[Discussion] The Pedagogical Tribal System of Primitive Cultures of thescientific community

[Gonul]

Nefis bir yazi! Hasan Bülent Paksoy hoca, gene teşekkürler.
Türkiye'deki mukabil--ve de pek daha acimasiz--kabileler hk. yazacak yok mu?

"Paksoy, Hb" wrote:

> The Pedagogical Tribal System of Primitive Cultures of the Scientific
> Research Community
> This study deals with a pedagogical tribal system with definite, almost
> overwhelming paternalistic mores and codes. I had had some difficulty
> studying these tribes because they are quite fierce and often impossible to
> communicate with except in their own languages, which are diverse and may
> have roots in latin. (I, however, tend to hold that these languages are a
> development of the tribes themselves and are a major contributory factor in
> their continued isolation from the global community.) In general, members
> also appear to have little ability to learn new languages. To overcome these
> barriers, I am attempting to infiltrate a tribe and become a full-fledged
> member of it. I am currently undergoing initiation rites in a southeastern
> tribe called "Physiology and Pharmacology". This is a preliminary report of
> my current findings. The adult males of any of the tribes which can be
> grouped under the broad designation "researchers" are called "professors"
> and sometimes "doctors". The terms are not entirely interchangeable as the
> higher ranking males are always referred to as "doctor" whereas "professor"
> is a more generic term for all adult males who have completed any variation
> of the initiation process which is called "graduate school". There are two
> groups of females in this culture, one group is granted low ranking status
> as a quasi-male with responsibilities similar to the very low-ranking males.
> They are referred to as "professors" also, but are never actually allowed to
> progress beyond certain set hierarchial levels. This group is not often
> granted reproductive status. The second group of females could be classified
> as sub-adult, as they are never granted any of the rights of the full adult,
> which is, of course, always male or quasi-male. They are termed "professor's
> wives" and may only assume any status through the male to whom they are
> attached and by telephone calls to secretaries. The phone calling privilege
> is unique to the "professor's wife" and is *never* usurped. Interestingly,
> offspring of these unions are not acknowledged within the culture and leave
> the tribe upon reaching adolescence. Reproduction is quite unusual and very
> interesting! The tribes call this "recruitment". Several select members of
> the tribe, usually middle-ranking males and even a few quasi-male females
> travel to distant tribes called "undergraduate colleges" where they put on
> quite lovely displays and make generous offers to the neonates from the
> "undergraduate colleges". This is similar to courtship in some cultures, but
> is directed at procuring neonates. The neonates put on a secondary display
> for the professors of their chosen tribe, wherein they accept the wondrous
> offers. These are very intricate dances, and only the best research tribes
> and neonates are successful. Once the new tribe members have arrived at
> their new tribe, however, initiation may take anywhere from four to seven
> years. I have seen examples of initiates being subjected to trials for eight
> years! This does vary somewhat, but the general rule is an extraordinarily
> long and quite demanding set of incomprehensible tests that the candidates
> for initiation must perform well on. These are similar to the tribes of
> Africa who have to walk on hot coals in bare feet or draw elaborate scars on
> all parts of their bodies. The actual trials are called "preliminary exams"
> "qualifying exams" and, of course the dreaded "dissertation defense" rite.
> Unfortunately, I have not yet been made privy to all the innuendos of this
> final rite. Although I have been allowed to watch during several. I was
> actually required to watch this horrible test of human ability to withstand
> the agony of hours of questions in very highly ceremonial language, many
> words of which I am not yet informed. The medicine man of the tribe changes
> for each different initiate. He is called the "major professor", possibly
> referring to his power during the rite of passage. The power of the medicine
> man is reflected on the initiate and will follow him through his entire
> adult life. These tribes have not yet been well characterized. This is
> understandable in light of the extreme reclusivity and exclusivity of all of
> the research tribes I have encountered. Yet this should not preclude further
> in-depth analysis of a truly unique way of life. I shall continue work
> within my present tribe in hopes of becoming a full fledged member, as it
> were, and of coming to full understanding of this culture. --by a female
> grad student
>
> _______________________________________________
> Discussion mailing list
> Discussion@lists.cstgroup.org
> http://lists.cstgroup.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discussion