[URBANTH-L]this is so unbalanced

[Surrey, David]

Barry is raising a longstanding issue. I thank him for opening the door for us to examine who are as a discipline and as individuals. That being said, I have two comments:

First, I strongly disagree with Barry's premise of what we discuss and do not discuss on this list. Indeed I feel that we have a responsibility to raise issues that affect others, in this case the people in Gaza If this sounds political, then silence is even more political. I do not know how we separate these discussions into discrete lists.

Second, and here I am writing as much as a Jew as an Anthropologist, the comments Barry sees are anti-Israel, are really anti the deplorable actions of the Israeli government. Aside for the horrors of its actions in Gaza, the government has virtually guaranteed that another generation of Israeli's will have missiles, or worse directed at them.

David S. Surrey 
Saint Peter's College 

-----Original Message-----
From: urbanth-l-bounces at lists.ysu.edu [mailto:urbanth-l-bounces at lists.ysu.edu] On Behalf Of Pelin Tan
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 10:18 AM
To: Sam Beck
Cc: Barry Wellman; urbanth list
Subject: Re: [URBANTH-L]this is so unbalanced

Dear Barry,

I think your comment is important but at the same time it brings an
important ethical question for any scientists (sociologists or others): For
whom for what we doing academic research? As we all know we can't seperate
our academic production, process (whatever) from everday life realities and
humanities. This is an old debate since last century which become a breking
point with such scientists as Foucault (and others) when they went also to
streets.

As social scientists, we are concerned with social realities; and the social
realities are severe then ever. I think we should take a position against
human violence that is happening in any geograhpy, helping to defend the
social rights contributing through our practices.

Sorry, from the other list members; I dont want to sound like an activist.
But as scientists we should aware of our social responsibilities. Maybe
stupid to say, but I would like to invite everybody to read again Foucault's
foreword in Anti-Oidepus (Delezue/Guattari) even though you might be not
poststructualist or what ever...

(sorry for keping busy the list with this comments - just I am a member of
this list since year, I feel responsible to write my comment).

best regards
Pelin Tan



On Wed, Jan 7, 2009 at 4:42 PM, Sam Beck <sbeck at med.cornell.edu> wrote:

> I understand the difficulty Barry Wellman has with the discussion.
> However, this list ought to enable any member to raise ethical/moral issues
> of concern, especially under the conditions that are taking place in Gaza.
>  The deaths, injuries, destruction, and suffering of Gaza civilians is
> unacceptable.  Just about every country of the world has asked for a cease
> fire and the opening of borders to bring in aid.  Hospitals are overwhelmed,
> the situation in Gaza is so dire that people are unable to leave their
> homes, people are bleeding to death, and so on.  How can anyone stand by
> without saying something.  There are massive demonstrations against this war
> taking place in Israel by Israelis.
>
> Sam
>
>
> At 08:53 PM 1/6/2009, Barry Wellman wrote:
>
>> I was distressed reading the extraordinarily anti-Israel comments on this
>> list. I do not believe that such comments are the focus of this list. And
>> that the discussion is not being carried on in our area of expertise. I
>> hope that people will take their discussion elsewhere.
>>
>>  Barry Wellman
>>  _______________________________________________________________________
>>
>>  S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC              NetLab Director
>>  Department of Sociology                        University of Toronto
>>  725 Spadina Avenue, Room 388                  Toronto Canada M5S 2J4
>>  http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman<http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/%7Ewellman>           fax:+1-416-978-3963
>>
>>  Updating history:     http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php
>>
>>  _______________________________________________________________________
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>
> Sam Beck, Ph.D.
> Director
> Urban Semester Program
> in New York City
> College of Human Ecology
> Cornell University
> 445 East 69th Street, #324
> New York, NY 10021
>
> telephone 212-746-2273
> fax           212-746-8312
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>
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>
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-- 
Pelin Tan
Research Assistant
Istanbul Technical University
Institute of Social Sciences
Architecture Faculty, Taskisla
34437 - Istanbul
phone: +90 2122433181
fax     : +90 2122456631
www.tanpelin.blogspot.com
www.slowfood.com
www.sulukule.org

Pelin Tan
Guestprofessor for Architecture and Urban Research
Bingstr.60, Pavillion 24, 90480, Nüernberg
*www.adbk-nuernberg.de, www.a42.org*
T +49.[0]911.9404 - 135
Fax +49.[0]911.9404 - 150*
www.yesarchitecturenoarchitecture.blogspot.com*
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