Ivory Tower?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>, <span word="particularly">particularly</span> “<span word="Ivory">Ivory</span> <span word="Tower">Tower</span>”: <span word="While">While</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="academy">academy</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="dominated">dominated</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="men">men</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="women">women</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Ivory">Ivory</span> <span word="Tower">Tower</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="increasing">increasing</span> <span word="rapidly">rapidly</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="women">women</span> <span word="teachers">teachers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="professors">professors</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="universities">universities</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="colleges">colleges</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="increasing">increasing</span> <span word="rapidly">rapidly</span>, <span word="even">even</span> <span word="though">though</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="outnumbered">outnumbered</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="male">male</span> <span word="teachers">teachers</span> – <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="gap">gap</span> <span word="remains">remains</span> <span word="big">big</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="Ivory">Ivory</span> <span word="Tower">Tower</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="synonymous">synonymous</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="schools">schools</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="academies">academies</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="deal">deal</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="intellectual">intellectual</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="rather">rather</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="working">working</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bills">bills</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="world">world</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="why">why</span> “<span word="Ivory">Ivory</span> <span word="Tower">Tower</span>”, <span word="literally">literally</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tower">tower</span> <span word="built">built</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="ivory">ivory</span> (<span word="the">the</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="white">white</span> <span word="substance">substance</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="tusks">tusks</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="elephant">elephant</span>) <span word="gets">gets</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="associated">associated</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="academic">academic</span>?</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="short">short</span> <span word="answer">answer</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="guess">guess</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="ivory">ivory</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="white">white</span>, <span word="pure">pure</span>, <span word="strong">strong</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="precious">precious</span>. <span word="Shielded">Shielded</span> <span word="within">within</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tower">tower</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="house">house</span>, <span word="one">one</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="insulated">insulated</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="harsh">harsh</span>, <span word="tough">tough</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="cruel">cruel</span> <span word="realities">realities</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="outside">outside</span> <span word="world">world</span>. <span word="Within">Within</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="warm">warm</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="comfortable">comfortable</span> <span word="Ivory">Ivory</span> <span word="Tower">Tower</span>, <span word="one">one</span> <span word="reads">reads</span>, <span word="thinks">thinks</span>, <span word="drinks">drinks</span> <span word="tea">tea</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="wine">wine</span> <span word="and">and</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="feels">feels</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="writes">writes</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lecture">lecture</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="various">various</span> <span word="topics">topics</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="run">run</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="sound">sound</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="rich">rich</span>, <span word="leisurely">leisurely</span> <span word="university">university</span> <span word="professor">professor</span>, <span word="doesn">doesn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="it">it</span>?</p><p><span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="short">short</span> <span word="answer">answer</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="answer">answer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="why">why</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Ivory">Ivory</span> <span word="Tower">Tower</span> <span word="became">became</span> <span word="synonymous">synonymous</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="academic">academic</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="well">well</span>, <span word="long">long</span>, <span word="convoluted">convoluted</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="kind">kind</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="confusing">confusing</span>, <span word="so">so</span> <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="m">m</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="delving">delving</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="it">it</span>. “<span word="The">The</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="mention">mention</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ivory">ivory</span> <span word="towers">towers</span>”, <span word="suffice">suffice</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span>, “<span word="is">is</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Bible">Bible</span>, <span word="Song">Song</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Solomon">Solomon</span> 7:4 (<span word="King">King</span> <span word="James">James</span> <span word="Version">Version</span>): <span word="Thy">Thy</span> <span word="neck">neck</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="tower">tower</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ivory">ivory</span>” (<span word="Phrases">Phrases</span>.<span word="org">org</span>.<span word="uk">uk</span>).</p>
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