BackStage

I recently defended my prelims, so my ABD status is quite new (and not officially in effect until I turn in the papers for my two classes). However, I don’t have the disease.

However, for those who do, I recommend…Ah, fuck it. The disease is part of the identity.

I would argue it’s less about identity confirmation and more about identity salience. We are now solidly committed to our identity, and therefore will look for every possible opportunity to enact it. And advice-giving is a good way to do that.

Plus, it’s a nice, subtle way to indicate that we are aware grad school is hell and HELLZ YEAH we made it out alive.

It’s really quite easy. There are only three obstacles. First is the flame spurt, and it makes a tell-tale noise right before going off. Second is the lightening sand, and once you’ve been sucked into one you know how to spot them, and third is the rodents of unusual size - but I don’t think they really exist.

I have thought about it, and I agree, salience is better. We seek to confirm, it is the motive, but the seeking to do so is because of salience. Confirmation is the outcome (if we are successful). I find myself changing my mind a lot around you. Works for me!

I find myself wondering, Anybody have a peanut?

Actually, ironically, I will be applying to programs without visiting. I don’t really have a choice in the matter for a couple of different reasons. Anyway, it’s entirely possible that I will not get into any programs anyway.

Part of the reason I value the internet is advice, although I have had instances (really just the one) of unsolicited advice that gave me pause. In the end, though, I enjoy a spirited debate, so even that was ultimately a positive outcome.

As a side note, since we three female soc grad students are here having this conversation, I would like to point out that we all:

- have expressed interest at one time or another in symbolic interactionism (assuming Goffman reference is an indication for you, pitse1eh)
- and share a fondness for sci-fi

odd, eh? is this some kind of weird pattern?

Oh, I’m a structural symbolic interactionist (see My Interests, and thank you Iowa school). Well, without getting all in your business, good luck with applying.

I wonder if a lot of sociologists love sci fi cause we hate society? I hate society a lot of the time.

In many ways the apprentice correllary plays well. As an ABD, you are now a journeyman, someone who has gone through the apprenticeship yet without the perfected skills of a master craftsmen. Journeymen are bossy without actually having power; we offer advice to those who we think need it, despite the fact that we may only have a marginally better clue than the person we’re advising. It’s happened in every profession, and it’s gonna happen in the future beyond our control.

sci-fi is an awesome window into society because it filters out the nonsense while allowing writers to focus on interactions and structures that reflect our own culture. it takes the insidious stuff and makes it more clear by turning our attention to cylons, etc.

for example, a classmate of mine is presenting a paper on star trek in the race, class, and gender section session at asa. we should all go. i’m not into star trek, per se, but the appplication of soc to scifi is cool.

and i am a structural symbolic interactionist, but i think i am leaning more toward mccall and simmons.

and yay princess bride, too!

Yes, Sci Fi does all that. But, honestly, I usually try to ignore my social psychological tingling that arises. I do read it to escape.

haha yes, yay princess bride. all mind-reader style, you caught my vague segway, anomie.

have either of you read any octavia butler? hands down my favorite author, particularly the Xenogenesis trilogy, which is some serious sociology, yo.

p.s.

someone has leechblock turned off when she shouldn’t. ahem.

p.s.s.

thank you for the luck, pitse1eh!

Ahh, leechblock. Why bother when you can talk to other amazing sociologists? Of course, I just mean Anomie.

I haven’t read Octavia Butler. But, if she’s as good as you say, I’ll check out the Xenogenesis trilogy next. I’m always looking for good tips, cause there is a lot of crap sci fi/fantasy out there.

You are welcome with the luck. I really hope we have you in sociology next year!

Hmm. I like sci fi because it lets you change the fundaments and see what happens. For example, Karl Schroeder’s “Sun of Suns” basically takes the effects of geography on societies and puts them on LSD - basically, all these societies are based on what are basically asteroids orbiting an artificial sun. Access to the sun’s light basically determines how advanced your society is; the biggest nations have their own mini-suns, and struggle to prevent their neighboring lesser nations from acquiring their own mini-suns. Plus, different asteroids orbit at different speeds, so dominant nations basically are engaged in continuous conquest at the leading edge of their turf while they leave wrecked, subjugated nations in their wake.

The parallels to real-world nuclear arms strategy and colonialism are awesome. I can’t do it justice here.

I absolutely adore how this conversation turned from advice to a discussion of Sci Fi.

Love it!

And, I totally need to look up that presentation from your friend at ASA, Anomie. You know the day? My luck, I’ll be presenting at the same time.

“Westernizing” the Galaxy: Klingon “Otherness” as Affirming Human Superiority in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Sunday Aug 3, 4:30

And I haven’t read Octavia Butler, but this isn’t the first time she’s been recommended to me. Perhaps I should get on that one…

Yep, knew it. One of my papers goes at the same time. Suck.