Dismantling ivory towers of academia

As I gained momentum in my research for my fellowship, stepping into a domain dominated by books, papers, journal articles, seminars, citations, and primary sources felt intimidating. Having spent much of my adult life in survival mode—balancing personal and familial responsibilities—I had long been aware of the disconnect between tenured academicians and their real-life subjects. These subjects often become little more than statistics in field studies and papers. However, the advent of social media and the democratization of publishing have, in recent decades, starkly highlighted this disconnect. The ability of ordinary people to share their lived experiences has disrupted the traditional gatekeeping of knowledge.

 

In India, my birth country, scholarship and teachers, or gurus, have been revered since ancient times. Academia has historically been seen as a sanctuary of intellectual progress, a space where ideas are explored, theories tested, and knowledge expanded. Yet, the ease with which information now bypasses the traditional gatekeepers of history has exposed the widening gap between academic scholarship and real-life experiences. Social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook have become arenas where the public has debated and contested history, events, and terms. This dissociation between academia and lived realities is not merely a benign byproduct of specialization but a structural issue with far-reaching implications.

 

Citizen journalism, independent research, and politically incorrect deconstructions of events and histories have dealt significant blows to academia. Previously locked sources, inaccessible transcripts, unbanned books, and declassified government papers have shattered the protective bubble of academic authority. A co-fellow I often discuss with laments how Marxist historians frequently cite each other, creating a self-referential echo chamber that is difficult to penetrate. For someone like me, who lacks a PhD, the barriers are even greater; my qualifications—or lack thereof—are often used to dismiss my perspectives before they are even considered.

 

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Academia, by design, operates through rigorous methodologies, peer-reviewed publications, and a deliberate pace of knowledge production. While these qualities are essential for reliability, they often alienate scholars from the immediacy and complexity of real-life experiences. Academics are incentivized to produce work that appeals to niche audiences—journals, conferences, and academic circles—rather than addressing the broader public. This leads to the creation of esoteric knowledge that, while valuable, remains inaccessible and irrelevant to those outside the academic sphere. Moreover, academics frequently insulate themselves from dissent or uncomfortable realities by adhering to ideological or theoretical frameworks that align with dominant narratives. This intellectual insulation often prevents engagement with alternative viewpoints, particularly those that challenge foundational assumptions. Issues like poverty, discrimination, or political unrest are usually analyzed through theoretical lenses that fail to capture their emotional weight and immediacy.

 

I recently read The Anthology of Balaji: A Guide to Technology, Truth, and Building the Future by Eric Jorgenson. In it, Balaji Srinivasan critiques academia, professors, and the traditional university PhD system, framing his arguments within his broader advocacy for decentralization and innovation. Balaji argues that academia has become stagnant and overly bureaucratic, prioritizing institutional preservation over fostering genuine innovation. He critiques the “publish or perish” culture for emphasizing quantity over quality, leading to a disconnect between academic work and practical applications. He also sees academia as a gatekeeping institution that favours credentialism and elitism over merit and unconventional ideas. According to Balaji, the traditional system is outdated and unsuited to the fast-paced demands of the modern world.

 

Balaji envisions the Internet as a transformative force in education and research. He advocates for online platforms, open-source projects, and decentralized networks as viable alternatives to formal academic institutions. These alternatives, he argues, are more agile and outcome-driven, enabling individuals to focus on impactful projects rather than pursuing degrees for their own sake. His ideas resonate with me, particularly as I research the 1986 Shah Bano case and the 1989 Rushdie Affair, where Indian Muslims mobilized to protect what they perceived as threats to their identity and faith. Manipulated by political leaders from both Muslim and Hindu communities for electoral gains, these events entrenched the perception of Indian Muslims as regressive rather than progressive.

 

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Social media and citizen journalism have disrupted the traditional dynamics of politics, media, academia, and bureaucracy, which once dictated narratives for millions. Platforms like Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok have democratized information sharing, allowing individuals to document and share their realities in real time. Smartphones have transformed ordinary people into chroniclers of their own lives, capturing moments that legacy media and academia might sanitize or ignore. Events previously filtered through selective lenses—protests, police brutality, environmental disasters—are now documented firsthand, exposing biases in traditional media, which often cater to political or corporate interests.

 

In this era of instant information, people increasingly demand authenticity and nuance. Lived experiences, memoirs, podcasts, and direct testimonies resonate deeply with audiences seeking truth beyond curated narratives. Personal stories, unlike academic papers or news reports, offer a raw and unfiltered look at reality, humanizing complex issues and making them relatable. Memoirs by marginalized individuals, for instance, often provide insights into systemic issues that academic studies constrained by objectivity and methodology may overlook. Podcasts and video platforms create spaces for dialogue, embracing diverse perspectives that challenge conventional wisdom.

 

I recall publishing my article Is Hijab Really a Symbol of Liberation When Millions Are Oppressed in The Nation, Pakistan on December 24, 2015. It was my first dent in the carefully constructed narratives of academia, which often claim to speak for the subaltern while excluding their voices. This time, the statistic in their field studies and reports was sharing her lived experience. Such efforts expose the limitations of academia’s reliance on theoretical abstractions. Real-life stories defy the neat categorizations imposed by academic frameworks, highlighting the multifaceted nature of human experience and pushing scholars to reconsider their approaches.

 

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The Marxist approach to academia, where sources are selectively chosen to validate pre-existing biases, needs to be rectified. In these polarizing times, when many Hindus distrust the Muslim population and Muslims feel besieged, especially by the State, uncomfortable arguments must be addressed. Bridging this divide requires greater collaboration between academia, media, and the public. Scholars must step out of their ivory towers and engage with communities, incorporating lived experiences into their research. Similarly, legacy media must embrace the diversity of perspectives offered by citizen journalists and storytellers to provide a more accurate portrayal of reality.

 

Integrating lived experiences into academia and media enriches our collective understanding of the world. It bridges the gap between abstract theories and tangible realities, fostering a more inclusive and empathetic society. As technology continues to democratize information, the challenge lies in ensuring that this newfound accessibility serves the cause of truth, justice, and progress.

The columnist is a Fellow of the Foundation for Indian Historical and Cultural Research (FIHCR)