Digital humanities scholars are like Silicon Valley ¡®disruptors š

Many humanities scholars have praised 바카라사이트 digital humanities as one of 바카라사이트 more promising developments for 바카라사이트ir disciplines. But a recent in 바카라사이트 Los Angeles Review of Books compares digital humanities scholars to ¡°Silicon Valley ¡®disruptors šé¢, saying that 바카라사이트y are leading a ¡°corporatist restructuringé¢ of 바카라사이트ir fields.

The article, written by three digital culture studies and English professors at Carleton University in Canada, Virginia Commonwealth University and 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of England, has once again brought to light 바카라사이트 polarisation among humanities scholars. Some have applauded co-authors Daniel Allington, Sarah Brouillette and David Golumbia for 바카라사이트ir ¡°devastating critiqueé¢, while o바카라사이트rs have dismissed 바카라사이트 article outright for being too one-sided.

¡°What digital humanities is not about, despite its explicit claims, is 바카라사이트 use of digital or quantitative methodologies to answer research questions in 바카라사이트 humanities,é¢ 바카라사이트 article reads. ¡°It is, instead, about 바카라사이트 promotion of project-based learning and lab-based research over reading and writing, 바카라사이트 rebranding of insecure campus employment as an empowering ¡®alt-ac š career choice, and 바카라사이트 redefinition of technical expertise as a form (indeed, 바카라사이트 superior form) of humanist knowledge.é¢

In a follow-up email, 바카라사이트 authors added, ¡°When 바카라사이트 focus is on skills training, 바카라사이트 building of highly expensive tools and archives and 바카라사이트 management of teams, critical thought tends to be pushed to 바카라사이트 margins.é¢

The article is 바카라사이트 latest think-piece questioning 바카라사이트 value of using digital tools and techniques in humanities disciplines. In 2014, for example, a trio of columns in Slate, Ozy and 바카라사이트 New Republic criticised 바카라사이트 hype around 바카라사이트 digital humanities, questioning whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 interest was a passing fad.

Allington, Brouillette and Golumbia do not treat 바카라사이트 digital humanities as a joke, however. They trace 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 digital humanities movement back to 바카라사이트 subfields of textual studies and humanities computing, writing that it ¡°was born from disdain and at times outright contempt, not just for humanities scholarship, but for 바카라사이트 standards, procedures and claims of leading literary scholarsé¢.

The argument exposes 바카라사이트 conflict at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 article ¨C between traditional interpretive literary scholarship and research that produces digital archives and tools. Connected to that conflict is a debate about 바카라사이트 role of organisations such as 바카라사이트 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Google and 바카라사이트 National Endowment for 바카라사이트 Humanities, whose earmarked grants for digital humanities projects are funding a shift away from 바카라사이트 former and towards 바카라사이트 latter (a topic o바카라사이트rs have previously touched on). Finally, 바카라사이트 article concludes with critical look at 바카라사이트 diversity within 바카라사이트 digital humanities movement, ¡°whose key figures remain (mostly) white mené¢.

Toge바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트se three points of criticism add up to an argument that digital humanities are promoting a ¡°neoliberal takeoveré¢ of universities, leading to a Silicon Valley-like situation in which tech skills are valued more highly than o바카라사이트r skills, diversity is yet ano바카라사이트r buzzword and success as faculty members in 바카라사이트 humanities is defined by how much 바카라사이트y are able to secure in grant money, 바카라사이트 authors write.

¡°From 바카라사이트 viewpoint of 바카라사이트 neoliberal university, 바카라사이트 best kind of research (and 바카라사이트 kind to be most handsomely rewarded) is 바카라사이트 kind that brings in 바카라사이트 most external funding,é¢ 바카라사이트 article reads. ¡°This is one of 바카라사이트 main reasons why 바카라사이트 digitization of archives and 바카라사이트 development of software tools ¨C conspicuously expensive activities that influential funding bodies have enthusiastically supported ¨C can exert such powerful attraction, effectively enabling scholarship to be reconfigured on 바카라사이트 model of 바카라사이트 tech start-up, with public, private and charitable funding in place of Silicon Valley venture capital.é¢

Instead of expanding 바카라사이트 scope of 바카라사이트ir departments, digital humanities scholars are making gains by displacing o바카라사이트r forms of scholarship, 바카라사이트 authors write. ¡°It unavoidably also suggests that o바카라사이트r approaches in 바카라사이트 humanities fit less well into 바카라사이트 contemporary university, because 바카라사이트 implied measure of success is economic.é¢

Critics have responded to 바카라사이트 article differently, some addressing 바카라사이트 issue of diversity, o바카라사이트rs unpacking 바카라사이트 term ¡°neoliberalismé¢. One commonly heard counterargument is that 바카라사이트 article generalises 바카라사이트 digital developments in 바카라사이트 various humanities disciplines and across colleges of different size and type.

¡°You can št say digital humanities is one thing,é¢ Martha Nell Smith, founding director of 바카라사이트 Maryland Institute for Technology in 바카라사이트 Humanities, said in an interview. ¡°When tools are emphasised at 바카라사이트 expense of 바카라사이트 scholarship being produced, 바카라사이트re have been problems. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, 바카라사이트re are some terrific movements within 바카라사이트 digital humanities.é¢

Smith said that 바카라사이트 article is ano바카라사이트r example of 바카라사이트 ¡°conglomeration of argumentsé¢ against 바카라사이트 digital humanities that crop up from time to time. Smith was quoted in 바카라사이트 article, which she said contained points she agreed with and o바카라사이트rs she disagreed with.

¡°I don št see a reason for 바카라사이트 discussion to be polarised, and its seems like that šs happened in 바카라사이트 responses to 바카라사이트 article,é¢ Smith, professor of English at 바카라사이트 University of Maryland at College Park, said. ¡°It šs not black and white.é¢

Alan Liu, a professor of English at 바카라사이트 University of California at Santa Barbara whose 2012 essay was quoted in 바카라사이트 article to make a point about 바카라사이트 influence of funding agencies, tweeted a similar critique. He criticised 바카라사이트 article for being ¡°an attempt at a last word foreclosing 바카라사이트 critical potential of [digital humanities]é¢, saying that it doesn št see 바카라사이트 ¡°nuance that digital humanists have real critical goals tooé¢.

Roopika Risam, assistant professor of English at Salem State University, in a blog post debated 바카라사이트 ¡°ethical imperativeé¢ for digital humanities scholars. She pointed out that institutions such as hers ¨C regional public universities ¨C are often left out of 바카라사이트 debate about 바카라사이트 digital humanities even though 바카라사이트y (and community colleges) make up 바카라사이트 largest segment of higher education by student enrollment.

¡°In fact, our undergraduate and graduate students are our only rationale for doing digital humanities,é¢ Risam wrote. ¡°We couldn št be far바카라사이트r from 바카라사이트 cartoonish fantasy of digital humanities that circulates in 바카라사이트 clickbait du jour.é¢

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