We are stewards of their money. Several weeks ago, I mentioned in a memo the book The Argument Culture by Deborah Tannen. In a compelling study, she suggests, rather she states very clearly, that western culture in general, and the UW in particular, approaches issues as though war exists. All things are framed in an adversarial frame of mind. We see it everywhere.
Politicians prepare to battle a second term.
Scientific discussions are called science wars. We battle disease. Food caterers battle catering wars, and the list goes on. We approach intellectual inquiry in the same way, she argues. Historians behave like this, and, in fact, many graduate schools approach the discipline in such a manner.