On 17th April, the Universitat Pompeu Fabra conferred on me
the title of Doctor Honoris Causa, at a public ceremony. I attended online since
I am not able to travel long-distance at present. UPF is a major public
university in Barcelona, named for Pompeu Fabra, a celebrated linguist who was
a key figure in the Catalan cultural revival of the early 20th century.
For an academic worker, an honorary doctorate is a public
recognition of one's contribution to a field of knowledge, but also, importantly,
a recognition of the field itself and its value. In this case, the study of
social hierarchies of class and gender, the study of masculinities, and
struggles for social justice and peace.