Monday, December 03, 2012

Refiguring history

David Gordon writes at Minding the Campus about why historians of gender and race must keep emphasizing oppression. "How otherwise can their privileges be justified? Hence, the refiguring history to justify their positions in the professoriate."

"Worst of all, women's history has contributed to the current holy trinity of race, gender and class that dominates the historical profession. Under normal circumstances, the tight focus on victimization would soon fade. Since oppression studies explain so little, they soon become boring. But, as a part of a political chorus demanding ever-more extravagant entitlements for key voting groups, an essential part of the identity politics that is so destructive of national unity, the trinity is ensured a long life. Historians can grow tired of an intellectual movement. Politicians of a useful political tool, never."

read more here: http://www.mindingthecampus.com/originals/2012/12/themanglingofhistory.html

1 comment:

Terri Wagner said...

I am truly well and sick of victims myself...because it makes us forget about the real victims.