Editor: I will be back to posting regularly soon.
Like most of the world, Australia is in its own version of national lock down. Conditions in Australia, and in particular in sub-tropical Queensland where I am located, are very easy in comparison to many other places around the globe. The government has acted fast in getting the disciplinary quarantine state (see Foucault) into gear and trying to mitigate the disastrous impact on people’s incomes and livelihoods and these measures are generally proving effective so far. (The current crisis is another very good argument for a universal basic income in my view.) The physical conditions of life here are also good (weather and space).
Nonetheless my own personal adjustments to the new situation (eg needing to source computer equipment to work and teach effectively from home and changing routines, etc) have led to some delays in posting news. Thank you to those of you who have sent me material. It will be up online soon. Please keep sending on your news!
In the meantime, although this is not directly related to Foucault’s work, I would like to link to some advice offered by Aisha S. Ahmad, an assistant professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto. This advice, although offered to fellow academics is useful to others as well.
Why You Should Ignore All That Coronavirus-Inspired Productivity Pressure, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 27 March 2020. (PDF in case you can’t access it)
I will be posting regularly again shortly. If anything, Foucault’s work is even more apposite in the current environment.
I wish all the readers of this blog health and safety in a difficult world.
Clare O’Farrell
