There's academia and there's ...?
October 5, 2010 11:10 AM Subscribe
Academic Grant Writing logjam filter. Final moments before I must submit and I need a word for my rousing conclusion. How the hell do academics refer to the outside/real world? [example over the fold]
Help me, please, finish this sentence:
It is here that my unique position as one comfortable in both academic and ___ worlds should serve me best.
Is "secular" the right word? It feels a bit stilted.
Help me, please, finish this sentence:
It is here that my unique position as one comfortable in both academic and ___ worlds should serve me best.
Is "secular" the right word? It feels a bit stilted.
In engineering, we usually refer to "industry" or "industrial". "Commercial" may be appropriate in other contexts.
posted by mr_roboto at 11:13 AM on October 5, 2010
posted by mr_roboto at 11:13 AM on October 5, 2010
Best answer: "...as one comfortable in both scholarly and non-academic settings..." ?
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 11:16 AM on October 5, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 11:16 AM on October 5, 2010 [3 favorites]
Best answer: It's difficult without knowing the field but failing that "academic or non-academic settings" sounds better to my ears. I know that academia is a world unto itself and that this is an academic grant, but the use of "worlds" is more troublesome to me than what you should use to distinguish academia from well, not academia.
posted by kaybdc at 11:20 AM on October 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by kaybdc at 11:20 AM on October 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
Another vote for "non-" or "extra-academic" as the best choice if you don't want to set up any other contrast than that one. If you want to emphasize your ability to cross over into some other specific sphere (e.g. business/commerce, a specific profession, a specific culture, etc.), then you should name it specifically, but it doesn't sound like this is the point.
posted by RogerB at 11:29 AM on October 5, 2010
posted by RogerB at 11:29 AM on October 5, 2010
It is here that my unique position as one comfortable in both academic and ___ worlds should serve me best.
How about 'It is here that my unique position as one comfortable in the wider world as well as the academy should serve me best' ?
posted by jamjam at 11:33 AM on October 5, 2010
How about 'It is here that my unique position as one comfortable in the wider world as well as the academy should serve me best' ?
posted by jamjam at 11:33 AM on October 5, 2010
Private sector? Public sphere?
Also, you don't need to rely on the same word (i.e., "academic and [blank] worlds"). Just use "academia," and that will give you more options like the ones above for the latter phrase.
posted by Rhaomi at 11:36 AM on October 5, 2010
Also, you don't need to rely on the same word (i.e., "academic and [blank] worlds"). Just use "academia," and that will give you more options like the ones above for the latter phrase.
posted by Rhaomi at 11:36 AM on October 5, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks all for such quick response. I've marked three best answers because I managed to use aspects of all three in my dissertation. For the record, the statement now reads as such (blank inserted for privacy reasons):
Indeed, it is here that my unique position as a ___ comfortable in a professional setting and now "adapting" to academia may best serve my research ends.
Winsome Parker's "scholarly" got used elsewhere.
posted by philip-random at 11:59 AM on October 5, 2010
Indeed, it is here that my unique position as a ___ comfortable in a professional setting and now "adapting" to academia may best serve my research ends.
Winsome Parker's "scholarly" got used elsewhere.
posted by philip-random at 11:59 AM on October 5, 2010
I tend to use 'practitioner' as the antonym to 'academic', but it sounds like you've already found what works for you.
posted by hydatius at 3:10 PM on October 5, 2010
posted by hydatius at 3:10 PM on October 5, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
(You're right, don't use "Secular.")
posted by AugieAugustus at 11:12 AM on October 5, 2010