It still crazy that Margaret Frye declines a job from Harvard, leaves a job at Princeton, to go to Michigan. I know the spouse hire thing is important, but wow. Major downgrade
Harvard
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The one who gets a TT line for her partner.
Besides, you're talking about someone who turned down the #1 ranked department and the #1 ranked department for the #1 ranked department.
no economist here (I wish). Seriously, though, who turns down positions at Harvard and Princeton to go to Notre Dame or Michigan??
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Garip went to Cornell for similar reasons. Spouse.
2 salaries and 2 TT Jobs > 1. Very simple math.
Dumb thread. Plenty of people turn down Harvard. Recently, Tavory for NYU and Garip for Cornell. Frye isn�t an anomaly in that regard, but just part of the pattern of stars that negotiate well and go to the highest bidder.
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no economist here (I wish). Seriously, though, who turns down positions at Harvard and Princeton to go to Notre Dame or Michigan??
I have done that. Not exactly the same set of schools, but the same status.
Why? Here's my honest view:
1. Freedom: I chose a place with a collegial yet laissez-faire culture, so I can do what I want, work on what I want, and do it in a way I want without worrying about departmental politics, high-status a**holes, and the like.
2. Status: I productive and can move if I change my mind later. I get calls every recruitment season. People know I made this choice and didn't just end up at the most prestigious place I could go to.
3. High-status deviance: If your individual status is high enough, you don't need to worry as much about institutional status.
4. Existing status: I already have numerous fancy credentials so I don't start to salivate when I hear "Harvard" or "Stanford" or whatever.
5. Location: My family and I love the city where we currently live.
6. Money: I am a sociologist at a well-funded professional school. The pay is very good, and so I don't feel the need to compensate for a low salary with status. As a result, institutional status has become less important to me.