wicked anomie: sociology run amok

Sociology and....Artisan Perfume? Yes.

2011-07-08T20:00:00.005-04:00

Looking for the finest perfume ever? A custom fragrance made just for you, by a parfumeur with a background in sociology? Anomic perfume, you say?

Then check out my latest endeavor: an artisan perfumery. Yes, I got my PhD, and started something completely different!

Go figure.

Never fear, however! I am still teaching sociology, living the glorious life of a mercenary sociologist, teaching-for-hire to the highest bidder, peddling perfume in my spare (ha!) time. And I have two publications coming out this year. So there, suckas!

Didn't want that full-time job anyhow. (Though in my defense, my complete unwillingness to move does limit my options pretty severely.)

And I totally have to be the first sociological perfumer in the world. I hope. What is sociological perfume? I don't know yet. But I'll figure it out.

I Moved, By The Way

2010-09-04T22:52:00.003-04:00

In case you aren't my Facebook "friend," It may quite well have escaped your attention that I am now blogging under my own name. The new blog is more of a free-for-all. And it will not be very heavily updates.

When the spirit moves me, I blog. When it does not, I remain silent.

A Well-Phrased Question

2010-01-31T14:41:00.005-05:00

I wish I wrote these words. They so perfectly capture that elusive idea of social location and the sociological perspective:

What if we all assumed, just for a day, that everyone was doing the best they could to get by. What if we assumed, just for a day, that poor people aren’t poor because they are less worthy, less smart, less hard-working, or just plain less? Where would that leave us?
It would leave us with a lot of questions. It would leave us asking how things got to be this way and what forces are at work keeping them this way. It would leave us wondering about how those inequities relate to accidents of geography, skin color, and birth. It would leave us wondering if those inequities aren’t accidental at all. And it would leave us asking who benefits from us distrusting each other so much.

Go read the rest at BroadSnark.

Dante's Internet

2010-01-28T17:38:00.009-05:00

This is clever, though my own version would be radically different. Basically, I'm posting this as more of a "that's really interesting but I completely disagree with everything you just said!"

Found via Shapely Prose. Don't know who made it.

Puzzling through Dissertation Findings

2009-12-23T16:53:00.006-05:00

Today I've been chugging through my dissertation research, analyzing and writing away. Most of the day has been pretty straightforward, with my hypotheses generally being partially supported. But here's a finding that kind of jumped out of nowhere:

I'm looking at data from freshman engineering students. I want to see if their commitment to the major influences academic integration. Big concepts. So I pick little measurements that I think maybe indicate these things. Like do they attend class regularly, take notes and ask questions, visit their professor/TA's office hours, study a lot, feel excited about school, and get along well with the faculty?

And in the process of working this out I came across something interesting:

There is no gender difference regarding a student's commitment to the goal of becoming an engineer. However, overall, female students study LOTS more than the male students. They are less likely to skip class, and they tend to be more engaged during class. More of them are excited about school. They frequent office hours more often. All interesting in and of itself, to be sure.

But once you get to the faculty interactions, there is an even more interesting shift. My table full of nice positive, significant correlations suddenly become significant in a decidedly more negative direction. Female students express greater dissatisfaction with their interactions with engineering professors. They also report greater difficulty meeting and interacting with engineering professors.

There are two possible reasons I can think of for this difference. One, it could be that professors are paying more attention to their male students. Which would really suck. But it could also be that professors are giving equal attention, but the female students find this amount insufficient while the male students - who seem to be generally less engaged in school anyway - are perfectly fine with what little they are getting.

But level of engagement in courses, exitement about school, etc do not seem to explain this gender difference in feelings about faculty. Overall, faculty relations is positively correlated with course engagement and excitement about school. Especially course engagement - those who go to class, take notes, ask questions, and attend office hours are much more likely to say positive things about their relationships with faculty. But splitting the file by gender indicates this correlation exists for male and female students. In fact, it looks like the correlation might be slightly stronger for female students.

So why do female students, generally report greater course engagement, greater interest in school, but less satisfaction with faculty interactions? I'm flummoxed.

Teaching Website

2009-12-17T14:05:00.004-05:00

Ah, the limbo state of winter break! Another semester draws away, and a new one has not yet begun. This is prime time for reflection and preparation.

Although many considerations go into devising a course, one that seems to take the most time and effort is the syllabus. Recently, Inside Higher Education featured an article on the demise of the creative syllabus, "No More Fancy Fonts" by Mikita Brottman. This article got me to thinking about my own syllabus design, and how it can be improved upon.

The traditional syllabus can be a challenge to uphold - especially for professors who like to tailor their instruction to the personality and mood of the class. My challenge has been incorporating assigned readings. Textbooks are all well and good, but they are incomplete resources. I want to assign readings based on current events, hot topics, and things I find that day. I typically bring these items into class, incorporate all the links into my PowerPoints, and go over as many as I have time for during lecture. But some of these are links to articles that should be read in their own right. But I can't add them to my syllabus because they haven't been written yet. And I don't know until the week beforehand what examples and illustrations my lecture is going to focus on. It depends on the students and what seems relevant at the time.

So, what to do?

Behold! - I am trying out a course blog. I created my very own website, in which two of the links are to teaching blogs. The syllabus has two items listed for required reading - the relevant pages in the textbook, and the course blog.

The website is one of those Weebly templates (I just messed with the fonts and banner). It was super easy to set up, and free for a basic setup.

What I like about this is that the website doubles as a sort of online teaching portfolio. I have an "about me" page, my vitae, a selection of quotes from student evaluations, my teaching philosophy, and I'll probably add more later.

And I'm already excited about showing this all to my next wave of students!

Job Interview Questions

2009-12-04T08:23:00.007-05:00

I just came across a handy-looking list of academic job interview questions over at Inside Higher Ed. Mary Sies says,

"This is a list of job interview questions I compiled when I was applying for college or university positions in American studies, history, and architectural history. Every category of question I have ever been asked at a job interview is represented below. Good luck in your job search."

1. Describe your research. (Have a good articulate rap down pat in short and longer versions, for experts and non-experts)

1a. What audiences are you addressing, what are the other hot books or scholars in your field, and how does your work compare with theirs?

1ai. (Rephrased: what is the cutting edge in your field and how does your work extend it?)

1aii. (Answer this question on your terms, not those of your competition.)

1b. How will you go about revising your dissertation for publication?

1bi. (be able to answer this in both general and specific ways.)

1bii. Question may imply: do you have an interested publisher and where do you stand in your negotiations with said publisher?

1biii. Question may also imply: We thought there were some significant shortcomings in your thesis, but we like you, so we're giving you this chance to redeem yourself by indicating that you're in the process of addressing these shortcomings in ways that we think appropriate.

1c. What you've said is all very interesting, but doesn't work in your field sometimes tend to border on the (choose adjective) esoteric, antiquarian, (and if postmodern) ridiculous? What is the broader significance of your research? How does it expand our historic understanding, literary knowledge, humanistic horizons?

1ci. Remember that this is a legitimate and important question -- may be the toughest one you get.

1cii. Usually asked by someone outside your field. Can you explain the value of your work to an educated layperson?

1ciii. Asks you to grapple with limitations in your research. Don't be afraid to acknowledge these, particularly if you can use such an acknowledgment to indicate where you intend to go in your research after this. (My doctoral research, you see, is only the necessary first step...)

2. What is your basic teaching philosophy?

2a. Question might be answered quite differently for the small liberal arts college, state branch university with heavy service teaching load, or graduate-degree granting institution.

3. How would you teach...?

3a. basic service courses in your field

3b. any of the courses on your C.V. that you say you can teach.

3c. What courses would you like to teach if you had your druthers? How would you teach them?

3d. (Many committees will want to know which specific books you would use.)

3di. This may be an indirect way of ascertaining whether you already have the course in the can.

3dii. Do you, for example, know what is and is not in print in pb form?

3diii. Which text would you use (have you used) for the U.S. Survey, for English composition, for Am Lit 101, etc.? (Beware: this can turn into a great test of your poise and diplomatic skills when one search committee member says "I love that book" and the next says "I wouldn't be caught dead including that text on MY syllabus.")

3e. Be prepared to talk about several courses, after having sized up the institution's needs.

3ei. Do your homework to anticipate what the department needs.

3eii. Be prepared to talk about teaching its basic service course(s). If you're applying to a small liberal arts college, this could include things like Western Civilization, Western European art history, Brit Lit., etc.

3eiii. Be ready to talk in detail about an innovative course or two that you think the department might really go for -- something new and within your expertise.

3f. Take course X. As you would teach it, what three goals would the course achieve? When students had completed your course, what would they have learned that is of lasting value?

4. Tell us how your research has influenced your teaching. In what ways have you been able to bring the insights of your research to your courses at the undergraduate level?

5. We are a service-based state branch university with an enrollment of three zillion student credit hours per semester, most of them in the basic required courses. Everyone, therefore, teaches the service courses. How would you teach Hist or Lit or Art 101?

5a. (What they are asking is are you willing/experienced/ mentally stable enough to teach a heavy service course load to students who've likely read fewer than three books in their entire lives.)

5b. (They may also be saying) No one on the faculty (much less the students) at Mediocre State U. has even heard of the figure/subject/method of your research. How do you think you could fit in here? Could you be happy or at least useful in a backwater? (i.e., can she survive in Timbuktu with idiots for colleagues and morons for students?)

6. Your degree is from Prestigious Research University -- what makes you think you would like to (or even would know how to) teach in a small liberal arts college?

6a. Depending on the college, this may be one or two questions:

6ai. (Can she survive in Timbuktu with idiots for colleagues and morons for students?) same as 5b.

6aii. Do you understand the liberal arts college mission, are you a dedicated teacher, and will you give your students the time and personal attention that we demand from all our faculty members?

6b. At our college, teaching is the first priority. Do you like teaching? Would you survive (and thrive) under those circumstances?

6c. What experience do you have teaching or learning in such a setting?

7. This is a publish or perish institution with very high standards for tenure review -- what makes you think you would be able to earn tenure here? (see next question).

8. Tell us about your research program. What are you working on currently? (now that you've completed your doctoral work)? What do you plan to look at next?

8a. Having a paper or a talk ready that showcases a topic different from your doctoral research and demonstrates research prowess.

9. Why do you especially want to teach at Nameless College or University? How do you see yourself contributing to our department?

9a. (The real answer to this, of course, is "because I need the job, jerk!" But don't be caught without a well-considered answer. This is a hard question to answer if you are unprepared for it. Be sure you've done your homework.)

9b. (for small colleges) We conceive of our campus as one large community. What non- or extra-academic activities would you be interested in sponsoring or participating in?

10. Are you connected? (If you were organizing a special symposium or mini-conference on your topic, which scholars could you pick up the phone to call?)

11. For women only: (Hem, haw) What does your husband think about you taking a job in another state?

11a. How long do you (do you really) plan to stay? The correct answer is "at least until my tenure review." These days, no one expects a longer commitment than that.

11b. How will you handle the separation? (This is asking for reassurance that you plan to live at Nameless U rather than commuting from your husband's home base. The last woman they hired did that and it didn't work out; she was never around.)

11bi. They may be trying to ascertain whether you have children without asking directly.

11bii. You may want to offer a strategy for how you're going to manage your marriage (we've done this before -- it's no big deal; my husband has a more marketable career and can't wait to follow me to your wonderful location; it's none of your business.)

11biii. If you're not obviously married, committees probably will not bother you with these sorts of questions. It will then be up to you to raise them if they are important to you. Would there be any chance, for example, of landing a joint appointment for my "fiancee" or "companion"? I don't recommend this unless it's a decisive issue for you. If it is decisive, and it's a job you want, then by all means raise it at the time of the campus interview.

11c. An enlightened and clever search committee might raise this question with a candidate, acknowledging that it's a personal matter but will weigh on your decision to take the job, should you get an offer.

11d. Whether you're male or female, a search committee (assuming they find you an especially attractive candidate) may try to ascertain this sort of information to 1) inform you (because they feel it's only fair) what their institution's policy is on joint offers, or 2) see what it would realistically take to land you (is a joint offer the only set of terms you'll accept).

11di. (As someone who has been stuck in a commuting marriage for 7 years now, I am obviously not the best person to give advice on how to pull this off).

11dii. A wrong answer to such an inquiry may disqualify your candidacy.

12. You've seen our (religious) mission statement. How would you see yourself contributing to our mission and campus atmosphere?

12a. Technically, asking about your religious affiliation/ beliefs is an illegal question [outside of some religious institutions]. Committees will be more or less direct with you about this question and you can perceive the degree of conformity/support they expect according to how they broach the subject.

12b. They are also trying to tell you that character (defined in their traditional, conservative way) counts at the institution and in town as well; they want you to withdraw from consideration if you won't fit in.

Mary Corbin Sies is an associate professor of American studies at the University of Maryland at College Park

And for some other advice I've collected about the job market, see here and here but maybe not here.

Happy Eid al-Adha from Best Buy

2009-11-26T12:35:00.003-05:00

For those of you who aren't up on your Muslim holidays, Eid al-Adha is the Feast of Sacrifice. It celebrates the virtures of making sacrifices for your god, and is based on a story about a man named Abraham (in his various spellings). Allah/Jehovah/God told Abraham to kill his son as proof of his devotion. But once it was quite certain Abraham really would do such a thing, Allah/Jehovah/God told Abraham to abort the mission. It was enough that he was willing. As such, the holiday also celebrates the idea that Allah/Jehovah/God would never really ask you to kill your kid just to show your devotion.

Muslims celebrate on this day by sacrificing an animal. One third they keep, one third goes to family and friends, and one third to feed the poor.

Best Buy's well-wishes to Muslims on this holiday has sparked some contoversy. That Fox News link provides a nice, unbiased review of the controversy.

No, really, it does.

The message board at BestBuy.com has been abuzz with what looks like mostly negative reactions from offended Christians. Best Buy has responded by saying that they are going to start including greetings for many holidays. I guess they decided to start with this one.

Here's my thoughts: Christians may not celebrate this holiday, but they share the story. And they share the values it represents, do they not? Perhaps what we should be doing is focus on what these religions share, which is quite a lot.

Hell, at least the Muslim holiday includes giving food to the poor right there in the holiday description. Sure, PETA would throw a fit over the animal being killed to begin with, but at least they give most of the meat away.

Barbie, Eat a Sandwich

2009-11-18T17:15:00.004-05:00

There's an interesting comment thread at Feministing regarding this video. Is it awesome or offensive? Does it subvert the Cult of Thinness or just shift the policing of women's bodies from a derogation of one size extreme to the other?

And now I will grace you with my thoughts:

The fights over whether it's worse to be the thin person constantly harrassed to "eat a sandwich," or the fat person constantly harrassed to "put the sandwich down," or the average woman who constantly worries that sandwich will make her fat, is divisive and beside the point.

This isn't about who is more oppressed.

(And while we're at it, size isn't only about sandwiches. But I digress...)

Let's note what this battle over who gets more harrassed because of their size really shows: damn near every single woman, regardless of size, has a complaint about how she's been made to feel bad because of her size. You know why? Because the huge pressure average-and-above-sized women feel to be thin, AND the vitriol directed at women who ARE thin, are both situation-specific manifestations of a greater problem, in which women's bodies are constantly being policed and objectified. Weight is but one part of that. Right now the ideal is thinness. We could change that, but still not get rid of the underlying problem.

So how about instead of swinging the pendulum toward thin-hate, we just stop policing women's bodies altogether? Criticism of the thinness ideal is good. Holding up an image of a woman to abuse as a symbol of all that's wrong with this ideal is bad.

And the "it's directed at a doll" excuse doesn't fly with me. Since when does the target have to be a real, live person for the act to be sexist, racist, homophobic, sizist, etc.? You're not killing real hookers in Grand Theft Auto, either.

What matters is what Barbie represents. Yes, she represents an extreme form of the thinness ideal, which is at least partially rooted in a societal tendency to police women's bodies. You know what else she represents? Take another look at that song. Barbie is characterized as dumb and vapid. Why?

I mean, she's just a doll, after all. She is what we project onto her. Why do the girls imply she's a vapid idiot? Hell, she's a doctor who has been to the moon!

I say we take guidance from Jezebel on this and drop "eat a sandwich" and all its iterations out of our general lexicon.

And while we're at it, let's drop "have a sense of humor," too. Because the only time I've ever heard that phrased used is in response to someone sticking up for themselves or someone else.

It's not about how many sandwiches you do or don't eat. It's about having a positive body image. More than that, it's about body image taking a backseat altogether when it comes to a girl's self-esteem.

And I think that's what those girls were trying to say.

Undergraduates and Feminism

2009-11-14T12:54:00.004-05:00

This week in Social Problems we covered inequalities of sex and gender. To conclude the week, I talked a bit about feminism and showed different examples of feminist sites and arguments. Then I asked my students to reflect on feminism. Do they call themselves feminists? Is feminism still necessary? Why or why not?

Nobody claimed the feminist label, but 69% (18/26) argued that feminism is still important and useful. Of those who said it was important but did not claim the label for themselves, about half indicated it's because they personally do not fight for gender equality. They believe there should be equality, they believe there currently isn't, and they believe this is wrong. However, for them, feminism involves taking active polital stance to rectify the situation. As such, labeling oneself 'feminist' is not the same sort of self-categorization as labeling oneself 'liberal.'

The other half either didn't claim the label because they don't like to label themselves, or for no specified reason.

Of the eight that do not still feel feminism is useful:

All of them agree that gender inequality still exists. Three dislike feminism because it is too White and middle class. They feel gender inequality is worth fighting against, but they feel like calling themselves feminists means they would be favoring the fight for one at the expense of others.

The other five feel that gender inequality is natural and - yes - even good. There are biological differences, and men make naturally better leaders. It's God's intention, or they just prefer for men to rule (these are women making such arguments).

There was another interesting tidbit regarding the belief about feminist battles. Most students favored (you know, IF they were to be a feminist) a more essentialist approach to gender equality. They feel that many of the differences we see between men and women are natural and we don't really need to bother with that - socialization amplifies differences that are already there. Inequality mainly results from our society's tendency to favor male attributes and contributions. In other words, feminism should focus less on getting rid of gender stereotypes and more on valuing the feminine. Though many of those same students are quick to argue that we shouldn't punish people when their gender performance does deviate from the norm.

So, they seem to interpret gender differences as being aggregate traits rather than categorical ones. They are true on average, but not in total. In other words, maybe the categories are socially constructed, and socialization further shifts these gender differences into even more of a binary, but the basis is still biological to some extent.

I think there might be a research project in this...

My [insert relevant dimension] Privilege Statement

2009-11-12T10:57:00.002-05:00

Over on My BackStage, Pitse1eh expresses her joy at not having to teach inequalities again for a while, because paying constant attention to existing societal inequalities is just so damn depressing. And she's right.

I'm teaching Social Problems for the first time right now, and a big chunk of that is inequality. I'm teaching it again next semester. To high school students (egads).

The privileged nature of this orientation to teaching inequality is rooted in the fact that we, due to our social location, can ignore most inequalities if we want to. We can blithely go through our lives completely unengaged with the idea that there are structural inequalities that disproportionately hurt members of some groups comared to others. Because we are both White, and part of a heterosexual dyadic marital arrangement, and ambigiously religious, the only inequality Pitse1eh and I are really on the shit end of is gender.

So we are forced to pay attention to discrimination, "isms", prejudice, etc. in order to teach others about this insidious underbelly of our society. But others are forced to pay attention to these things because they live it.

So here's my privilege statement:

I'm still knee-deep in the insidious underbelly of inequality, always on the lookout for examples and studies to bring to my students. So, when I see something like this, yes I feel sad. But another part of me is super excited.

YES! WHAT AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF RACISM!!!

Because, in a very real way, I am a Collector of Isms.

And that list of resources olderwoman just put up will be a lovely addition to my collection.

Racism, for me, is not a lived experience. It is an academic inquiry. How does that impact my teaching of it? Or the students' listening? The White woman teaching about racism one week - is she heard differently the following week when she teaches about sexism?

I love these guys

2009-11-08T16:52:00.001-05:00

Where's OUR avalance of wtf?

2009-11-07T08:03:00.001-05:00

Mindhacks recently posted about the "giant avalanche of wtf" that ensues if you Google "says psychologist." Clearly, someone needed to Google "says sociologist."

Here's the top 10:

1. Turkish Public Mostly Against Establishing Relations with Armenia, says sociologist
2. Climate change offers Europe a chance to change the way the world solves problems by drawing in poorer countries, says sociologist
3. "Make no mistake, there is a new economy," says sociologist
4. Puppy love should be avoided 'to make later relationships easier', says sociologist
5. Turkish Schools World's Most Global Movement, says sociologist
6. Americans Lack Family Time, says sociologist
7. Sex workers are not always victims, says sociologist
8. Race not a Black and White Issue, says Sociologist
9. Young people return to church, says sociologist
10. "Indulto law works," says sociologist

Hmmm...seems like sociologists don't quite get the same avalanche of wtf. Clearly we are more awesome than psychologists. Right?

Right???

Soft Years

2009-11-06T13:28:00.003-05:00

It is not uncommon for sociology PhD candidates to take what is called a "soft year" on the market. Basically, your first year on the market is spent applying only to a careful selection of departments whose ranks you reallyreallyreally want to join. After getting all those rejections out of the way, you wait a year and try again--this time casting the net more widely.

This is my soft year.

From here on out it shall be referenced as TP Soft. Because (a) I think tp is a good tangential reference for this year's abysmal job market, and (b) my soft year is more than just soft. It's quilted, for extra softeness:

You see, dear reader, I am only applying for one job this year. One position. One department.

One.

And as much as I would really like this job, I know my chances are slim. My application is submitted. The voodoo doll has been given offerings of chocolate and wine.

And now I wait.

Teaching Logical Fallacies in Social Problems

2009-10-26T08:14:00.006-04:00

Because of post hoc changes I've made to my social problems curriculum, I now have two extra days coming up in a few weeks where nothing is scheduled (I scrapped their third multiple choice quiz and am having them do a series of four assignments that will help prepare them for their final project instead).

I'm thinking about filling the extra days with instruction on logical fallacies and an in-class activity. The vast majority of these students are not sociology majors. They aren't planning on going into research, either. They will graduate and get all different sorts of jobs, and many will leave the world of academia behind forever. More important than deep theoretical understandings of social problems is an ability to critically approach information about social problems as it is presented to them (likely via the media).

I think the best place to find a good debate to deconstruct is in the comments thread of a controvertial post. But it will have to be a good thread. Anybody know any controversial posts with really good comment threads?

So, the project would go something like this:

1. A lecture on Logical Fallacies: How to spot them, how to refute them.
2. A review of the basic components of analyzing a social problem: distinguishing descriptive conditions from subjective concerns, determining the root influence of the subjective concern (belief about descriptive conditions, values, morals), finding the counterarguments.
3. Find a good post on a problem that is relevant and interesting. The one that gave me this idea is Why Would Scholastic Book Fairs Ban Books With Same-Sex Parents in Them?
4. To prep, I would take the article and comments thread and make a handout out of it, numbering the comments for easy reference.
5. Give each student a copy of the article and about 10 comments. The student must analyse the comments for claims being made about descriptive conditions, what subjective concern is being raised and why, and are there any logical fallacies present.
6. Conclude with students sharing any interesting comments and what their analysis of it was.
7. They submit their work, and I can put together a general overview of what they found to present to them the next class period (I wonder how long that would take.)

Another option, which I think might be more fun, less work for me, but would it be as instructive, since they're not seeing real-life examples of the fallacies and arguments?

1. Do the lecture on logical fallacies and the review of how to deconstruct a social problem.
2. Pass out a controversial article.
3. Have students write five comments of their own on the article. One of the comments would use their knowledge of how to deconstruct a social problem to agree with whatever is being said, then a second would use that same knowledge to disagree. Then they pick their three favorite logical fallicies, and write comments that illustrate each.

Either way, I think the results would make for a good blog post.

Obedience and Group Processes

2009-10-07T05:32:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was Group Processes day in my Introductory Sociology class. We covered the more insidious processes - fun stuff like the bystander effect, groupthink, conformity, and obedience. I talked about the classics - Kitty Genovese, Milgram, Asch. I also threw in PrankNET, who in one of their more notable pranks, managed to get three female KFC employees to go outside, remove all of their clothing and urinate on each other. In addition, I discussed the strip search prank call scam, showing the 20/20 video of the case from the state in which I teach. On the instructions of a caller posing as a cop, a McDonalds manager had a girl strip naked, then brought in her fiance, who, over the course of about three hours, proceeded to (on instruction) have her do jumping jacks, spanked her, and had her perform oral sex on him.

The hardest part is convincing people these aren't isolated incidents, and that those involved aren't inherently uncaring or stupid. But you do have to wonder about the spanking and sexual assault. Surely at this point the guy would figure out it's not really a cop on the other line? But with that, the holocaust, and women being murdered in public (I also brought in modern examples of that), it's a depressing day. What I only just now discovered, however, is this more lighthearted example:

Fishing for suckers

Perhaps next time I'll include that one. Maybe emulate Professor Moody's style of teaching the unforgivable curses. Start off with some lighthearted and funny examples, then move on to the more nefarious consequences of those same processes.

Fighting over Dissertation Advisors

2009-10-02T12:41:00.006-04:00

This is absolute insanity. At Brunel University, law students had to literally stand in line and wait to get a dissertation advisor. First come first serve. Apparently, eager students were lining up as early as 8pm the night before. One collapsed, and while being dragged away by medics, begged to be allowed to stay in line. Fights broke out. I'm guessing someone was trying to cut.

It reminds me of people camping out in line for concert tickets. Except this is for dissertation advisors.

Crazy.

They could at least have a vitual line. Or do it like Ticketmaster - sales open at 8am, order by phone.

I wonder if the advisors have any say in who they get?

Grades as a Measure of Course Difficulty

2009-09-28T11:02:00.005-04:00

This is the current grade distribution for my Social Problems class. It's obviously not the normal curve you're "supposed" to have, but generally I'm okay with a distribution like this, though I'd prefer the modal grade to be a B. About half the class has an A at the moment, and the vast majority have at least a C. Attendance in this class is good. People seem to be paying attention, they contribute and ask questions, nod along, etc.

This is the current grade distribution for my Introductory Sociology class. The modal grade is a B, and all but one student is passing (and that person is an absentee student). I'm generally okay with this, but I'd prefer there to be more C's and a handful of students getting Ds and Fs. These students seem to be just skating by without any effort. (Oh and the Intro students really are skating by - attendance is typically at about 50%, compared to 90% in my 8am Social Problems class).

Why on Earth would it bother me that students aren't doing worse in my classes? Do I want my kids to fail? Well, no. It's more about what those grades imply to me. A more normal distribution makes me think I'm not handing out A's like lollipops, but I'm not making it so my students aren't all working hard but still sinking either. My underlying assumption is that effort is also going to fall into a normal distribution, along with intelligence. As such, if too many people are getting A's, it means that the A's are coming too easily.

So, as I was evaluating the students' progress thus far, I found myself thinking, "Egads! I've made these classes too easy." And I know I'm basing this thought entirely on the grades. Not "enough" are failing or doing poorly. Surely, if the distribution of student talent and intelligence is normal, then my grade distribution should be as well, right? Well, maybe. But maybe not.

I have some longitudinal "data" on at least one of these courses. This is the third time I've taught Intro (minor modifications each time), but it's the first time the grade distribution hasn't come out closer to normal. So I know the curriculum isn't "too easy" in and of itself. What's changed?

Well, I'm at a new school this semester. What can we infer from this? Are the students at the new school just smarter? Probably not. They're both public, state schools. Do the students here work harder? Maybe. Maybe they do the assigned readings, whereas I know the students at the last school usually didn't. Maybe my teaching skills have grown by such leaps and bounds since the last time I taught this class over a year ago that the students are just learning so much better! But, nice as that thought is, I honestly don't think that's it.

So what are some other plausible explanations? And do I adjust the course accordingly? Make it harder, so it's not so easy for students to get an A? I'm thinking I should, but not this semester. I've already established a baseline here, and I don't want to shake things up too much halfway through.

Teh Internets Hasn't made ME Stoopid

2009-09-27T20:00:00.006-04:00

So I was, like, TOTALLY just surfin' the webs, ya know, like seeyin whut wuz up in the world and shit - I do like to keep up with the world - and I saw this post by JOhn Quiggen on Crooked Timber, "Oh noes! Teh Internets makes u gulible".

And I thought, gee, Im on the net all teh tyme, and I'm a grad student! And I TEACH college students! I'm not stoopid OR gulible. But they link to this study where the researchers that did this urban myth study (ass opposed to the much more horrendous SUBurban myth - U know what Im talking about)and they PROVED that actually (if you're in Aulstralia) and you get on the internet, IT MAKES YOU DUMB. Cuz u lose the ability to distinguish fact from myth. I mean, they surveyed 5,000 people! (More than actually and I guess that means 5,001.) I dont understand why that John Quiggen dude sez that's bad research, I mean 5,001 is a BIG number.

And I can recognize good studies when I see them. For example, I know why the earth's getting hotter. I read about it once on this website, and it looks TOTALLY legit. bUT it says that

"You may be interested to know that global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters are a direct effect of the shrinking numbers of Pirates since the 1800s. For your interest, I have included a graph of the approximate number of pirates versus the average global temperature over the last 200 years. As you can see, there is a statistically significant inverse relationship between pirates and global temperature."

And did you see that fancy chart? STATISTICS DON'T LIE.

Also, I took statistics and I'm TOTALLY smrt. So I KNOW. JOhn, Quiggen, I think ur the one who's been on teh internet too long cuz there's no answer to the question ur trying to give bonus marks for:

“Which basic concept of classical hypothesis testing is ignored in this study of ‘ability to detect erroneous information’”

And then the Lord sent two research angels, versed in statistics and GIS

2009-09-20T09:58:00.010-04:00

In the Bible (book of Genesis), God sends two angels to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. These angels were charged with the task of evaluating the rate of sin within the walls. If the people were completely overridden by sin, God would destroy them.

What if those angels were statisticians, with access to GIS and geomapping software? How would the story have been different?

Some geographers at Kansas State University recently did an analysis of the spacial distribution of EVIL in the United States. Which part of the country is most afflicted by sloth? Lust? Greed? Envy? Wrath? Gluttony? Pride?

That's right, folks - these geographers have operationalized sin, quantified it, then measured and mapped it. Pride is the aggregate distribution of all other sins, since it is supposedly the root of all evil (though one could also make a good case for apathy). Here's how the sins are measured (and here's a good view of the maps):

Greed: Average incomes versus total inhabitants below the poverty line
Envy: Total number of thefts (robbery, burglary, larceny, and stolen cars)
Wrath: Total number of violent crimes (murder, assault and rape) per capita
Lust: Sexually transmitted diseases per capita
Gluttony: Number of fast-foot restaurants per capita
Sloth: Expenditures on arts, entertainment and recreation versus rate of employment
Pride: An aggregate of the six other sins

By looking at sin at the aggregate level, what they're doing here is examining sin as a social fact, as opposed to an individual trait. This would be a good extension of a lesson on Durkheim and suicide as a social fact. This study really shows why we really can't truly measure concepts such as this across space and time, since the meaning of these individual acts will vary. Are the same acts categorized and labeled as rape in Montana as they are in New York? How violent does a person need to be before they are arrested for assault, and does that differ by region? Are we really measuring rates of STDs, or rates at which people get treatment for them? If my measure of gluttony is different than yours, can I apply my measure to your actions and call you gluttonous? Or should I be using your measures to evaluate your actions? Is this aggregate data showing different rates of sin, or is it just an effect of different meanings attached to the concepts?

This would also be useful in showing how we can't extrapolate individual characteristics from aggregate data. For example, I live in Indiana (but teach in Kentucky). This region is low in envy, lust, wrath, and pride; average in gluttony, sloth, and greed; and not particularly high in any of the sins. Apparently I live in one of the more virtuous parts of the country.

I guess I can cancel that fire and brimstone insurance.

But does this aggregate data also indicate that I, Anomie, have greater odds of being virtuous? NO. The fact that I am virtuous in every way is merely a coincidence. You see, their data is not measuring individual sinful behavior. Rather, it's measuring social facts, and structural conditions, that they hypothesize to be correlated with individual sinful behavior (but I take issue with some of the measures). For example:

I don't have any STDS. CLEARLY I am not lustful. CLEARLY.
If you have more fast food restaurants within a five mile radius of your house than I do, are you more gluttonous than me? No. But at the aggregate level, this may be a good quick and dirty device. At least they didn't use obesity rates as their measure.
And if I make $100k (one can dream) in Indiana, then move elsewhere to a job with the same salary, does that mean my greediness has changed along with my place of residence?

Now, excuse me while I get back to my slothful appreciation of art.

Quiz Question

2009-09-14T18:04:00.001-04:00

A functionalist, a symbolic interactionist, and a conflict theorist walk into a bar. The bartender says he doesn't serve sociologists. Match each of the following responses to the most likely theorist:

A. “What do you mean by that?!? I'm here to drink beer, not sociologists!”

B. “You may control the distribution of beer here, but I'm the one with the gun.”

C. “If you want this bar to continue to maintain equilibrium, you will give me my beer.”

Massachusetts has Lowest Divorce Rate in Country

2009-09-13T13:33:00.000-04:00

Awesome.

Personal Branding for Academic Job Markets?

2009-09-12T14:33:00.005-04:00

Earlier today, the following question arrived in my inbox:

Good morning, my dear academic friends,

As I am preparing my first apps to go out on Monday, it has been suggested to me that I should "brand" myself to make my image more memorable. The main focus of my research is on women and reproduction and, therefore, a fertility symbol as a seal or near my name and/or signature is what this person has proposed. What do you all think of this idea? Have you seen personal branding used in academia? Does it seem appropriate for job applications?

My thought is no. Don't do it. Being memorable isn't always a good thing. Showing creativity and flair can be beneficial, but as soon as someone looks at your seal or symbol and says "huh? weird..." or worse "wtf?," your credibility goes down.

One other dear academic friend has responded, saying no as well:

I say no for a number of reasons. First, I would be hesitant to brand myself with a fertility symbol; it's a very limited view of your research or potential as a teacher. Second, you are taking a big chance on whether or not they will "get it"; you don't want them to think you are expressing your fertility. Third, academics are still a very traditional environment, best to play the game. Just my opinion......

What do the rest of you think? If not this, is there any way to stand out without endangering your credibility? Personally, I'm going to send out Pink, scented vitaes (by owl post, of course). And my application materials will be placed in a handmade envelope, sealed with wax. At first I was thinking my seal should just be a big, fancy "A", but I don't want people to mistake it for a scarlet letter. Or maybe they'd just think I was a loud and proud atheist.

What would a good seal for a self & identity scholar be? A mirror? Drama masks? Or are seals and symbols a bad idea?

The Kid Recounts Obama's Speech

2009-09-08T16:18:00.002-04:00

As many of you know, President Obama gave a speech to America's students today. Well, to most of the students. The ones whose parents aren't paranoid that Obama's going to hypnotize the masses over television, creating Obama's Army, later to be used to overthrow the capitalist system and democracy and all that is good and pure in the world, that is. So what does a 7yr old take away from Obama's attempt at indoctrination? Here's a list of take-home points my second-grader told me:

Remember if you have friends, school will be funnest if you do.

If you're mean, you'll have to go to the principal (for the ones who are new).

Your teachers help you out a lot on things you need help with.

School is a safe place to be.

Kim Possible and Sexist Bad Guys

2009-09-06T19:54:00.004-04:00

This is Shego. She is Dr. Dakken's sidekick in the show Kim Possible. Dr Drakken is the main, but not only, villain in the show.

My daughter wanted to see Kim Possible, so we loaded some episodes onto our Roku. As we watched the first episode together, I began to wish I had vetted the show. It is a complete waste of time, and possibly worse, since it upholds many gender stereotypes I'd rather she not learn from within the confines of my home. That's its worse crime; there are others. However, you can't really escape such problems. Get a show that is good with gender, and it's bad with race, etc. But I like for the stuff she watches to at least have a good underlying message.

I am getting drawn into the show despite myself, however. Particularly, the Shego character intrigues me. She is clearly the most intelligent of the bunch - probably of the good guys and the bad guys. And yet she is the sidekick. And the sexism she has to deal with - why bother? Why be sidekick to megalomaniac, narcissistic, idiots who treat her poorly? There's no explanation that I can find. According to Wikipedia, she is unmotivated, lazy, and quick-tempered. She lounges about the lair reading magazines and filing her nails. Girly on the surface, BUT they're villain magazines, and the nails are actually metal claws on her gloves. That makes it a bit cooler.

Dr. Drakken has an evil cousin, Motor Ed. He is always hitting on Shego. This particular exchange caught my attention. It went something like this:

Shego and Motor Ed are driving down the highway, with the goal of enacting Motor Ed's "plan," which Shego is in the dark about. Shego is in disguise, wearing loud colorful clothing and big gaudy jewelry:

Motor Ed: “You need to be chewing gum. You'll need that to help pull off your role in The Plan.”

Shego: “So what's the plan?”

Motor Ed: “Cruising at supersonic speed across country with a hot babe at my side!”

Shego: “SO I'M HERE AS AN ORNAMENT?!?”

Motor Ed: “No. The fuzzy dice are an ornament. You, babe, are an ACCESSORY.”

Shego, in a fit of rage, attacks Motor Ed.

What I wonder is, what message do kids take from exchanges like this? And the show in general? Shego is described as quick-tempered, but damn - look at what she's faced with. Most of the time, her anger seems quite warranted. But do kids see that? Or do they see Motor Ed saying something funny, and Shego getting mad as usual. Do they see the sexism in Motor Ed and Dr. Drakken? And do they associate that with the idiot evil guys, and therefore maybe a character flaw? Or is it just funny and something they might be inclined to mimic? Because it was funny on the show?

In the end, the villain relationships here remind me of those sitcoms with the lout of a husband and the beautiful smart wife and what the fuck is she doing with that guy? And don't forget the commercials.