By Delia Lloyd
For a long time, academics sat on the sidelines of the public sphere. Sure, there were famous professors like John Kenneth Galbraith--or more recently, Paul Krugman--who had tremendous influence inside the scholarly community and also shaped the public debate. For the most part, however, academics just seemed to do "something else" and we, as a society, had little knowledge of--or interest in--exactly what that was.
In recent years, however, a growing number of Ph.D.s--both inside and outside of the university--have begun sharing their expertise with a wider audience on a range of subjects that spans economics, law, political science, even literature. And the way they've done this is through blogs.
Among the most famous of these "academic blogs" is probably Freakonomics, the New York Times blog (based on the best selling book by Steven. D. Levitt and Steven J. Dubner) that sheds economic insight onto everyday occurrences. But Freakonomics is not alone. Brad De Long, a professor of economics at the University of California Berkeley, uses his blog, "Grasping Reality with Both Hands" to discuss contemporary economic trends in layman's terms.
In law, check out Balkinization and The Volokh Conspiracy, both of which provide legal analysis, punditry and cultural commentary. And in political science, Daniel Drezner offers up his daily take on developments in politics, economics and globalization.
But you don't have to write about public policy to make your disciplinary knowledge useful and engaging for a wider public. Girl With Pen is written by a PhD in English who wishes to provide inspiration and tips for "feminist scholars seeking to popularize their prose." Nor do you have to be famous. You just need some expertise on a given topic and strong research and writing skills--two things that the academy is actually goodat providing.
Given how many Phds are leaving the academy these days because they are either forced out, can't find a job, or choose to do something else, this trend is encouraging. So if you have years of graduate school under your belt, a strong desire to make a difference, and nowhere to go with it all except (if you're lucky!) the classroom, look no further. The blogosphere awaits you...
Delia Lloyd is a writer/journalist based in London. In previous professional incarnations, she produced a nationally syndicated talk show for Chicago Public Radio and taught political science at The University of Chicago. Check out her website.