460

 Being in academia differently

When I started doing autoethnography, I focused much more on my more obviously ecological practices. Minimalism, zero-waste, upcycling, local food, wearing the same outfit every day and so on. Then I began to notice how other practices, such as spiritual practices, mattered a lot and even gave rise to ecological practices. 

A new academic year is starting soon. I've been reflecting a lot on being in academia in relation to this. Humans' experiences in academia are of course different, but it feels as if there is a mainstream way to be. This is not to say that there are fellow humans who follow this path, but perhaps some follow it more closely than others. I've received so many pieces of advice regarding how to be in academia successfully. Avoid writing with your partner, work with big names, do not take your husband's surname, do not have gaps in your cv, prioritise your career over your family life, write strategically (no books, no articles in independent journals), hide your maternity leave, avoid self disclosure (avoid autoethnography), do not write about degrowth (that was earlier on though), do not tell others that you have resigned from an academic position, avoid long supervision meetings, do not report harassment even! And so on. I decided to forego these pieces of advice. 

I dream about a transformed academia. Slow, non-hierarchical, non-exploitative, less bureaucratic, with less utilitarian networking, without grades and metrics, without pressure to publish or publish only in certain outlets. Academia where is no need to alter one's funding applications to match some mythical reviewers' preferences. Where a PhD student can always say no to professors. Where there is freedom to explore and grow, and to facilitate others' growth too. Where there is a possibility to take a year off, to combine parenthood and academic calling. Where there is freedom to choose any research method one wants without negative consequences. 

It goes without saying that to bring about a new academia, many fellow humans need to take part in transformation. 

459

 Wearing a muslin cloth as a scarf

These days, as we are planning to have a child, my partner and I talk a lot about sustainability (zero-waste parenting, slow parenting, extreme minimalism). Both of us are sustainability researchers, but this topic is also very personal. My partner has a child from his previous relationship. The child wore disposable diapers and polyester clothing and had plastic toys. This is certainly something that I will aim to avoid. Discussing sustainability in relation to being parents hopefully in the near-ish future, is not easy. I feel that my partner's inspiration comes from his previous experiences, while mine comes from my grandmother. We have disagreements about having a changing table and disposable diapers. He says that the changing table is indispensable, and disposable diapers are convenient. I don't want to invite any new furniture into our life and expose my offspring to the chemicals are I believe have no place in baby products. Not to mention, I don't want to produce much waste with my baby care habits or spend too much on disposable items. I don't believe that once some item is used or used up, it becomes someone else's problem. And I believe in human agency. I can choose a disposable option or a reusable option. I want to make a choice that is better for nature, fellow humans and non-humans, for me and my baby. 

Almost a year ago, my partner brought some muslin cloths to clean our previous home. I will use similar cloths for our baby. So far, I have found many other uses for them. For example, I use them as face cloths and as towels (for my hair, face and body). I use them as scarves too. Recently, I realised that they are softer than the cotton scarf that I had, so I gave away the scarf. Perhaps when fellow humans see me wear a muslin cloth, they realise that this is exactly what I am wearing. I am ok with it. In fact, it's intentional: we need to upcycle and normalise simplicity. The cloths protect my hair from the sun well too. When it gets colder, I intend to try and wear them instead of a hat. 

I have positive associations with muslin cloths. They make me think about my teenage years when my grandmother told me that she used to use muslin fabric stuffed with cotton wool as a period product.