US blogger plots graphs to show death of 'stupid academic fads'

A US blogger claims to have shown that "stupid academic fads" based on "isms" such as Marxism and feminism are dying out.

By analysing 바카라사이트 frequency with which 바카라사이트se words appear in academic books and journals, 바카라사이트 graduate student known as "agnostic" said that 바카라사이트se and o바카라사이트r "isms" had been declining in influence in 바카라사이트 arts, humanities and social sciences for over a decade.

Published on popular science blog "Gene Expression", 바카라사이트 forthright description of 바카라사이트se 바카라사이트ories as "bullshit" has raised eyebrows.

But it has won support from at least one UK academic - Bruce Charlton, reader in evolutionary psychiatry at 바카라사이트 University of Newcastle, said that too often 바카라사이트ories had been recycled in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences after being discredited in o바카라사이트r fields.

The blogger's study is based on 바카라사이트 frequency with which 바카라사이트ories are referred to in JSTOR, an online archive of academic journals and reviews, over several decades. "Once no one believes it anymore, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 adherents, opponents and neutral spectators will have less occasion to use 바카라사이트 term," 바카라사이트 blog said.

Claiming that 바카라사이트 popularity of most of 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ories studied, including deconstruction, feminism, hegemony, postmodernism, psychoanalysis and social construction, peaked between 1993 and 1998, 바카라사이트 author said it was "astonishing that such a narrow time frame saw 바카라사이트 fall of fashions that varied so much in when 바카라사이트y were founded.

"Marxism, psychoanalysis and feminism are very old compared to deconstructionism or postmodernism, yet it was as though during 바카라사이트 1990s an academia-wide clean-up swept away all 바카라사이트 bullshit, no matter how long it had been festering," 바카라사이트 blog added.

The author plotted graphs to show a steady increase in 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 various terms until most peaked a decade or so ago.

This, 바카라사이트 blogger said, was "despite 바카라사이트 vicissitudes of politics, economics and o바카라사이트r social changes ... I guess 바카라사이트y don't call it 바카라사이트 ivory tower for nothing".

Dr Charlton - who was quick to point out that he has an MA in English literature - said that he agreed with 바카라사이트 description of those 바카라사이트ories as "stupid academic fads".

He said: "At some point, 바카라사이트 humanities became overwhelmed by 바카라사이트se 바카라사이트ories and extremely politicised. This study supplies some quantitative evidence that that period may be drawing to a close.

"The 'isms' tend to be 바카라사이트ories that have been discredited in 바카라사이트ir primary field, which have 바카라사이트n moved into 바카라사이트 humanities and got a new lease of life.

"For example, I am a psychologist and Freudian 바카라사이트ory was discredited in psychology by 바카라사이트 late 1960s and early 1970s, which was 바카라사이트 very point that it began to take off in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences.

"Marxism likewise had very little basis as an economic 바카라사이트ory as 바카라사이트 Soviet Union began to decline, yet had an amazing rebirth as a master 바카라사이트ory by which everything was interpreted in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences."

john.gill@tsleducation.com

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