Thursday, June 9, 2011

SOME THINGS SUCCEED, SOME THINGS DON'T

I get the distinct impression that my "bourse" is not succeeding as a pedagogic innovation. Attendance at my blog has fallen way off, and the absence of comments, save from a few intrepid souls, suggests that my attempt to combine the episodic, ephemeral structure of a blog with the extended, connected exposition of a course is falling between two stools, as it were. I am going to soldier on until I have completed my discussion of the Lee/Wilmsen controversy, which should take me another three or four days, at least, and then bring this experiment to a close. I may have been beguiled by the fact that I personally find the ethnographic/theoretical disputes fascinating -- a holdover, no doubt, from my boyhood fascination with anthropometry.
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7 comments:

  1. DanielJune 9, 2011 at 12:43 PM

    I beg to differ professor, as I like this series very much and eagerly await the next installment of the "bourse".

    If I may make an observation, the Lee / Wilmsen controversy seems to be somewhat symmetrical to the Deridda's critique of Levi-Strauss in "Sign, structure and play", which indicates that what is being interrogated here has relevance beyond ethnography and anthropology.

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  2. JimJune 9, 2011 at 4:13 PM

    Professor Wolff --

    Just to let you know, I have found your remarks on Karl Mannheim to be quite helpful, if not invaluable.

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  3. jimJune 9, 2011 at 5:02 PM

    Enjoying the bourse, but it is summer, so people may be outside frolicking. Blogging is also a good deal more asynchronous than other forms of communication, so readers may accumulate more slowly to the various posts than they do in the winter.

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  4. Utopian YuriJune 9, 2011 at 7:12 PM

    i too have been enjoying the bourse, and visiting as often as i usually do, which is daily. i have also been commenting as much as i usually do, which is rarely. i'm disappointed you won't be discussing edward said and mansfield park.

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  5. UnknownJune 9, 2011 at 11:19 PM

    Put me in the camp of those who find the bourse enjoyable and enlightening. I'm currently on vacation and my only internet access is via my phone, which is fine for reading but makes commenting difficult. But I wanted to make sure to express my appreciation for your work, Professor Wolff, and would love it if you opt to continue on past the Lee/Wilmsen material.

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  6. English JerkJune 10, 2011 at 10:24 AM

    I'd also vote for keeping it going. Once you get to literary study, my officially recognized expertise will finally be relevant.

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  7. WilliamJune 10, 2011 at 3:15 PM

    Professor Wolff,

    I haven't visited your blog in a while (not for lack of interest, just been busy with many other things). I was pleased to come across your "Bourse" on ideology. It's been a helpful refresher on the subject and a stimulus to begin serious reading again in this area. Thanks very much for the effort on this.

    Bill

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