Jump to content

balderdash

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    571

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    3

 Content Type 

Posts posted by balderdash

    Do You Ever Wonder...

    in Waiting it Out

    Posted

    I worked in an admissions office for years. Trust me, they can't, and they don't. Even if they could, it'd probably be an IT guy that could see the information - which would be completely separate from the app readers. Besides, there's no way to interpret whether logging in a bajillion times is obsessiveness or interest in the school, so it could either be bad or good.

    It's just not on their radar, at all.

    Low cost transatlantic airlines

    in The Lobby

    Posted

    Hello everyone,

    I'm headed to Florida from the UK in a few months time for a research job and need to find the cheapest flights possible. Anyone know of any low cost airlines that might be less well known? Alternatively, any that I should avoid?

    Thanks!

    I've had a terrible experience with Aer Lingus both times I've flown (lost baggage, cancelled flights, et cetera), so I wouldn't recommend them. STA travel is having a sale now, so they can get you some cheap seats on Virgin for like 300 quid roundtrip, which is really as good as you're going to get anywhere.

    Political Science - Fall 2011 Cycle

    in Political Science Forum

    Posted

    Here we are - the last full week of January. I'm optimistic that this week will be the beginning of (hopefully good) news. Based on last year's notifications it looks like OSU, Wisc., and Stanford all started notifying at the end of this week. Best of luck to everyone!

    Yeah, but I think Stanford will be next week. They sent out that "first week of February" email a few weeks ago, so I take them on their word.

    Good news is that if they have an open house planned that early (March 3-5, was it?), it pretty much means they have to stick to the decisions timetable.

    Orono, ME

    in City Guide

    Posted

    Cost of living? Distance to Bangor? I know the town is small, which is not an issue to me. I grew-up in a town of 15k, but was close (less than 30 mins) to a city of 250K.

    Also, what is the campus like? Parking a total hassle?

    Weather is a concern, but it's just a small factor in the whole scheme of things. I'm used to a tough winter, but I really like having four seasons.

    The cost of living is quite low, but you'll realistically need a car (which may be different from what you're used to). There's no city in Maine larger than 120K, which is Portland, and a few hours away. Bangor is nearby and will give you access to shopping and such, but it's not a city in the traditional sense of having a downtown where people just hang out. It's kind of strip mall city, if that makes sense.

    Parking shouldn't be an issue, as the campus has a lot of space (heck, it's in Maine).

    You'll get the four seasons there, but much heavier on winter and summer. Spring and fall are only about 2 months each, maximum, with about 4-5 months of winter and a few months of summer. It does get cold in the winter, but not as cold as you might expect. The biggest difference is going to be snowfall - sometimes you'll get 2 feet overnight, sometimes you'll get hit by 8 inches every 3 days for 2 weeks. And everyone expects that you'll be at work/class the next day.

    Why Mostly PhDs and Not JDs in University Political Science Faculties?

    in Political Science Forum

    Posted

    that all sounds nice, but still an inaccurate description of the way this debate has gone. Half the time some of you didn't even realize, despite the evidence, that this is about undergraduate education. Focusing on legal vs. academic research when the whole thread is about teaching qualifications seems more like the infinite regress to me, Balderdash.:)

    Well, you're the one that framed the debate by the title - "in University Political Science Faculties." Nothing about teaching specifically undergraduates there.

    When challenged on the point, you retreated to the teaching aspect. You were then challenged on the fact that most professors give greater value for money in that they can teach undergraduates as well as serve other purposes, ie research. Then you narrowed it further to places where education is the main purpose of the department (which, by the way, LACProf has pointed out not to exist). This too was rebutted by those who showed that should such a place exist, it is sure to hire grad students to teach these courses, as they're cheaper, and fill the gaps with PhDs who are still better value for money for their range of specialities.

    I'm not sure where you still see a hole in the opposition to your claim. Do you refer to institutions focusing on both teaching and research? If yes, PhDs are obviously better for their research training. If no, next question. Do you mean anything beyond Public Law? If yes, then PhDs are better for the same reason as above. If no, then PhDs are still better for their range of subjects.

    So I'd say I have it about right with the analogy, actually.

    By the way, I went to a school with a top-10 poli sci department. We had exactly zero law classes. I took one course titled Institutional Development of the Congress and Presidency. It was taught by a PhD, as it charted institutional change over the long duree, public pressures to existing legal principles, the use of extralegal powers by political actors, et cetera.

    Why Mostly PhDs and Not JDs in University Political Science Faculties?

    in Political Science Forum

    Posted

    I have answered the points you raised in my response. Certainly wouldn't leave you out of the discussion. If you think you've found a point that dimisses my argument please feel free to raise it. "but it's turtles all the way down" ?!?

    I must have missed it then.

    The turtles quotation comes from a famous exchange between Bertrand Russell and an old woman who asserted that the earth was flat and rested on the back of a tortoise. Russell responded by asking what the tortoise was standing on. The old lady replied, "you're very clever, young man, very clever. But it's turtles all the way down!" It's a joking expression for when one dogmatically asserts what essentially turns into an infinite regress.

    In this debate, you're claiming that JDs have the same proficiencies as do PhDs, or at least a comparable set that should allow them to take up faculty positions to teach political science. When many posters have picked at the assumptions and implications of your argument, you've gone further into definitions. They've responded by digging deeper, you retort by digging deeper still. Eventually, you both get into the minutiae to the point where the original topic was lost, and nothing has been solved because you've dodged the original criticism. In essence, you're on an infinite regress where you might just as well have said, but it's turtles all the way down!

    Why Mostly PhDs and Not JDs in University Political Science Faculties?

    in Political Science Forum

    Posted

    ...

    How come you haven't responded to my points? Everyone else gets a point by point rebuttal except for me?

    I still think it's good that you're pouring yourself into this debate, but part of it is knowing when the game is up. Substantive answers have been given to all the points you have raised; answers of every type short of a formal model. At this point, your argument is becoming "but it's turtles all the way down!"

    Why Mostly PhDs and Not JDs in University Political Science Faculties?

    in Political Science Forum

    Posted

    By the way, you should be aware that in now framing your questions as a matter only of teaching undergrad polisci, most of us think you've moved the goalposts pretty substantially without acknowledging it. In doing so, you're suggesting a job description (a teacher of exclusively undergrads for whom research is not central) that applies to many, many fewer positions. To some extent, we're no longer arguing about replacing Ph.D.s with J.D.s; we're talking about replacing grad students with J.D.s.

    There is an obvious reason university departments don't hire J.D.s to teach Intro to American Politics: They have grad students doing it for free.

    This is a good point. The thread title refers to why there aren't "JDs in University Political Science Faculties." Well, the simple answer would be that no one on the faculty is there solely to teach undergraduate courses in poli sci. Everyone on the faculty is also expected to teach graduate students, run seminars, research, publish, and otherwise engage in the scholarly debate. Having substantial training in really just one of those areas is insufficient.

    Why Mostly PhDs and Not JDs in University Political Science Faculties?

    in Political Science Forum

    Posted

    Has anyone pointed out that legal writing and research is nothing like academic writing and research (in the sense of what you'd see in APSA journals)?

    Also, the legal system is like a car, the JD a mechanic's license. A certified mechanic knows the car inside and out, and he's qualified to know what part does what and how. But he's not qualified to tell me how to build a car, how other vehicles work, or even why cars exist at all.

    Contacting UK Professors

    in Applications

    Posted

    If the MA is research-based, yes. If not, no. For research degrees in the UK it's even more important to get in touch with a potential advisor before applying, but it makes little sense for taught degrees. A few friends of mine are doing their MAs here England with me and none of us made contact beforehand.

    Conditional Offer

    in Decisions, Decisions

    Posted

    If only the world worked the way you described it...But, is it too much to ask them for unconditional offer instead of a revised conditional offer?

    (I mean, I'm ready to pay...and sign the papers...)

    Again, that is the way it works. You need to stop despairing and listen to what I'm saying from experience. If you started the thread just to wallow, then fine. But don't solicit advice then ignore it.

    And yes it is too much to ask. British universities aren't accustomed to giving out unconditional offers unless the person has already finished the degree. If it is Oxbridge, you will definitely not get an unconditional, as your offer will be "conditional" on acceptance to a college. Willingness to pay has nothing to do with the process.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

  I accept