Academic Conferences as Nostalgia Tourism: A Regretful Polemic

Austin is where I spent eight years of my life: five and a half as a graduate student completing my doctorate, and two as an adjunct and lecturer at Texas State University. According to research by Danielle Ramirez and coauthors, scholars choose to attend conferences for three primary reasons: netwo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Theatre topics 2022-03, Vol.32 (1), p.33-39
Main Author: Kokai, Jennifer A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Climate change
College students
Conferences (Gatherings)
Education
Graduate students
Higher education
Nostalgia
Racial Differences
Social networks
Theater
Tourism
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Summary:Austin is where I spent eight years of my life: five and a half as a graduate student completing my doctorate, and two as an adjunct and lecturer at Texas State University. According to research by Danielle Ramirez and coauthors, scholars choose to attend conferences for three primary reasons: networking opportunities, fun, and education (169). The virtual format makes two of those, natural networking and fun, significantly more difficult to replicate, leaving only the educational component. Revisiting Grad School While virtual ATHE could consist solely of attending panels like the one this paper was first given at or even viewing recordings of panels in an asynchronous fashion, I have noted a proliferation of virtual social events, both formal and informal, that seek to compensate for the loss of in-person conferences’ construction and renewal of social networks.
ISSN:1054-8378
1086-3346
1086-3346
DOI:10.1353/tt.2022.0005