Im Leaving The Archival Profession It's Better This Way Summary

In the article, “I’m Leaving the Archival Profession: It’s Better This Way” by Jarrett Drake, a digital archivist explains why he has decided to leave the archival profession at Princeton University. Drake generally argues that professionalism is a tool to enforce social control and distracts citizens from how their occupation, career, or profession, promotes patriarchy, oppression and violence. More specifically, the archivists neutral stance on social justice plays a role in “systematic violence, hyper-concentrations of poverty, and global capitalism” (Drake, para. 9). The author quotes a small excerpt from Paul Kivel’s essay Social Service or Social Change: “Wherever we are within the economic pyramid, whatever work we are doing, it is possible to work for social justice.
But doing so is challenging” (Drake, para. 15). This quote demonstrates that there is no excuse for someone to not work towards social change. Professionals are usually the group who makes excuses as to why they cannot help the oppressed. Whether it be that they don’t want to risk losing the economic security that their present job offers or they have to deal with their personal issues, they avoid joining the movement. Archivists are apart of this group of enablers as they refuse to take a stance. They’re neutral and objective stance demonstrates what side they want to be on. Archivists role is to bury the documents of the past that demonstrate the need for change. They have the tools to actively transform educational experiences about the past and help the oppressed. However, they stay silent and shrink to ino their security blanket. In conclusion, it is evident that we need to look beyond the scope of professionalism and unite to fight for social