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Location: Question Formation and Analysis 7
Discussion: Attempts to Legitimate Work
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KaraLa |
Attempts to Legitimate Work
Mar 24 2008, 10:59 AM EDT
On pp. 112-114, Turner notes that early network visionaries at PARC and other computer laboratories saw the Whole Earth Catalog as a “legitimator of their own work” (112). Ideologically, is it wise to attempt to legitimate one’s own work so early on in the development process? Does this act result, necessarily, in positive or negative outcomes? Why? Is the attempt to legitimize one’s work a natural tendency among scientists and scholars? Can individuals escape this tendency?
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aspatriarca |
1. RE: Attempts to Legitimate Work
Mar 25 2008, 1:01 PM EDT
Beginning with a quote and citation from Turner allows the author to ground her series of questions directly within the book. By calling the subjects of her question "visionaries," she participates in the legitimization of those people and their work;however, given that Turner and history tend to support their opinion, the use of this name for the subjects is not as unusual as it might otherwise be. That first sentence also suggests that the author might move towards a question of whether or not the Whole Earth Catalog does legitimate the work of those at PARC and other computer labs. Instead, however, she chooses to discuss the ideological nature of an early search for legitimacy, a far more interesting question. The inclusion of "necessarily" in the second is even more intriguing than the overall question. Using this word here could indicate that the search for early legitimacy could directly (and, more importantly, unavoidably) lead to either positive or negative outcomes. With this formation, we are asked to agree that the early search for legitimacy has inevitable outcomes, and we must decide which type of outcome will occur and why. To do this, we will most likely need to rely on our own experiences or background knowledge. The author also asks readers to decide if this tendency is "natural" among scientists and scholars. This phrasing initially seems to conflate the two groups, but it actually sets them up as near-opposites (certainly as completely separate groups). The rest of the question seems to indicate it discusses normality more than naturalness, particularly considering it asks about tendencies. The final question broadens the group being discussed to "individuals," which brings us back to the PARC and lab workers in the first sentence. The use of the word "escape" suggests again that the early search for legitimacy inevitably results in certain outcomes. (more to come) Do you find this valuable? |
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aspatriarca |
2. RE: Attempts to Legitimate Work
Mar 25 2008, 1:07 PM EDT
Those certain outcomes may not be entirely positive if the individuals seek to "escape" the tendency to do something that leads to them. This suggests a certain ambivalence on the author's part. On the one hand, this may be a "natural tendency" - something that's completely understandable. On the other hand, it's something we might need to escape. (I don't think it's entirely possible to escape the tendency, however) :) Do you find this valuable? |
