'Problematising' Things

The first time I heard of this word, 'problematizing,' was when Dr. AF Mathews (from IIM Kozhikode) was scheduled to visit our campus and conduct a workshop on the subject. At first, I thought the word meant making a problem out of something (a good guess, I figured). I later realized that the term actually referred to something more specific in academic discourse. Specifically, it referred to the

"act of identifying, analyzing, and critiquing the assumptions, limitations, or problematic aspects of a particular concept, situation, or set of beliefs."

When someone says they want to 'problematize' something, they mean they want to challenge the assumptions behind it. In the process, they aim to highlight the complexities and contradictions that lie beneath and bring out some non-obvious insights from it.

Those next few days were special for all of us. Dr. Mathews was a breath of fresh air. My best friend, Akshay (who is now a professor at Masters' Union School of Business) had learned under him when he was a PGP student at IIM Kozhikode. We had discussions ranging from Dr. Mathews' collection of film posters (yes, that's a thing) to Akshay's classes, and how academia is changing right before our eyes. He also discussed the concept of problematizing in the lecture and explained to us why it was necessary for us to problematize issues in these trying times. I don't remember the exact words he said that day, but I believe something stayed with us, making us think about the world differently. It led us to challenge the 'taken-for-granted' aspects of an issue and start thinking and understanding them differently. In so many ways, this is both the blessing and curse of pursuing a PhD.

I wanted to talk about the idea of problematizing today because I felt it was important. I also feel the need, for some reason, to carry on the baton from the old man, break it into a million pieces, and distribute it to my students. But I shall not delve into an academic discussion on the subject. Instead, I will try to problematize a recent occurrence and perhaps allow you to think about things from there.

A few days ago, we organized an open house at our institute. A student from one of the first rows stood up and asked, "Could we have fewer classes so that we can absorb what is being taught?" The answer from the faculty was rather standard, in my opinion. Someone said this was part of the 'rigor' of being in an IIM. Another said, "This is what corporations demand of you." Yet another added, "Most companies today expect their employees to pull late-nighters." The answers seemed to convince the students, I guess. No one else extended the questioning, and the topic quickly shifted.

Now, let's problematize this. By that, I mean—let's make it a problem and not just take it for granted. Let's question it and understand if something lies beneath the surface. And let's do this slowly, step by step.

First, what was the boy really trying to say? I believe he wasn't using the right words. I think he meant that he wanted more time to reflect on some of the ideas taught in class. Let's not forget that students come from very diverse backgrounds, and very often, many of the concepts covered in class are entirely new to them. I studied physics in my undergrad, and my sister studied economics; I can say with certainty that I had never seen supply and demand curves in my entire life before the first session of microeconomics. Did I wish I had more time to understand that? Definitely! Some of you (considering many of my readers are from my marketing classes) may be surprised to learn that the demand curve is actually the 'willingness to pay' curve and can have a beautiful interpretation through a marketing lens. But it took me many years during my Ph.D. studies to grasp that.

Second, do we accept that firms are going to demand that, and therefore it is okay for us to expect the same? Is it not true that our students will lead corporate India in a few decades? In the words of our founding father, should we not "be the change we wish to see"? Are we really saying it's okay for firms to burden their executives with an unhealthy work culture? If you really think about it, it's precisely because most B-schools do not care about these issues that the MBA is slowly losing its sheen.

Third, and by extension, are we emphasizing breadth over depth in our curriculum? Perhaps a more intimate discussion on why we do what we do is necessary for us?

Don't get me wrong here; I'm not saying the answers provided were wrong or that the question was wrong. All I'm saying is that the particular event that transpired may have lasted just a few seconds, but there may be so much more for us to understand about it. And one way to understand more is by problematising.

In the pursuit of knowledge, it's easy for us to fall into the trap of accepting information at face value. Just because it's in a textbook or a paper, we accept it as 'truth.' The real educational journey begins when we start problematizing the world around us and questioning the ideas presented to us. As young students, practicing this regularly will help you learn with greater depth. Please question the norms, dig deeper into established facts, and ultimately become architects of change.

I will pass on this note to Dr. Mathews. Knowing him, he will probably problematize it. He says it's not a baton but a torch, or something like that. I hope you all problematize, question, and strive for a deeper understanding through your own educational journeys. After all, it's only when we dare to confront the complexities and contradictions around us that we can aspire to overcome them.