There is a magnet on my fridge that says "Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible." Good ol' Frank Zappa. I wish I could say I bought that magnet to reflect my personal philosophy in life, but really, it just happened to be left behind when I moved into my first house. Deviating from the norm often requires risk and when risk is involved, I tend to run in the opposite direction.
When the discussion in our Digital History class turned to taking risks in grad school, I stopped to consider whether or not being in the Public History program involved any risk. My initial thought was no. It is relatively safe to go into a program that focuses on giving you knowledge and hands on experience for multiple career paths. The collaborative nature of the program also means that our entire group will be accountable for any risk or experimentation that is a part of our final project. Students in the traditional history graduate programs do not have the same opportunity to share the burden or success of their risks, nor do their programs encourage diverse outcomes in terms of post-graduate opportunities. So while the public history program deviates from traditional historical scholarship, I would argue that it is initially a less risky path to take.
This is not to say that being a public historian does not provide the occasion for risk. After we graduate, many of us within the public history program hope to move onto careers within the heritage sector. The opportunities awaiting us are unknown, but within them is our chance to take a risk. Whether we are creating programs, developing interpretive plans or curating exhibits, we will be faced with the choice between sticking with what is familiar or pushing the boundary of what has previously been achieved. The risk we avoid in graduate school awaits us in our careers and we must be prepared to undertake the less traveled path in order to progress. That of course is easier said than done. Risk is not the natural course of action for many of us, nor is it always supported by institutions or colleagues. I guess otherwise it wouldn't be called a risk.
The class discussion forced me to question my own ability to pursue risk and innovation in my work. Right now, I have to admit that I have a tendency toward what is safe, fearing the potential of failure and the uncertainty of what lies beyond the broadened horizon. For that reason, I have a feeling Mr. Zappa's words will hang on my fridge for a long time, serving as a reminder of the possibilities of progress when I am tempted to run toward the status quo.
Great post.
ReplyDeleteThe class discussion on risk also opened up my eyes to the safety of the status quo that I find myself gravitating towards.
Although I find myself wanting to take more risks with the work I produce, I wonder where the blame lies in an increasingly "risk" averse academy.
a) with the institutions who set out rigid structures for assignments and papers that, if followed, produce high grades, and the chance to move on in academia. That is, institutions slowly kill creativity with their standardized rubrics/expectations or
b)with the individuals who consciously choose to play by the rules of the "game" knowing that they will get the results (higher grades) if they do so. But then, doing so, often means sacrificing creative thought or unique forms of expression, for thought/expression which aligns with someone else's expectations?
I am curious to know what you think. Is there a middle ground between the interests of the institutions and those of individuals where we must be our own creative risk takers?
Maybe your blog name should now be "Risky" Endeavours.
the different levels of risk involved in graduate school. In some senses, just being a graduate student in Public History, comes with risks.
PS: My girlfriend tells me that there is no tact in writing long responses. So, my apologies.
ReplyDeleteDave - I like your long responses. It means someone is actually reading my blog. In regards to your question, I think the responsibility lies with the individual, as much as I hate to admit it. I think the rigid institutional structure is what allowed me to do well in my undergrad - mostly because I knew how to play the game. So until the rules change, the onus is on individuals to express themselves in unique ways. Going beyond traditional boundaries requires accepting failure as a possibility. I don't think I'm there yet.
ReplyDeleteThat will come with time. "We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success. We often discover what will do, by finding out what will not do; and probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery." Samuel Smiles
ReplyDeleteAnother profound thought: "One's first step in wisdom is to question everything - and one's last is to come to terms with everything." Georg C. Lichtenberg
The best one: "Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old." Job 12:12 As I mentioned, it comes with time. :)
I guess that means we never stop gaining wisdom nor are we supposed to. I used to be where you are now. Life would be easy if it fit a cookie cutter mold but would we learn as much or as well? Would we be as wise?
Perhaps we never do arrive so keep on keeping on!