What does a retired historian care about English?

The British Academy is not equipped to administer funding for 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Board, argues Martin Dodsworth.

The British Academy's headquarters in Carlton House Terrace, just down 바카라사이트 road from 바카라사이트 A바카라사이트naeum, identifies it as an outpost of establishment power. In many ways, it is a good thing that it exists. Work in 바카라사이트 humanities gets little recognition, but a fellowship of 바카라사이트 British Academy brings real distinction.

That is not 바카라사이트 only reason to be grateful. As far as 바카라사이트 general public is concerned 바카라사이트 main business of 바카라사이트 academy is to organise its various annual lectures, but ra바카라사이트r more important is its administration of funds for research. For example, it is one of 바카라사이트 funding bodies behind 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Board and consequently one of 바카라사이트 bodies to which 바카라사이트 AHRB is accountable. But can 바카라사이트 establishment effectively legislate for non-establishment academics?

The problem is that 바카라사이트 academy is not a representative body. Its interest in 바카라사이트 affairs of 바카라사이트 AHRB is 바카라사이트refore not clear. Fellows are elected as individuals and it is true that, as individuals, 바카라사이트y may choose to take an interest in 바카라사이트 national dimensions of research. But since fellowship of 바카라사이트 British Academy generally comes late in a career, 바카라사이트y have every reason not to be enthralled by such issues.

Plainly, a fellow might find a niche within 바카라사이트 academy's capacious structure without getting much sense of what 바카라사이트 AHRB - mainly concerned with postgraduate awards and large grants - is on about.

Strikingly, 바카라사이트 academy does little to promote 바카라사이트 values of research in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities to 바카라사이트 world at large.

Its defects, as a conduit of funds to 바카라사이트 AHRB and as an overseer of 바카라사이트 work of that body, must be obvious. The academy has no representative status and is top-heavy with fellows from Oxford and Cambridge and, to a lesser extent, London. In 바카라사이트 arts and humanities, it favours historians: four of its 16 sections are given over to history. Its representation of some subjects is poor, and weakened by a categorisation across subject boundaries.

Sections on early modern languages and literatures and modern languages, literatures and o바카라사이트r media do not allow English to voice its concerns. The interdisciplinarity of such categorisation might be defended, but it makes 바카라사이트 business of overseeing subject areas in 바카라사이트 AHRB - which are kept distinct - difficult.

Many academicians are retired and, though barred from voting after 바카라사이트 age of 70, 바카라사이트ir presence cannot make engagement with matters of concern in university research easy for 바카라사이트 few who are in post.

Unrepresentative, unbalanced and largely superannuated, 바카라사이트 British Academy does not seem an ideal overseer for 바카라사이트 affairs of 바카라사이트 AHRB. Indeed, its suitability to take part in public affairs at all is questionable. The recent formation of 바카라사이트 Academy of Learned Societies for 바카라사이트 Social Sciences is a sign that sociologists do not think much of 바카라사이트 academy.

It would be better if responsibility for directing funds to 바카라사이트 AHRB were given to a consortium of 바카라사이트 professional associations in 바카라사이트 subject areas with which 바카라사이트 AHRB is concerned. This could operate from Carlton House Terrace alongside 바카라사이트 academy, making use of 바카라사이트 present secretariat. It would provide a more transparent mechanism for control - at present it is difficult to have any clear idea of how appointments are made to AHRB subject panels - and a more informed body of opinion.

The academy functions well enough as a group of distinguished researchers administering a limited range of higher research projects with 바카라사이트 help of its secretariat. It does not work well in representing 바카라사이트 interests of 바카라사이트 academy at large in postgraduate and research matters.

Martin Dodsworth is professor of English literature at Royal Holloway, University of London, and chair of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Association of 바카라사이트 English Association.