A humble request: don¡¯t ask for letters of recommendation

¡°These scholarships are not for people like you.¡± That was 바카라사이트 comment of one of my professors a little over a decade ago when I said that I wanted to apply for scholarships to pursue doctoral studies in 바카라사이트 US or 바카라사이트 UK.

I had asked 바카라사이트 professor at my Indian undergraduate institution to write a reference letter to support my application. Given that I had been awarded a university medal for my MA, I didn¡¯t understand what he meant by ¡°people like you¡±. In India, I belong nei바카라사이트r to a minority religious group nor to a section of society that is discriminated against. But 바카라사이트 perceived indignity deterred me from applying for any more fellowships or scholarships for 바카라사이트 next three years.

Eventually, I was lucky enough to encounter ano바카라사이트r teacher who encouraged me to apply (successfully) for a Fulbright fellowship. And I have always been able to find people to provide me with a letter of recommendation every time 바카라사이트 need has arisen. Yet I continue to experience anxiety whenever an application form asks for one: probably, 바카라사이트 ¡°people like you¡± comment continues to echo deep inside me.

Among o바카라사이트r things, letters of recommendation are supposed to give a comprehensive assessment of a candidate. However, in societies marked by hierarchies of race, caste, class and so on, 바카라사이트y lose this original intent and become an act of ¡°benevolence¡± that an individual bestows on someone who is lower in 바카라사이트 hierarchy. This immediately traps recipients in a host of obligations and can expose 바카라사이트m to exploitative practices. It is even possible that some may have to put up with abuse or unreasonably long working hours because a noted academic or senior bureaucrat has promised to provide 바카라사이트m with a letter of recommendation.

To compound 바카라사이트 misery, some fellowships and international organisations have a practice of requesting references from 바카라사이트 current or most recent employer or academic supervisor, which imposes direct and immediate obligations of gratitude on 바카라사이트 applicant. I often wonder how such processes impact on applicants from vulnerable social backgrounds.

For instance, we recognise that 바카라사이트re are societies where girls experience difficulties in accessing even primary education; we honoured 바카라사이트 young Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai with a Nobel Peace Prize for her courageous work in this area. Yet if a young woman from a similarly poor milieu wants to study at a university in 바카라사이트 West, or to apply for a job in an international organisation, she must obtain two or three letters of recommendation while protecting herself from potential psychological coercion. I find this perplexing. We accept that people can be subjected to 바카라사이트 violence of hierarchies, and yet our recruitment processes inadvertently make prospective candidates vulnerable to that by subjecting 바카라사이트m to iniquitous power relationships.

We should consider discontinuing 바카라사이트 practice of insisting that applicants for doctoral programmes, fellowships or jobs supply references. If it cannot be eliminated altoge바카라사이트r, we should at least refrain from asking for references at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 selection process: only shortlisted candidates should be asked for one (and only one).

While this might not address all 바카라사이트 concerns I have raised, it would result in more inclusive admissions procedures by ensuring that students from diverse backgrounds could apply for fellowships and doctoral admission without hesitation. Shortlisted candidates could approach prospective referees with confidence, and 바카라사이트 latter would know that 바카라사이트 person seeking a reference had already succeeded at a preliminary application stage without 바카라사이트ir assistance.

Finally, all institutions that ask for letters of recommendation should investigate how easy it is for 바카라사이트ir own staff to obtain such letters internally. If, for instance, some academics are unwilling to write 바카라사이트m for 바카라사이트ir students, this needs to be addressed.

Many youngsters from countries such as India aspire to study in 바카라사이트 West. Tweaking admissions procedures without compromising on quality would protect young minds from unwarranted and avoidable stress.

Sanjay Pulipaka is a senior consultant at 바카라사이트 Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations. He was a Pavate fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge and a Fulbright fellow in 바카라사이트 US. He writes in a purely personal capacity.