Roll Right

I've been in the sociology grad program at Gmu for a few years now.

Graphic novels, particular from Vertigo. Also, any horror movies floating around on Netflix....star trek....x-files....PlayStation 4...malt liquor....craft beer...stuffed crust pizza....Irish whiskey...

Planet of the slums is great. Globalization in the post colonial world is awesome.

Yeah, I don't see a point to continuing this thread.

If you think academia is without a system of domination, you're kidding yourself. A marginal level of remuneration in exchange for intellectual labor (particularly for graduate students who are often not paid a living wage), and a reimbursement for travel expenses, is hardly sufficient evidence for dismissing any notion of domination. Academics are becoming contingent laborers at an alarming rate while university administrations fill their coffers with surplus value. Graduate students are being exploited for their labor. We have adjunct professors living out of cars. These instances aren't pointing to the specific form of domination which I was referring to. They are much more important to point out, however. My point was that the "scientific conversation" you highlighted is largely a sham--an elitist conversation that is designed to exclude the non "top 20" and their intellectual insights. This is hardly a "scientific conversation" in the typical sense of the notion. If anything, its a value laden conversation which functions to inflate the status positions of those who take part in it, while keeping those who are excluded from it on the margins. How is that not a form of domination?

What do you mean by "substantial" impact? It sounds to me like you're defining the "scientific conversation" as a conversation among elites. Of course the non "top 20" folks will have a negligible impact on the conversation of elites. Thats part of the problem. This "scientific conversation" is a mode of domination. Why do you uncritically accept these "functional systems," this "division of labor?" Is the functionalist position really that bankrupt?

Hey - I'm curious about the reading projects that folks are engaged in right now. Take a moment and share them with the forum. I'm reading: From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology (Gerth and Mills) Rethinking Secularism (Edited by Calhoun, Jurgensmeyer, and VanAntwerpen) The Mental and the Material (Maurice Goldelier) - This is an awesome text!!! And I'm about to join a reading group for Marx's Grundrisse, pretty excited.

I am not suggesting that the job market is in bad shape, nor am I suggesting that a degree from a "top 20" program doesn't come with an advantage over those outside of the "top 20". But you must remember, I'm responding to the ridiculous notion that you shouldn't go to grad school if you don't get into a "top 20" program (and if you do, do it at your own risk!). That is just a silly thing to say, especially to a group of fledgling students who are pursuing their life passion (presumably). There are plenty of ways to become successful outside of the "top 20". About the publishing: I'm sure that those in "top 20" programs have higher citations rates. Thats not the point. Yes, the professors at "top 20" programs have the option to pump out research articles and books while their TA lectures and grades for them, and this is not always the case in non "top 20" programs. But those in non "top 20" programs are still researching, and they are still publishing, and they are still enjoying it. The non "top 20" still has a research agenda.

Also, I might ask this question: If most of you believe or suspect that the working conditions in academia are eroding (and they are, that is true), then why don't you organize against this erosion? My campus is in the fledgingly stages of organizing graduate and adjunct labor....several other universities have already done this... Academia is not a "natural" system. Lets be critical of this state of affairs.

To "TheTruth1234": This post is the worst brand of claptrap one could come across. Not only does it stink of elitism and cybernetics, but it is also grounded in fear and irrational projections regarding the future of individuals one has never met. Where to begin? Well, first of all, to reduce the landscape of sociology programs to a mere "top 20" is completely rediculous. There are many more graduate programs out there beyond the "top 20", certainly offering many different specializations which are absent or merely touched upon at "top 20" schools , and thus are not necessary comparable to the "top 20" in some kind of academic litmus test. In other words, the "top 20" are only worth attending if they offer what you're looking for in terms of a specialization. If they don't offer what you want to pursue, then why the hell would you apply? Apply to a non "top 20" school! And if your answer is "ooooowoowowowowwowow the prestige, such prestige!!", then its likely that you're merely interested in accumulating status, which you think will lead to an accumulation of wealth. If that is the case, stay out of graduate school so those who actually want to develop and disseminate knowledge and critical insight may have a better chance at being accepted. Second, if you think that the PhD's from the top 20 graduate programs in sociology are getting all the "good jobs" while the remaining PhD's languish in the "ok jobs", then clearly your measure of a "good job" is one dimensional at best. The prestige of a degree from the "top 20" may yield a higher rate of pay, and that is certainly important for "happiness" at some level, but I would rather accept a moderate rate of remuneration and enjoy teaching students at the state university I received my BA from. Theres no glitz, glamour or wealth to be found there, but I would appreciate the opportunity to give back to a community that supported me early on. If you don't mind selling your soul for a few extra thousand annually, be my guest. I could go on and on, but I'll leave it here. You're free to support the elitist machine of academia. Your uncritical post already suggests that your an unquestioning bourgeois cheerleader...but don't impress your twisted perspective on the fledgling students who rely on this board for insight from others. This is a supportive community, not a divisive community. Perhaps that why your initial post was deleted.... And for those who think a PhD from outside of the "top 20" is a degree for teaching: If you think all of the research in sociology is completed by "top 20" PhDs, you're sadly mistaken. There are many non "top 20" PhD's who regularly publish, regularly engage in academic debates, and regularly work with communities to deal with current social problems. I'm a graduate student in an unranked, newly established PhD program, and I already have two articles under review at two high impact journals, one which has recevied extremely positive feedback for an R&R, and I anticipate very good feedback for the other. I haven't even taken comprehensive exams yet! Aside from that, my program reimburses me for conference expenses every year, allowing me to present my work at ASA or any of the regionals I am interested in. Furthermore, my fellow graduate students and I throw a national research conference every year for graduate students who want to share their work with others. We usually get 100+ participants, which isn't bad for a small unranked program. The point of this anecdote: there are plenty of opportunities for non "top 20" folks. What is this crap about non "top 20" programs being the kiss of death? Is everyone drinking the kool-aid? Pure ideological garbage.

Favorite sociologists (classical and contemporary): 1. Karl Marx (sure, he's not a sociologist, but there is sociology in Marxist philosophy). 2. Max Horkheimer 3. Erich Fromm (Ok, not a sociologist either, but his work at the Frankfurt School laid the groundwork for fusing sociology and psychoanalysis). 4. Pierre Bourdieu 5. Immanuel Wallerstein 6. William Robinson I guess Max Weber gets an honorable mention because he influenced every one of these scholars, apart from Marx obviously.

Hey Coal, You're right, it is expensive living in the suburbs of DC. I've been here three years, and I usually have to take out student loans to supplement the stipend I receive for my GRA. I had to do the same thing in NC, however, where the living is cheaper, so you may be in that situation anywhere you go. At this point I'm curious if you've had any other acceptances with funding. If you're a single parent, living in DC on a graduate student will be very hard to do on graduate student wages. You can chose to work outside of the university, as many of my colleagues do, but the jobs around here are in the service industry, or in the corporate research world. A job in either will slow down your progression in the program, but getting a PhD is certainly not a race. If you have strong quantitative skills I might be able to connect you with some people who could point you toward work if toy choose to join the program. Also, I think I see a picture of Marx as your avatar, but my phone isn't great so I'm not sure. If it is, I should mention that a large number of students in the program are Marxist sociologists working in globalization studies. I work pretty regularly with one of them, he is a good friend of mine and we've got a forthcoming paper in Critical Sociology on immigration that resulted from some of our collaborations. Also, Nancy Hanrahan is here, a great professor and critical theorist. She is very committed to student development and has been a huge influence on my own work in Marxist/Critical sociology of religion, so you might email her and introduce yourself if you are interested in the work of Marx and the Frankfurt school in particular. What else....we have a graduate student group known as the Public Sociology Association, which is developing its identity slowly. We throw a national research conference each year and are planning to work on organizing graduate students into a labor group, at least in the DC are. Wales Katz Fishman from Howard has pledged her support, so hopefully that picks up steam. So, in summary, yes it is hard to make ends meet in the DC suburbs, and that won't change any time soon. I came to this program without funding for the first year and had to rough it until I found a GRA with my quantitative skills. That was not a fun year. But the program is growing and there are a lot of opportunities for students here. The faculty is generally great, aside from a few professors who couldn't be more disconnected from the student body in general. Its a good place to be, you just have to struggle a bit financially.

As you probably already know, the theories and frames used in the sociology of religion are very different from those used in a religious studies program. One is much more empirical and the other is much more theological/philosophical (in my experience, anyway). Having said that, I think you should not consider University prestige so much in this decision, nor do I think you should be worried about location. Instead, you should be thinking about what a program can offer to your intellectual development. If you're interested in doing qualitative field work or quantitative analysis of religion and immigration, then you ought to choose a sociology department. If you would like a perspective on religion and immigration that is less grounded in empirical work and more conceptually based, perhaps a religion program is more for you. I will say, however, that funding should be the primary concern over all. If a program will fund you, jump on that opportunity. Accruing massive debt for a liberal arts PhD is not a wise idea, especially when considering the neoliberalization of universities throughout the US and other parts of the world. You won't pay off 100,000 in debt very easily when working as an adjunct....

Hey folks, I'm a third year sociology PhD at George Mason University. I'm wondering if there are any incoming students who use this discussion forum. If so, lets talk. I can answer questions you might have and give you some insights about the program. Best Wishes, Roll_Right

Hey there - A question for grad students who use SPSS for their quantitative research - I would like to make a new variable using a categorical and continuous variable. So, say I have a categorical variable that groups individuals into two categories - native-born (0) or foreign-born (1). I want to look at the income tax liability after credits (a continuous variable) of only native-born in one variable, and the income tax liability after credits of only the foreign-born in another variable. How can I make variables that display this information using SPSS syntax? I know that I can simply use select if statements to show me this information in a frequency or report, etc. But I want these variables in order to use them in some other computations. Thanks! Roll_Right

I'm not sure there is a shift. Sociology has a history of encorporating intellectuals from other fields. It's such a broad discipline. Almost any liberal art figures into sociology in some way.

Hey, I haven't posted here in a year or so. I wanted to see if anyone is a blogger - I'm looking to link up my blog with other sociology bloggers. I specifically discuss public sociology. Have a look if you've got the time - follow it if you like it. I accept guest contributions too. www.sociologyforthepeople.wordpress.com Thanks. Good luck to everyone applying this year.

Anyone apply to George Mason University? Only public sociology phd in the U.S!

I agree with this. I was actually instructed to use a narrative style by some of the departments I was applying to. This is the one broad rule for SOP: write it for the department, not for you. So, if you're applying to a highly qualitative, humanistic department, (such as a public sociology department) then you ought to use a narrative approach. I mean, you'll be dealing with a lot of narratives yourself in such a department! I think larger quantitative programs will want a professional statement that is somewhat "value free". So personal narratives may not work here. Oh, and don't try and sound too heady and intellectual. This isn't a scholarly piece. And sociologists are historically bad writers. Use some simple language. This is a persuasive writing piece. You needs to say what you want to say using the least amount of words possible while also structuring a cohesive argument. There are passages in here that just don't flow because of the use of intellectual language - this poetry and prose used so often by sociologists. Don't mimic Parsons!

Yeah, I'll be at Mason too. Looking for city info and potential roommates.

You won't need to bone up on classical or contemporary sociology before grad school begins. If you want to be ahead of the game, go for it. You'll be required to take a major theory course anyway. You'll be reading so much during the school year....I'd suggest reading for leisure in your time off. If you studied sociology in your undergrad then you should be fine. If you're new to sociology, you may want to read an undergraduate text book or Wallace and Wolf's "Contemporary Sociological Theory". That covers all the major points. You'll be reading primary texts in graduate courses, so just get secondary synopses for now so you have a foundation. I'm sure that graduate students must have some philosophical background, especially in the liberal arts. Draw off of what you know and you should be alright. You may have to orient yourself to a macro perspective if you're coming out of psychology.

I just finished up an MA in Public Soc. On to GMU for a PhD this fall.

Yeah that thing saved me a lot of head hunting. Awesome resource. Hows the PhD Jacib?

I've been down this road twice, and finally I'm at a phd program that fits my interests. Its been a long process. Well worth it however. I won't talk too much about GRE's, GPA, or personal statement. You obviously want a good SOP, a high GPA and a high GRE score. We don't live in fantasy land, however. Realistically, tons of people have mediocre GRE's, GPA's, and off the wall SOP's. I had a terrible GRE and probably a crazy SOP. This post is for people like me. First of all - don't consult lists like the U.S News and World Report. This is the same as playing the prestige game. You don't want to go to a no name institution, but you don't need to go to an ivy league institution either. It would be nice to be at Harvard, but you will still have a job if you go to Wayne State. Consider this - it may be better to be a star in a small, up and coming program than an average student in an ivy league program. This decision is ultimately yours, but don't feel like you have to apply to Princeton or Cornell because they're well known (Not bashing these school at all either, just providing some insights from my experiences. I'm also not telling you to avoid these schools. Just don't apply to them because they're the 'smart' schools.). Read the work of professors you'd like to study with. Go to the library and look for their publications. Then email them and introduce yourself, and discuss your interests VERY BRIEFLY. You should be networking with these people long before application season begins. Get an early start on apps. Especially GRE admissions. These constantly get lost in the mail, and ETS is so slow when sending them out. After you send your application in, email every professor you mentioned in your SOP. Tell them your app is in and let them know you're very serious about the possibility of working with them. Copy the graduate director to this email so she can see this. Don't be afraid to contact the director of grad studies with questions. This is what they're there for. Most importantly - consider the economy and current social climate in the nation. This is important, and we're sociologists - we do this best. This obviously plays a role in the chances of acceptance. Right now it will be hard to get into a program because of the growing interest in high education. The economy sucks - people want to go back to school. I suggest applying to an MA program as one of your back ups. This allows you to have a chance to enter a grad program and improve your chances of getting into a PhD while waiting for the next application season you're eligible for. There's so much more to say, but that's all I can think of for now.

Hey, I was wondering if anyone is at GMU right now. If so, could you maybe describe the area and discuss what I can expect from Fairfax and D.C? I'm starting a PhD at GMU in the fall.