"Recently, I had a conversation with a few of my friends over dinner about an upcoming networking event they had to attend. It was hosted by the company they worked for, so their attendance was required. None of them were eager to take part. They would prefer solving equations and working on their code over "selling" their work to potential sponsors or cooperation partners, they told me. Unfortunately, marketing one's ideas to others is often accompanied by small talk and shallow conversations."
"The logic of productivity, efficiency, and profit has infested the way we define the concept of networking and how we relate to the idea of connecting to other people within our field. This misconception not only forecloses meaningful relationships in the field but is also ethically problematic when we approach networking for the sake of solely profiting from others-especially when the profit gain is concealed."
Networking is pervasive through platforms and events across professional and academic life. Some professionals enjoy networking, while others dread it and prefer technical work to promoting their ideas. Required attendance at employer-hosted events forces participation that often involves small talk and shallow conversations. Securing funding and presenting the value of research are central professional responsibilities that require persuasive self-presentation. The prevailing emphasis on productivity, efficiency, and profit shapes networking interactions and relationships. Framing networking primarily as an instrument for personal or institutional gain can prevent meaningful connections and raises ethical concerns, especially when profit motives are concealed. The objective of networking should be reconsidered.
Read at Apaonline
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