54 -0500 (EST)
From: JS8852@cnsvax.albany.edu
To: gimenez@csf.Colorado.EDU
Subject: Vocational Pleasure

I met Gary very briefly a few years ago at a panel at the Easterns a few
years ago.  When I then contacted him over email he practiced imperative
no. 26 "Don't be selfish! Give of your time and your thoughts to others."
One of the things that Gary gave me at that time was a copy of the 
Moral Imperatives essay he had submitted to The American Sociologist. Since
then I've passed it along to graduate student friends here in the 
department of sociology at SUNY-Albany and have even given a copy or two
to undergraduate soc majors.  

In the essay Gary references Mills in more than one place.  One of the
things some of us graduate students talk about is how history is intersecting
with our biographies, Mills' definition of The Sociological Imagination.
For instance, the characteristics of globalization and the demise of decent
welfare practices reminds me that I have a toothache and no dental plan
and no money to see a dentist.  Similarly because of widespread downsizing
and or hiring freezes more and more grad students are being asked to do
more and more labor for less and less pay.  Now in 'The Coming of 
Postindustrial Society' Daniel Bell put forth the claim that the key
axial principle in The Information Society is KNOWLEDGE and more 
specifically theoretical knowledge.  Well I have taken and passed my 
doctoral comprehensive examinations here in 'sociological theory' and
'the sociology of technology.'  But my tooth still hurts.  And oh yes,
another key characteristic of prevalent theories of both globalization
and postindustrialism is the utilization of information technology to
increase productivity while simultaneously saving on labor costs.  Why
not think about your relationship to the increasing prevalence of the
utilization of computers in our profession before you jump on the 
bandwagon and design a website for your classes that promotes various
forms of inequalities in intricate ways?  And let us also pay homage
to Gary's work on the spector of the rise of a culture that promotes
the uses of information technology and in the process normalizes a wide
variety of forms of electronic surveillance?  (imagine violins playing
sad music in a minor key as you reflect on the above passage then
imagine an interlude to the type of ragtime piano music used in slapstick
comedies)

Saving Grace:  Graduate students are really really smart people.  Imperative
no. 22--Create Real and Virtual Communities includes this quote "With
respect to the search for intellectual community, it doesn't get much
better than graduate school."  Well here at Albany some of us discovered
that a cafeteria in the basement of the dorm has a 'all you can eat'
lunch for $4.37 with tax.  Whenever we can a bunch of go over there
and load up our plates with food and between filling our faces and
stomachs we test out our latest 'brainstorm' thesis or whine about 
the world or whatever.  We might not have any money or a dental plan
but these are the smartest people on the planet.  It is during these
occasions that we also combine and practice imperatives nos. 35--Have
fun! Enjoy what you do! and no. 36--Have a sense of humor.  For instance
one of us can very seriously attempt to present the characteristics of
globalization as ideology and reality or recent readings in new identies
and all of us will listen very carefully and sincerely but sooner or
later one of the astute listeners will offer up a well thought out
observation that will turn the table to hardy and heartfelt laughter.  
Walking back to the department together still talking and still laughing,
maybe a couple of pieces of fruit or a sandwich stuffed into the bottom
of a knapsack for later (no surveillance cameras installed in the cafe
yet) I feel that my occupational decision to become an academic sociologist
is a wonderful way to live.  Now I'm definately not offering an apologetic
or justification for our contemporary epic of widespread neo-conservative
ruthless organizational practices, there are so many who can do that so
much better than I, but what I am saying is that having the chance to
have lunch on a fairly regular basis with people who are really, really,
smart who happen to be sociologists enlivens my spirit.  And let's face
that common claim going around 5 years ago that there would be a massive
shortage of Ph.D.'s in America by the year 2,000 has almost 2 full years
to go before we can accurately begin the body count.  Till then it's
all you eat a couple of times of a week.

Joseph Sullivan
ABD, 5th year
Department of Sociology
SUNY-Albany