RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Who do African academics write for?

Chambi messages: ""For a number of reasons, most of these prestigious journals happen to be Western. Today, many African academics seeking to build a strong name in their fields are aggressively seeking entry into such journals. Having published in these smoothens the promotion process, for you have less to 'explain.'"
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Sometimes, peers in the same dept or university, due to their inability to publish, target Africans, of course and "Others," who are prolific. As a result, the promotion process and other rewards become very difficult for such "Others to attain." Absolutely, this can happen anywhere in the world based on factors other than being able to publish in Western journals. My experiences in a university in America support my position. In my case, after fighting for an Asian colleague who was denied promotion to full professor five times despite his numerous publications as well as exemplary contributions to his Department, including being the Chair on occasion, I became the target of administrative bullets. This was after I had fought for my own promotion, etc. and spoke truth to power in no uncertain terms. Undoubtedly, I was perceived as a dangerous militant and an unrepentant flamethrower. In the end, the environment became too toxic so I resigned. For example, the Human Resources Dept came up with an unauthorized letter of resignation on my behalf and even notified state authorities. Thereafter, I realized that I had come to the end of the long white road in America and hence submitted my resignation. I just couldn't fight any longer and realized that there are other worlds to sing in. My point is that promotion is all politics masked by some fuzzy rhetoric of equal opportunity and inclusion. Oftentimes, if you make "Massa" feel good about himself/herself and accept the position of the inferior "Other," promotion may come to you without major publications. But if you are an assertive and self-assured "Other" who is unwilling to behave like a dog in the backyard or a person from the backwater, you only publish to perish! And I did!

Kwabena Akurang-Parry

 

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Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2015 10:33:50 +0000
From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
To: wanazuoni@yahoogroups.com
CC: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Who do African academics write for?

"The journals in which academics publish can make or break their career. A journal's impact factor is a measure of the frequency with which an average article in it has been cited in a particular year.

"For a number of reasons, most of these prestigious journals happen to be Western. Today, many African academics seeking to build a strong name in their fields are aggressively seeking entry into such journals. Having published in these smoothens the promotion process, for you have less to 'explain'.

Conversely, there is widespread disregard for our own journals and other publication outlets. Of course we have a couple of unserious publication outlets with suicidal politics and very loose editorial procedures. But even the more serious ones scarcely fetch as much local regard as their mediocre cousins from the West. Sometimes it is our inferiority complex at work. 

"In effect, because the best brains target Western journals and publishing houses, we mainly write for the West and according to their interests and standards. For many Africans, most of these publications are difficult to access – both in terms of language, availability, and cost. Often even where many contributors to the Western 'high-impact-factor' journals are African, the 'impact' is rarely on Africa! So, who do we write for?" 

-  FROM THE ARTICLE IN THE LINK BELOW

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Jimmy Spire Ssentongo <jssentongo@umu.ac.ug>
To: Chambi Chachage <chambi78@yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 7, 2015 11:45 AM
Subject: Who do African academics write for?

Dear Colleagues,

Please find my article published in today's The Observer on the subject
of academic publication by African scholars.
http://www.observer.ug/viewpoint/39815-who-do-african-academics-write-for

Kind regards

--
Jimmy Spire Ssentongo
Center for African Studies
School of Arts and Social Sciences

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