Bridging the gap

I was just writing my paper comparing two genres of writing in the field of exercise science when I decided to switch gears and do some blogging.  As I was reading the essay on public intellectuals and how they should function in society, I was shocked with the similarities to the paper I was just writing.  I am trying to portray the gap between science research and the reading and practice of the general public.  There is so much being discovered on the scientific end that doesn't get filtered down to a broader audience.  This is extremely comparable to the role of the "public intellectuals"- people who can bridge the gap between academia and communities to use research to address social issues.  I feel like this gap between academia and the human condition has been widening and the longer it goes unaddressed, the more difficult it will be to bridge.

In this time when the economy is so bad and jobs are scarce, there are tons of articles on "hot jobs" in fields that are in demand and growing.  Yes, our society is going to need more engineers and doctors but I have yet to see "public intellectual" listed as a booming career.  Public intellectual is not so much a job title but a role in society.  Public intellectuals can have many job titles but must be intelligent, good communicators, and be willing and able to think abstractly and break down behavior and idea barriers.  Bridging the science-humanity bridge takes more than pure engineering but an element of creating connections between people and ideas.  This is idealistic in theory but in reality is very difficult to achieve.  Not many are able to understand this delicate balance, especially with the unintentional yet well defined class system in society.

At first I was at a loss as to how to identify public intellectuals in my field since the traits seemed too abstract to simply research.  However, I called my mom who is a senior center director and listened to her input.  She comes in contact with many people who are extremely educated yet are willing and able to make their work accessible to the audience they are addressing.

One example is Dr. Leslie Neuman who is a neurologist that specializes in Parkinson's Disease at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Rapids.  He is a very accomplished researcher yet holds conferences open to Parkinson's Patients such as Meet the Researchers held last November.  He has even made multiple trips to Cadillac to speak with the Parkinson's support group.  He does a great job of tailoring his presentation to his audience by making it understandable to patients and caregivers.  This makes facing the disease a lot easier for these people who are frightened and overwhelmed.

These are the kind of public intellectual that our society needs and will always be a "hot career"- not for the money but for the benefit to society.  I hope that I don't lose sight of this idea as I delve deeper into academia.

Kaitlyn