ohgoodness
-
Posts
316 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
2
Posts posted by ohgoodness
-
-
On another note (forgot to add this in the previous post), if one has a good undergraduate GPA, good LOR's, good GPA in a master's program, a thesis, graduate teaching experience, took courses in more than just one statistics or research methods course...would this person be decently competitive despite a lower GRE score? So, in other words, would the fact that the person whom is applying to a Ph.D. program that shows they have the conceptual ability to do good quality work as well as a plethora of coursework from undergraduate to graduate school in statistics and research methods essentially be deemed as non-competitive because of a low GRE? The ability to write in ASA format at the graduate level, the ability to combine both psychological and sociological courses to provide that "independence" that is necessary in a Ph.D. program, goes out the window because of one test score?
Forgive me if I sound frustrated (I am), it is not directed at no single person...it is an overall frustration. And I thank those that read this for providing this feedback.
Since most of us tick all those boxes then the GRE can become the dividing factor. If you can prove that your intangibles beats other applicants for that position then a lower (not very low) GRE would not be an issue. Remember that fit is important.
My GRE was far from stellar and I would probably have been more competitive with a higher score but I still got into my #1 choice where I fit perfectly.
- joosemoore, semperfi101, La_Di_Da and 1 other
-
2
-
2
-
Ok, but actually... I think you can sign in to gradcafe using a FB account...?
Yup! Perfect way to share that final 1% of your personal life with the almighty eye.
-
It was a joke.
Ah yes silly me. I digress anywho
-
I'm smashed beyond recognition right now.
It was always a question of utility-maximizing. Do some required reading or get really drunk and post things on grad cafe. Ain't no explanation to taste oh no.
-
They'll be headlining a festival in Stockholm this summer... So strange...
Alas I think it was the wrong word to use. In my native country (not russia but the other socialist country) we used that literal phrase for any rhetorical device used as bait. Such as walking into a AA-meeting and arguing that alcoholism is simply a matter of wanting to quit and so on. Just to clarify what I meant.
This is also a really good read:
-
I'm not familiar with Becker's work on family and I'm not going to continue to defend the theoretical framework I'm operating from considering the history of being pigeon-holed on the board and attacked on economistic straw men. I made a broadly cultural argument which included boundedly rational agents. I'm not going to take it further than that.
I'm terribly sorry but you made a sweeping statement about gender discrimination which I took serious offence to since I saw it as an ill-supported fire starter.
-
I don't understand your point in the first sentence. Can you explain?
Nothing I'm saying comes exclusively or even majorly from a rational choice argument. In fact I've been arguing in terms of culture and history for the entire thread. Notably, workers competing wages up and satisfying the model of downward sloping demand curves in a labor market does not necessarily rely on maximizing agents with full information. In fact a world with relatively stupid social actors who just think, "pay goes up -- I'll work more" is all you need to support my point about the rising incomes in pecuniary and nonpecuniary terms for workers -- and their ability hence to demand further child rearing resources as income rises.
I was pointing to the fact that all the possible pathways up until a made decision are heavily conditioned for both men and women thus I find most decisions related to parenthood and employment to be redundant points. Simply the decision is the result of a process.
True that you have been adding layers of culture and history to the thread but I still see your inherent logic as rational choice. Logically within the context of the female homemaker-male breadwinner world (such as our contemporary) the ability to demand further child-rearing resources as income rises would lead to an even greater gender divide as the only utility-maximizing decision existing is to maximize male employment. Even something as small as a 5% gender wage would do that. This is the basic and fundamental critique to the Becker's new home economics paradigm and it still stands.
-
True. I just think it gets really tricky. I think assuming that a woman can do fewer push-ups than a man can is reasonable statistical discrimination.
Not long ago it was reasonable to assume that a person of any colour except white could neither read nor write. The result of acting upon this premise would obviously result in statistical discrimination yet according to the idea of "decoding signals of behavioural patterns" it would not be a strange nor bad thing.
Funny idea in my world
-
My point was that workers have the demonstrated bargaining power to demand these maternity amenities should they choose to. If they want pecuniary wages to hire daycare and nannies -- they'll get that.
It was a rather strange point to make since my argument was that there are other factors at play behind discrimination than the actual decisions as such.
Within the model that you are arguing for - I see absolutely no agent of change whatsoever. Things will change as they change. Either you argue for the possibility of errors in the system (the non-rational actor) or you do not see change as a possibility either.
-
As more workers demand these amenities as part of their compensation in the labor market, they will appear. Given that wages rise along with economic growth and labor-saving technology, we should expect to see more of these amenities.
Where and how do you see such change occurring? Seeing that the gender divide is a rather strong factor when it comes to structuring pathways, possible options and possible utility it seems rather strange to argue that men will, all of a sudden, demand these amenities rather than increasing their possible wage development?
-
No, the gender wage gap, according to the BLS data cited in the chart on the first page of the report I posted, has decreased by over 50% since 1979. And that's before controlling for the important factors here discussed like occupation and whether or not the individual has children, after controlling for which the gap nearly disappears.
A) The number of issues that I have with calling that a "report" are too many to even recall but making any argument using quantitative data without a) presenting the proper source of data (i.e. more than "Source: BLS") and b. not providing any methodological breakdown for their "adjusted" gap should be dismissed straight away.
Another major problem I have with that report would be that they see part-time female employment as as intervening factor. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time workers does not really present an accurate representation of the american labor market with regards to gender discrimination. The selection bias is huge.
-
Re: Germany--- wow, that's generous. Good for them
What about biology? Do any of you think that women on average are just more interested than men are in being involved on a more constant basis with their children? Are any of these social structures built on genetic foundations?
One of my major flaws when discussing anything is that I do not believe anything we do in the 21th century to be biological or god-given. I'm sorta down the road where our societies are strong enough to polish away what could be essential differences thus all of our choices are conditioned through social forces. That does not answer your question, however, - for various reasons I could see a strong force being the rewards associated to the female-homemaker and male-breadwinner typology that pushes women on average to feel more strongly to be involved with their children. This is not a biological construct however.
To your second point about their being a difference between Fortune 500 companies and small businesses -- there is no prima facie reason to suspect that competition among Fortune 500 companies is insufficient to drive price down to marginal cost, and that they thus have boatloads of cash to play with in the back. Note that corporate profits are a teeny tiny fractional of gross national product. There is thus no reason to suspect larger firms of discriminating unfairly against women than smaller.
I think one of the major points of this was the it would make more sense for a smaller company to actually use the gender information when hiring since it will be significantly harder to move around employees to cover for the person missing time within the choirs of parenthood. Small companies could see a hiring as the penultimate investment that has to pay off 100% whereas larger companies are able to rotate people thus maximising their utility of each employee, despite some missing time here and there.
-
Part of the difficulty in assessing the difference between child-raising as the determining factor, irrespective of gender, and it being a distinctly gender-biased phenomenon is that there is a much smaller sample size of dedicated stay at home fathers who have left high paying jobs.
With a smaller sample size, it's harder to compare the effects.
This is true for the issue of income progression effect (the gender wage gap question) but not true for the idea of "I think this is compelling evidence that the era of deliberate discrimination against women in the labor market is largely over -- I could be persuaded otherwise on more argument. "
-
All of the childless alpha females I've ever met have understood this perfectly well. They passed on children because they seemed to understand that having children is going to take you away from the job and raising them is going to keep you away unless you find a man who's willing to spend more time at home or find a nice daycare that will raise the kids for you.
Thus in logic you state that men are able to become parents without incurring any form of penalty, actually becoming a parent tends to be correlated with increased occupational attainment for various reasons, whereas women are stuck between a rock and a hard place. One of the aspects of discrimination (one of many) is that there is virtually zero support within most companies and workplaces, along with zero institutional support for that enable men to see and take the decision to stay at home. The motherhood penalty is not a question of individual agency but the result and artefact of socio-cultural and structural factors.
Who compensates parents in Germany?
14 weeks (100%) 6 before birth, 12/14 months (65%, but not more than 1.800 Euro/month) (14 only for single mothers)[citation needed] 84% 12/14 months (65%, but not more than 1.800 Euro/month) (14 only for single mothers/fathers or if both mothers and fathers take parental leave, so called "partner months") Until child turns 3 Until child turns 3 Must have public health insurance for part of paid leave, rest of paid leave paid by employer
-
-
I haven't read the paper Aaron linked, but the points that he and mbrown made seem to be the last remaining explanations for the aggregate wage gender gap -- women have children; and women choose different jobs than men. I think this is compelling evidence that the era of deliberate discrimination against women in the labor market is largely over -- I could be persuaded otherwise on more argument.
Reading is good for you. There is compelling evidence that the era of deliberate discrimination against women is as commonplace today as 20 years ago. Statistical discrimination is to me 100% deliberate.
Mandel, H., and Semyonov, M. Family policy, wage structures, and gender gaps: Sources of earnings inequality in 20 countries. Am. Sociol. Rev. 70:949–967, 2005.Datta Gupta, N., and Smith, N. Children and Career Interruptions: The Family Gap in Denmark. Discussion Papers 263. Institute for the Study of Labor, Bonn, 2001.Mandel, H., and Semyonov, M. A welfare state paradox: State interventions and women’s employment opportunities in 22 countries. Am. J. Sociol. 111(6):1910–1949, 2006.Misra, J., Budig, M. J., and Moller, S. Work-family policies and poverty for partnered and single women in Europe and North America. Gend. Soc. 21(6):804–827, 2007Aisenbrey, Silke, Marie Evertsson and Daniela Grunow. 2009. ”Is there a Career Penalty for Mothers’ Time Out? A Comparison of Germany, Sweden and the United States.” Social Forces 88: 573-606. (34 p.)or this one, which is a classic in my world, No Exit, No Voice: Women's Economic Dependency and the Welfare Stateor just this simple ppt: http://db.tt/cl0GDaDz -
http://sweden.usembassy.gov/consulate/niv/apply/checklist3.html
This is a pretty good walk-through of what a Swede needs.
and this is Cornells info page:
http://www.isso.cornell.edu/students/comingtocornell.php
Both has been very helpful for me. I'm almost done with my prep!
-
I see the Cornell grad stipend for 2013-14 is $23,470 for 9 months.
How livable is that stipend for Ithaca? I'm thinking of possibly buying a house & renting out a spare room for some extra $. Thanks in advance!
I would be a very interested rentee if you do so ^^
I accepted my Cornell offer and have done my budget already (I have pneumonia atm so planning ftw). As far as I can see it - it would be very possible to live a good life in Ithaca if you budget properly and stick to it. My offer said "With good opportunities for summer employment" and if that comes through then - all is great.
-
Just my two cents coming from the advice that I have gotten from my professors who are recent hires. Teaching experience is a good thing to have if you want to stay in the academic field. It is solid experience and training in an area that will be a big part of your future so TAing is good.
I got a two year scholarship but will be pushing for TAing afterwards just because I would love to teach and see myself as an associate professor within a 10 year period. Excellent publications, a great letter of recommendation and key experiences will be very important here. Quality will always beat quantity, especially in this case, so I would say that there is no reason to push for a upper limit yet.
also - isnt NSF only possible to get during the first year of your studies? so it would cover very little
-
So we should use this to make a quick last-minute decision on where to attend, right?
"As always, U.S. News advises students to use the rankings to supplement—not substitute—careful thought. The rankings should only be used as one tool to choose the right graduate school or program—not as the only factor driving the final choice."
-
I had a full paragraph in my SOP regarding research experience which summarizes the work that I did in an official capacity: being a research assistant in different projects. From that I had a paragraph on my independent work within the context of the MA thesis.
The RA paragraph was mostly "I have done this this this this and learnt this this this which will help me become a mature researcher and a competent member of an academic environment" whereas the independent work paragraph was more "my background, academic and professional experiences culminated in my MA thesis where I use these methods, theories, data to come up with these results".
Perhaps we should set up one of those threads with applicant profiles for future generations to come.
-
Rice made their decisions this morning. I was accepted. For future posters, the stipend is $27,500. The department is energetic and friendly. It's collaborative and supports a mixed methods approach.
Good luck to everyone waiting to get off the waitlist or another acceptance letter.
Wow 27,500! Congrats!!
I had a skype with Cornell today and was notified that I got a scholarship (thanks to scandinavia) for the first year, which means no extra heavy work load!
So if anyone is looking for a roomie in Ithaca - here I am!
-
Yeah, and soon you'll be able to start buying guns!1 And drinking tasteless beer!2 (What do sex in a canoe and American beer have in common? They're both fucking close to water)3 And shopping at drug stores/pharmacies bigger, and better stocked, than any you've ever dreamed of.4 Congratulations again on your decision to love freedom.
1: Obama is making it easier for you furriners.
2: As far as tasteless beers go, while the national tasteless brands include Coors, Budweiser, Miller, Busch, and Natural Ice/Light, let me recommend a local tasteless beer and suggest you go with Genessee Cream Ale ("Jenny") when you want that ole fashioned American beer flavor(lessness).
3: American beer, because of the microbrew movement, is now probably better than Europe's in general, but old stereotypes persist. Seriously though, you'll never have to drink bad beer if you don't want to.
4: Strangely, it's our giant drugstores I might miss the most when I live abroad. That and, of course, all the freedom.
Dont worry
I've already spent 2 years in Saskatoon, 1 in Seattle and 6 months in St Paul.. and I'm from Sweden - we invented the art of bad beer.. and you know - for all the bad jokes about Sweden = Socialism.. You try and take a social science class in Sweden without having to listen to 2 hours of "the neo-liberals are destroying the world; we have to reform and get lots of redistributive policies in place. Ask ourselves "why dun you have ice cream and what does this do for inequality?". Intellectual sandbox..
(albeit in a weird and foreign language but still true)
-
Done and accepted the offer!
Only have to take care of the emigration process now...- La_Di_Da, amlobo and johnjohnson
-
3
McGill Epidemiology ... any advice about Montreal?
in Officially Grads
Posted
I spent a year in montreal working and enjoying myself and I can say is that it is a great, great place to be.
Great community, great city with the best entertainment and culture scene you can imagine (beats toronto) and great campus. You have QUEM, Concordia and McGill all downtown so it sure is a student city. It's easy, safe and accessible. I've lived/spent time in Toronto, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Kingston and Montreal beats 'em all by far.
If you are able to find a place in the Plateau / Mont-Royal area then you'll be right in the middle of young hip montreal and should be able to find a room/apartment for a cheap sum.