PERSONAL
INFO---
I'm double majoring in English and Cinema Studies, with a minor in Sociology.
Lived in Keep Co-op 2000-2001
I'm enrolled in the Oberlin-in-London Program for the Fall 2001 semester.
WHY THESE PAGES?---
Why these pages?
They're an outgrowth of my summer work making web pages for DePauw University. I found that no matter how many sites I had to make or edit for the University I always had some free time to use working on this site. (read more about my web work). While I believe that personal pages are almost unexceptionally bad, I've got enough free time to be optimistic about mine. Ideally, I'd like visitors to have a sense of who I am from visiting this site.. there are enough interconnections on the web for me to piece them together and make sense of how the relate to me for the visitor, but this is easier said than done.. we'll see how it goes. A friend of mine has just about the most substantive personal site I've ever seen. While I'm not as ambitious as Alex, I guess I'll use him as a working model. (friends page)
ACADEMIC INTERESTS / CONCERNS---
(Perpetually) Under Construction!
INSULARITY IN ACADEMIA: Since taking some of my first college courses a couple years ago at DePauw University, I have been troubled by the organization of 'higher' education. It frustrates me to see how, in every field, from Biology to Literature to Women's Studies, there are certain specific rigid expectations about which viewpoints a person in certain fields is supposed to have. Often, what is common sense in one field, is unknown in another. For example,
The study of
literature and film continues to be greatly influenced by Freudian
psychology, which is no longer respected or practiced by the majority of
Psychologists. Freudian psychotherapy is never covered by health
care, yet classes in Freudian literary theory are taught in publicly
funded universities. Thankfully, there are
some discontents; I recently read part of a book which aims to
rescue film studies from the clutches of psychoanalysis: Post-Theory:
Reconstructing Film Studies
for an
overview of the different kinds of approaches to film besides
psychoanalysis.
Numerous
findings in Psychology and Biology support theories that men and women
are psychologically different. Yet, many feminist critics believe
any scientific finding which posits differences between men and
women is necessarily tainted with sexist values and it is thus a feminist's categorical imperative to dismiss it as sexist. While I consider myself a feminist in that I believe men and women should have equal values, rights and capabilities, I am frustrated with the shortsightedness of some feminist critics, who feel it is their moral prerogative to disclaim research in fields they know little about. It is foolish to place moral
prerequisites on what is and is not a valid scientific finding.
Still, I generally support Feminism, and it goes w/o saying that there are a great deal of worthwhile feminist critiques of science and other fields, like Has Feminism Changed Science?
While these examples are quite glaring, there are other more subtle examples of how multi-disciplinary work would improve Academic work. My parents (mom, dad) are both History professors; we've taken often about the influence of 'non-historical' fields on history. Most of these issues revolve around the idea of 'Historical Memory'
With respect to film and fiction
With respect to Psychology
SOCIOLOGY-
of science and the medical industry
of the media and pop culture
LINKS to favorite movie and music sites
Last updated 8/18/2000
