Monthly Archives: July 2017

The vanishing College male

The vanishing College male

I remember, years ago, when it was news that more females than males were in college. It was considered a major victory for feminism, and perhaps it was. Males never made a “comeback” after that, and soon the percentages went from a barely noticeable (but newsworthy!) 50.1% female, to 55% female, to today’s we-should-ask-questions 60% […] … learn more→

Is it worth doing the three minute thesis?

Is it worth doing the three minute thesis?

It is raw. It is real. It is one of the most challenging and taxing experiences a researcher can undertake, and presenting my Three Minute Thesis completely redefined my approach to research. Naively I assumed preparing for this competition would be a breeze. The rules of the competition were simple. You have 3 minutes to […] … learn more→

#readingforwriting: being specific in qualitative research

#readingforwriting: being specific in qualitative research

Every now and then patter offers a close-up of research writing. This near-sighted exercise is intended to illustrate how ‘reading for the writing’ can be helpful. This particular ‘reading for writing’ post looks at writing qualitative methods in a journal article. It speaks to last week’s post about the need to be specific, not woolly […] … learn more→

Student agency

Student agency

In the weeks after the Kent State killings in 1970, I grew increasingly perplexed and withdrawn. My campus—I was attending Utica College in upstate New York—shut down and students seemed triumphant. Triumphant, that is, in the matter of standing for a moment on center stage. But I was unhappy. For it wasn’t really “students” who […] … learn more→

A nose job? Take your time!

A nose job? Take your time!

Rhinoplasty is one of the most common operations in facial plastic surgery. Every year, half a million people seek consultation for enhancement of the appearance of their nose. A successful rhinoplasty operation generally improves the health related quality of life and the self-esteem. Nevertheless most of the time a decision about changing our nose is not easily made. […] … learn more→

The Supreme Court, religion and the future of school choice

The Supreme Court, religion and the future of school choice

The Supreme Court recently decided that Trinity Lutheran Church should be eligible for a Missouri state grant covering the cost of recycled playground surfaces. Though the state originally rejected the church’s application on grounds of separation of church and state, the Supreme Court ruled that this rejection was, in fact, religious discrimination. The case’s impact […] … learn more→

Free housing for illegal students?

Free housing for illegal students?

Our leaders of higher education have an amazing fetish for growth of institutions. They’ve sacrificed every standard, every form of reason to pull in more, more, more, students. I have, of course, criticized all these decisions, particularly the decision to attract violent ideologues instead of scholars, but one group I’ve only mentioned a little is […] … learn more→

Fifty shades of conference feedback

Fifty shades of conference feedback

It is a steamy intellectual moment when a conference presentation concludes and that taut, expectant silence descends. “Yes, I’ll take questions,” you reply – breathlessly – surveying the array of bored, bemused, envious and angry expressions. For ingénue PhD students and early career researchers, such raw, inescapable exposure to the merciless probing of academia’s numerous […] … learn more→

Academic publishing in English

Academic publishing in English

This week I was at a sociology of education summer school. As you might expect, I was there to talk about academic writing and publishing. In this context, I wanted to situate my usual topic in a wider context, and not simply offer strategies and advice. Here’s the abstract I wrote for the ‘lecture’: Educational […] … learn more→