It's been a while since I've been on here. Shoot.
Recently Tenured Professor (VHR) - Ask Me Anything
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Do you think tenure standards are changing in the past decade and how do you expect them to change in the future?
What are your favorite sociology articles or books in the past five years that you think are interesting or impactful?
What would you say to your grad student self? -
What's the biggest difference between the people in your program who got jobs like yours and the people your program that got less prestigous TT jobs.
This is a good question. I'm usually afraid to ask this in person because it can be awkward for the "winners" to make these judgments
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What's the biggest difference between the people in your program who got jobs like yours and the people your program that got less prestigous TT jobs.
This is a good question. I'm usually afraid to ask this in person because it can be awkward for the "winners" to make these judgments“Winners” aren’t the ones who would know
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-Can't say the exact number or else I'll dox myself. Two books are in the works.
-Don't use Twitter, although, I've thought about creating an account.
-No significant difference between me and my peers who ended up at less prestigious jobs in terms of research capability. It's a crapshoot. I'd highly recommend not putting all of your eggs in one basket when it comes to striving towards tenure-even more so if you're a graduate student... Jobs exist. They're all over the place. Go work in the private sector or a nonprofit. I had industry experience before I got my Ph.D.
-Yes. Tenure standards have gotten ridiculous. But that's just how it is. Too many people, not enough positions. Not sure how I would have felt had I not gotten through. But those who don't get it shouldn't be ashamed. Go work at a think tank, NGO, or the government if you want to do research and publish. It's not hard. Stop putting pressure on yourself to be in the top 1% of 1%. It's not realistic. It wasn't for me (despite me being here) and it won't be for you.
I like Mustafa Emirbayer's work. Mary Waters is still a titan as well. Folks at Emory are also doing great work as well. Honestly, I'm not reading much sociology these days. There are a few hard-hitters whose work I'll keep an eye on, but most of sociology has become dry, unrelatable, and incoherent.
- I would tell my grad school self to relax. Whatever is meant to be, will be. Stop thinking too far into the future. Don't forget to invest while you're in school. Don't be fake. Don't be afraid to say "no." Advocate for yourself more. Talk on the phone with your family. Go home more during the break. Go out and talk with people more (outside of academic conversations).
- No clue about LA, but the ATL housing market seems to be doing ok, all things considered.
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Thanks.
This is helpful.-Can't say the exact number or else I'll dox myself. Two books are in the works.
-Don't use Twitter, although, I've thought about creating an account.�
-No significant difference between me and my peers who ended up at less prestigious jobs in terms of research capability. It's a crapshoot. I'd highly recommend not putting all of your eggs in one basket when it comes to striving towards tenure-even more so if you're a graduate student... Jobs exist. They're all over the place. Go work in the private sector or a nonprofit. I had industry experience before I got my Ph.D.
-Yes. Tenure standards have gotten ridiculous. But that's just how it is. Too many people, not enough positions. Not sure how I would have felt had I not gotten through. But those who don't get it shouldn't be ashamed. Go work at a think tank, NGO, or the government if you want to do research and publish. It's not hard. Stop putting pressure on yourself to be in the top 1% of 1%. It's not realistic. It wasn't for me (despite me being here) and it won't be for you.
I like Mustafa Emirbayer's work. Mary Waters is still a titan as well. Folks at Emory are also doing great work as well. Honestly, I'm not reading much sociology these days. There are a few hard-hitters whose work I'll keep an eye on, but most of sociology has become dry, unrelatable, and incoherent.�
- I would tell my grad school self to relax. Whatever is meant to be, will be. Stop thinking too far into the future. Don't forget to invest while you're in school. Don't be fake. Don't be afraid to say "no." Advocate for yourself more. Talk on the phone with your family. Go home more during the break. Go out and talk with people more (outside of academic conversations).
- No clue about LA, but the ATL housing market seems to be doing ok, all things considered. -
- Most likely. I need to publish more over the next 2-3 years. After that, I wouldn't mind moving to a city or mid-sized town in the south. I'm just looking for somewhere to settle down. I also want to get better at teaching. It's something I've neglected, but enjoy doing.
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- Nothing has fundamentally changed, yet.
Not sure what you mean by "risky." Going forward, I intend to do more interdisciplinary work. This will mean collaborating with peers in law, policy, and public administration.
It's been a long road, so I'm probably going to scale back on research this year and focus on teaching and applying for grants and fellowships. Through that, I hope to hire more undergrads as RAs, which will lead to more books and stronger publications.