17th July 2009, 03:29 PM
Why do we do it?...hmmmm
People will of course present differnt opinions in differnet cicumstances - the reasons given in the pub may not be the same as in the job interview...
Perhapse these are just different aspects highlited at differnt times, but perhapes there is a conflict between the REAL reasons people start or stay in archaeology, and how the rationalise this with thier egos and the rest of the world....
People change over time...do they forget why/who they were, and just perpetuate thier conditions in place of a real vision? ....(does that matter)
Personally (at 14)i found archaeology to be fun, engaging and challenging in numerous physical, interlectual and social ways. At univeristy i engaged with huge time spans of human history, but intamley bound to the natural sciences.
Proffeisonally i believed i could make a real contribution as a talented 'archaeological craftsperson' and as an educated graduate able to disseminate knowledge and perspective into society.
I always knew it would be hard, and accepted limited materail ambition - i had always thought the 'circumstances' of the proffeison would enable a deeper sense of material well-being.
I had thought interesting work and personal development would be a significnat part of the reward for hard effort put in (not money per se)
In the sort time i have observed (just 15 years or so), i think that attitude has dimminished - there is less acceptance of a limited level of materail ambition, rather it is temporary stage. This engenders attitudes of coperate development rather tahn personal development...does this lead to perpetual promotion of people with the wrong attitude? >> ie what confessions might they they make, if persued, about why they were doing thier job in archaeology?
AM I A MISERABLE CYNIC?
People will of course present differnt opinions in differnet cicumstances - the reasons given in the pub may not be the same as in the job interview...
Perhapse these are just different aspects highlited at differnt times, but perhapes there is a conflict between the REAL reasons people start or stay in archaeology, and how the rationalise this with thier egos and the rest of the world....
People change over time...do they forget why/who they were, and just perpetuate thier conditions in place of a real vision? ....(does that matter)
Personally (at 14)i found archaeology to be fun, engaging and challenging in numerous physical, interlectual and social ways. At univeristy i engaged with huge time spans of human history, but intamley bound to the natural sciences.
Proffeisonally i believed i could make a real contribution as a talented 'archaeological craftsperson' and as an educated graduate able to disseminate knowledge and perspective into society.
I always knew it would be hard, and accepted limited materail ambition - i had always thought the 'circumstances' of the proffeison would enable a deeper sense of material well-being.
I had thought interesting work and personal development would be a significnat part of the reward for hard effort put in (not money per se)
In the sort time i have observed (just 15 years or so), i think that attitude has dimminished - there is less acceptance of a limited level of materail ambition, rather it is temporary stage. This engenders attitudes of coperate development rather tahn personal development...does this lead to perpetual promotion of people with the wrong attitude? >> ie what confessions might they they make, if persued, about why they were doing thier job in archaeology?
AM I A MISERABLE CYNIC?