AS TOLD TO ELAINE COBURN...
Although I grew up in Britain, I did my first degree in the United States, at the University of Delaware. I studied philosophy and chemistry (as a major-minor). After my undergraduate degree, I did not imagine further higher education. I worked for an insurance company and later, in a bookstore. At that time, there were independent bookstores and I thought, “I’ve found my vocation!”. But I had an aunt and uncle in academia and in my mid-twenties I thought: “They like books too,” so I began to imagine a future in the university.
I had an aunt and uncle in academia and in my mid-twenties I thought: “They like books too,” so I began to imagine a future in the university.
Although I was living in the United States, I wanted to go back to Britain, to see what it was like – a kind of experiment. I had a strong interest, still, in philosophy, so I went to Warwick University, which was known for two programmes: Social and Political Thought and the programme in which I enrolled, Philosophy and Social Theory. The late Margaret Archer, who was not yet well known but who later became a leading figure in critical realism, was leading the programme.
Photo of Professor Philip Walsh
In the United Kingdom, Oxford and Cambridge set the standard for many universities, but Warwick sought to be different. The kind of scholarship at the Department of Sociology was quite radical and strongly theoretical, very much influenced by philosophy. My PhD, which I finished in 1999, was on the history of scepticism in philosophy, under the supervision of a scholar of Georg Hegel, Gillian Rose, who was appointed in the Sociology programme. The work was historical, from sceptics in ancient Greece to late 19th and early 20th century. I was interested in how later thinkers in the Frankfurt school, notably Theodor Adorno and Herbert Marcuse, arrived at their positions and were influenced by long philosophical traditions of scepticism, all while responding to the particular historical and social conditions of their times. My thesis later was published, as a book, Skepticism, Modernity and Critical Theory (2005), focussing on Hegel’s role in shaping the Frankfurt school.
I was interested in how later thinkers, in the Frankfurt school, notably Theodor Adorno and Herbert Marcuse, arrived at their positions and were influenced by long philosophical traditions of scepticism, all while responding to the particular historical and social conditions of their times.
Immediately after I finished my PhD, Britain brought in a new research evaluation process, where programmes were ranked based on the number of publications each produced. This was a very difficult period because no-one was prepared to hire new Ph.Ds who had not published. Fortunately, I had permanent residency in the United States and there, I found a position as an adjunct in a community college for two years. The community colleges are devalued, likely because the students who attended could not get into university. The college I taught in, Tompkins County Community College, was in rural upstate New York and I taught a range of courses, including criminology. Many of the students had a connection with a juvenile detention centre, in the area, and the teaching was quite difficult.
Then, at one of the State University of New York (SUNY Cortland) colleges in New York, where I had another adjunct position, a sociological theory position opened up. Perhaps because they already knew me and felt that I was a good teacher – I am not sure I was, at the time, but I was not a problematic teacher – they hired me. The students were mostly middle-class students, many of them were athletes, they were disciplined and they were serious about their studies. Before I was hired, the Regents at SUNY mandated that all students had to take a course in United States civics. Since I was the newest faculty member, I taught the class with a strong historical lens -- and, as I discovered then and since, when you teach a subject you do not know much about, you learn a lot.
[A]s I discovered then and since, when you teach a subject you do not know much about, you learn a lot.
Shortly after taking up this position, incumbent United States President, George W. Bush was re-elected. At the time, I had a young family, so I asked myself: “Do I want to be in the United States?” A position was advertised at York university, in sociological theory. I did not think I would get the job -- but I did. York University was quite an intimidating place: it is a huge campus, and, of course, I had never lived in Canada. Ever since, I have been doing my research and teaching here, continuing to work in the fields of sociological theory and the theories of knowledge.
I have a particular interest in the work of Hannah Arendt and Norbert Elias, among others. This scholarship led to the publication of another book, Arendt Contra Sociology: Theory, Society and its Science (2015), in which I argued that although Arendt is usually thought of as a political theorist, she has critical insights for sociologists. Right now, I am working on another book, The Reality of Knowledge, that explores the sociology of knowledge from a critical realist perspective. Others write faster but for me, a book takes about ten years to write.
Academic life today does not allow for long periods of writing, uninterrupted, so I write in spasms. To pursue an idea I have to write every single day and follow the idea – I need a sustained period of time, so that I write every single day. Other people may work differently; it is very individual. I tend to “chunk” my writing. Right now, I am writing a section where I am trying to clarify what a particular author means by agency, for instance, so I write to clarify what is being said but also critique it -- to refine this particular concept of agency. That might take me a week, working three or four hours a day. Once I have a fully worked out chapter, I send it to my editor, who is a former PhD student. She is helpful, because she both knows this area but she is distant enough that she can look at it in a new way.
Academic life today does not allow for long periods of writing, uninterrupted, so I write in spasms. To pursue an idea I have to write every single day and follow the idea – I need a sustained period of time, so that I write every single day.
Most of my work is theoretical, but I recently published a more specialized article in the sociology of emotions, personhood and social ontology. I was teaching the sociology of emotions and felt I needed to know the area better. But it felt unfamiliar: “I don’t know these people. I don’t know this vocabulary.” Sociological theory and the sociology of knowledge, my main areas, are more obviously complementary.
When I ask myself what I know, after several decades in this profession, it is about finding balance. To enjoy the role of a scholar and teacher, you must like your own company. You spend a lot of time writing and preparing for teaching, so you need to be able to commune with yourself. At the same time, when you teach, you need to be sociable, so that you can connect with others. For me, a key to enjoying life as a professor is cultivating both this enjoyment of being alone, writing and reading, and being sociable, especially for teaching. Another lesson I have learned is that no single plan is enough. Rather, you remain open-minded and look for opportunities.
To enjoy the role of a scholar and teacher, you must like your own company. You spend a lot of time writing and preparing for teaching, so you need to be able to commune with yourself. At the same time, when you teach, you need to be sociable, so that you can connect with others.
The landscape is changing. When I finished my PhD there was no expectation that you would be published, but there is that expectation now. At the early stage of your career, it is useful to publish, for instance, in mid-ranking journals that are well known and widely read. In my view, it is probably better, as a strategy, to write one or two pieces in high-quality journals than many in less high quality journals. Writing reviews is a good entry into scholarly writing, and for your own development, too, because it helps you to become familiar with scholarship in your field.
What is most satisfying about my life as a scholar and as academic? In the course of my career, it has changed. Writing is important to me but over time, teaching has become more important. I like teaching undergraduates; third year is my preferred level. I put a lot of work into my teaching, and there is no limit to the number of hours I spend – or could spend -- preparing and refining. The first time you teach a course, it’s an experiment, the second time you are refining, the third time you know how to teach, but then the fourth time is less exciting. Finally and above all, freedom is the big payoff: the ability to follow my interests and, despite teaching, meetings and other obligations, the ability to organize (within limits) my own professional life and my time.