i’ve mentioned in the past how it is often the case that i’ll sit down with an academic article or book and start reading it only to find that it is only saying something that either i, or another blogger has already said.

or. maybe i’ll make a post and someone (who means well, so this isn’t a criticism) will point to some academic article or other that supports whatever point i’m making at the time.

or. and this is a criticism, will point out some academic source or whatever that maybe contradicts what i’m saying based on my lived experience and the synthesis of all my accumulated knowledge.

all of this is a very subtle (but damaging) form of respectability politics.

my words do not need a citation to be true. they are also not rendered more true if they have a citation. they are also not rendered false because you can find some academic who contradicts me.