Self expression for practioners and advocates: Valuing Different Voices in Communication
If the source or fora is the people, then in the era of open resource education and the like, the academic and non academic may seem to collide. I have heard a lot of people using the word research. Perhaps, it is safe not to write until Research Assessment Framework is finalised and we see who wins. If paid professionals are busy conducting the Research Assessment Framework, why then stunt freedom of thought and expression for non scholars?
The peer review exercise of journals therefore enables academics to express themselves but the internet of things may enable them to reach out to others without diluting professional and other identity. Some non academics who write may have been previously academics who have failed, changed career or left because they could not cope for various reasons including ill health. Others may have indeed a different professional idenity.
The word journal, entails the journey. But it is the general public whoes journey and voice that is expressed or at least reported in academic journals. More so, such individuals attain research results in dissimination fora and have platforms of commentary too. It is therefore assumed that reliablity and validity is assured or to be assured establishing useful norms. Besides, thinkeries are often publicly owned organisations. Regardless, non academic forums including mini blogs such as twitter can be cited as it is often for Donald Trump and also documented for what they are.
Defining and Negotiating Social Contracts: Overcoming the “Words Are Spells” Anomalie
Social contract is not to be coercion into introduction, indoctrination, acquentanhip or other social “norms”, or indeed the perception of it since it is a form of emotional blackmail or abuse. It should not be allowed to pass the norming stage of group formation no matter what since the ulterior motive is on shaky ground.
Some people create such situations but without charter, chances of clarification and mediation, such platforms ought to be provocative, one-sided and unfair. In the same way that it is unfair to commence such notions, the person perceiving such social anomalies as they are as opposed to coerceive contracts may struggle. Knowingly or unknowingly, the other party can mistaken diplomatic tactics as the evolution of such enigma as if useful and healthy social contract revolutions are not surrounding as all so that everyone flourishes.
Cafes may be an easy and accessible to pry against vulnerable people, solitaire bubble followers and others. The bottomline is, we need to be vigilant and polite so that to get out of sticky situations and to not forget that people who operate this way are scams or are indeed driven by ulterior motive which can be demanding, opinionated, damaging and/or exploitative. This could create pressure on time, money, resources and intellectual property and indeed violates freedom of association.
Whether it is within a formal or an informal venture, giving due regard to ethics is importnat and these are creating debriefing session, accepting the right to withdraw and confidentiality on the main, although due to lack of charters and guidelines, informally initiated contracts can be perceived as unsolicited and even cold calling.
Culture, Life Journey and The Black Gold
By honouring cafe culture and etiquette, as well as the meaning of Cultral Exchanfe, in this blackboard I discusse the charters and norms that govern solicited contacts and social contracts. In short, freedom of association is very important. In many cases, cafés, nowadays becoming trendy places for teaching and learning platforms that have often formalised charters, can be mistaken as breeding grounds in norming a stranger meets a stranger. This can be one sided, no matter, the persuasion can be passed down someone’s throat as friendliness.
In the era of wi-fi and phubbing constantly on smart phones and this is in order to be present in the virtual world, it is very disturbing to experience or witness the good old fashioned, dare I say, social contract being created in the real world, no matter, many people identify reality to be existing in virtual world to an extent that social media engagement can be classed as binging.
Chronicling cafe based sitcoms such as Allo Allo is not necessary to highlight that even when cold wars are over, notions such as economic sanction or strategy can lead to warring or violating others unless we conduct ourselves ethically. From speed dating to other meetings, outdoor ventures are available, but subscription is the first step to take
Agenda: Cultural Exchange in a Café
The Boston Tea Party, due to the fact that the British allocate so many “tea times” as social gatherings at home and at work, is an emblem of independence. Here in Ethiopia, a predominantly coffee consuming country, or even amongst the diaspora in the UK, machine and traditionally brewed coffee is central to social communication at home and work. No matter, the diversity in class, background and ethnicity makes everyone colourful as opposed to needing to create a social network without having the concent of others that we barely know.
In some devolved circles, the notion of maintaining identity and heritage is viewed as somewhat pragmatic leading to coerceive actions all in the name of socialising. No matter, disturbing the rhythm of others when they have their own social circles or ideals on-line or in real life is a form of fascism.
It may fascinate some when they just say ” we need to have coffee” especially to individuals that they barely know. Notwithstanding, as careful as we are when we browse for diamonds or even books, the assertion to somehow consume the black gold with aliens, is misleading and can even be offending. What are the charters, what is the agenda and the rules of engagement or the right to be left alone when unsolicited contact or ad hoc social networking is forming are the nagging questions and feelings. Thus, this can not be classed as counterculture since it evades social norms.
As I have witnessed over the years, such organised forms of crime or action, depending on who is perceving the matter, are often dependent upon lopsided and unethical market research given the fact that social and economic affairs are correlated. They evade privacy. They lead to adult tantrums when we descide to exit such circuits, meaning, the rigidity and dogma regarding acquentanship and forms of social circles that go above such stage are defined haphazardly. If one can not define social circles by using the above guidelines, then there is a lack of insight about the validity of what is known to be. Hence, suffering from such enigma and being a true follower of the “no unsolicited contact” , I feel that I needed to advocate for this stand.
It may sometimes be the case that new faces become known faces, then greetings may commence, leading to the right to know others. But this may not be mutually accepted since people may choose to leave us at bay, for several reasons including the right to maintain such distance, not perceiving some individuals as useful in social climbing or heritage maintaince amongst others. The gold rash, when I first viewed in Charlie Chaplin’s movie seemed to be about finding gold in gold mines. But during the credit crunch of the UK, it did not seem to be only about selling gold. It became a narrative about somewhat knowing others and consuming coffee together. I recall a large diaspora lady storming out of Costa Coffee and commanding me to have coffee with her and promiscuous husband and me complying because I was very scared of her. As such incidents have increased I started to defend my stand for I do not consume coffee like a bar lady which most working class Ethiopians do or so I believe. Yet, in the land they claimed asylum, I was persecuted and now I am displaced. Leaving this ironic matter aside, I am proud for maintaining my heritage.
Coffee Culture as Heritage
Coffee is a tangible consumers’ good but the culture surrounding it, as diverse and colourful it is, indeed is an intagible heritage. Conserving ones’ culture and tradition is a birthright right so is to evolve it without harming and pressurising none. Coffee, coffee consumption and coffee culture is a currency since it is with cultural congruence that we excahnge. Thus, to impose the self on others and to assume that the footprints that we leave will be socially advantageous in the short or long run is wrong. Some may argue that Conserving and protecting heritage is a self defeating prophecy, but this openion is of fascist nature.
Empowering the community and the self through the usage of a fora which does allow room for appropriate and constructive critique is the point set forth herein. The real world in which harressement takes place does not often allow such an exchange. The best tactic would be to be as diplomatic as possible you get out of the situation. At times, this can fail since the situation can be disturbing and the troll may have others backing this social anomalie that may very counted as contribution in criminal value systems.
Linguistics, Communication and Ethics
Being conversant in any language; when we take into account regional dialects, sociolinguistics, ethnolinguistics, class, culture and other factors can lead us to question as to whether the communication has actually taken place. In short, several concepts can often get lost in translation even amongst the same ethnic groups and this is due to these aforementioned factors. Thus, to hypothesize that an unsolicited contact which is equivalent to cold calling in cafés or the ‘let us have coffee’ punchline be it at work, educational establishment or indeed in the globalised community can actually lead to ethical social contracts can not be categorised as a sound theoretical standpoint in the first place.
Cafés as Formal Networking Platforms
Offering various blends of coffee, the arabica and robusta aroma of the black gold, the gift of the earth, is consumed around the world by various socioeconomic groups. From cup reading to the creation of various social discussions, coffee and it’s diverse ways of brewing adds colour and taste to life. Those who are lucky or talented have coffee tasting and travelling the world for such purposes is a vocation for which they earn money and other accolades. For the rest of us, whether we are solitaire or do belong to social groups, the occasional or regular coffee that we consume and the culture surrounding it in the technologically adavanced ecosystem should be respected. It is often on-line trolls that are excluded from networks or are indeed criminalised but abnormal behavior and the imposition of social contracts that surrounds café culture should not be overlooked. Mental ill health and emotional scar should not be inflicted on peaceful citizens as they share public goods such as the area around roadside cafés. Amenities are to be utilised without violating socially constructed norms since such phenomenon can only lead to devolution not evolution.
In addition, we have the ‘to go’ and home based coffee consumers who utilise public spaces and other amenities. The forced conscription like social contracts which allows or disallows such platform is not the point here since most people have bboot been raised to not speak to strangers for no apparent reason. There is a risk of experiencing mind rape, espionage, being conned, disgraced or harmed since the ulterior motive that is behind such adhoc social norming is not healthy at all.
One does not have to be a naturopath to be a consumer who is also consumed in nature and the oozing environment surrounding the self or the group that one belongs to at home, work, school, college, university or café. It is very offending to steal one’s golden moment for the sake striking a conversation with a stranger which is a self defeating premise. Some people argue that they were being friendly when engaging in such strange activivities or are encouraging others to do so, but befriending schemes have their own art of formation and evolution. Time will tell as to whether this notions will be inlisted as anti-social behavioural disorders. For now, fighting with the pen and conserving heritage, so that not to be stroke off seems to be the option.
Higher Education Leadership 