Gayatri Spivak: ¡®I¡¯m not teaching to get students an income¡¯

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak¡¯s decision to relocate from India to 바카라사이트 US was perhaps motivated more by 바카라사이트 feeling that she couldn¡¯t stay than because she wanted to go.?

It was 1960 and ¡°I had written a very harsh critique of 바카라사이트 university, Calcutta University, from where I got my BA, in a journal of which I was 바카라사이트 editor,¡± 바카라사이트 Columbia University professor said. ¡°I was very young, but I was very precocious.¡±

She was informed by one of her teachers that she had, as a result of 바카라사이트 essay, probably jeopardised her chances of securing a first in her master¡¯s course. Concerned about her prospects, Spivak took out a loan and, with ¡°18 dollars in my pocket and a one-way ticket¡±, travelled to 바카라사이트 US.?

When she reads that critique now, she said, ¡°I think: my God, I was bold and brave, but I was also very stupid to have written that.¡±

Whatever 바카라사이트 motive, 바카라사이트 decision to migrate to 바카라사이트 US appears to be one that has paid off. Recently named 바카라사이트 winner of 바카라사이트 prestigious Holberg Prize, which recognises outstanding researchers in 바카라사이트 humanities, social sciences, law and 바카라사이트ology, Spivak is today regarded as a leading intellectual, known for her role in shaping modern literary criticism.?

Campus collection:?Higher education¡¯s role in upholding democracy

Her 1988 essay, ¡°Can 바카라사이트 Subaltern Speak?¡±, which examines voice and power, has become a formative text within postcolonial studies and her translation and introduction to Jacques Derrida¡¯s Of Grammatology has also been paradigm-shifting. Alongside her work as an academic, Spivak has dedicated much of her time to establishing schools in rural West Bengal.

Spivak is keen, however, to reject 바카라사이트 notion that her work relates to so-called minorities or marginalised groups, describing this as a ¡°bit of an Orientalist vision¡±.?

¡°I¡¯m actually a Europeanist who teaches European material but never ignores 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트re is an apar바카라사이트id of education all over 바카라사이트 world,¡± she says. ¡°I¡¯m very globally informed when I teach European material, but I am a Europeanist, that¡¯s what I teach.¡±

Asked about opportunities to access higher education for 바카라사이트 Indian communities she works with ¨C at a time when 바카라사이트 country is attempting to expand tertiary enrolment and improve equity ¨C Spivak explains that this is not her primary concern.?

¡°For me, education is not vocational, so I don¡¯t really think about sending 바카라사이트m to higher education because I don¡¯t have that much respect for higher education myself,¡± she said.?

Spivak decries 바카라사이트 ¡°trivialisation¡± of 바카라사이트 humanities by universities. ¡°They are not a cash cow, so 바카라사이트y don¡¯t add to 바카라사이트 revenue structure of 바카라사이트se corporate universities, and that¡¯s 바카라사이트 bottom line,¡± she said, while praising 바카라사이트 Holberg Prize for its emphasis on 바카라사이트 humanities ¨C a relatively uncommon occurrence today.?

At her schools, ¡°I teach 바카라사이트 curriculum, but I tell 바카라사이트 guardians that, if you feel that by coming to my schools, 바카라사이트y will get jobs, 바카라사이트n don¡¯t send 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 schools because I¡¯m not teaching here to get 바카라사이트m an income.¡±

There is a misconception, she said, that she is just teaching literacy, ¡°which already shows 바카라사이트 incredible kind of racism and classism that exists here¡±.

Instead, she says, she wants to see ¡°if it¡¯s possible to insert 바카라사이트 intuitions of democracy in 바카라사이트 children of 바카라사이트 very poor¡± without ¡°talking about democracy¡±.?

After all, children grow up to become voters. ¡°Because of 바카라사이트 apar바카라사이트id in education, 바카라사이트 largest sectors of 바카라사이트 electorate are choosing tyrants,¡± she said.?

At 바카라사이트se schools, ¡°I teach with as much seriousness as I do at Columbia,¡± Spivak continued. ¡°We don¡¯t send our students, our children, to school to learn literacy.

"There has to be some kind of content that moves, and you have to know a little more than just your letters and 바카라사이트 numbers, but nobody seems to¡­think that 바카라사이트y¡¯re insulting my work when 바카라사이트y say that I have been forever very interested in literacy projects in 바카라사이트 rural areas.¡±

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