Waiting for decisions AND writing a thesis

[scintille]

So, what are everyone's topics? Is anyone else finding it hard to concentrate?

[SansSociety]

State Capacity and the Politics of Economic Development in Vietnam.

.... And I've got nothing to be optimistic about on the graduate school front.

I think I'm gonna need to start job hunting.

[IRdreams]

Ugg... like you wouldn't believe. There is a part of me that wishes I hadn't found grad cafe. My thesis looks at post-Cold War British foreign policy.

[poliscidude]

Yeah I'm the same boat. Mine looks at the foreign policy behavior of small and weak states vis a vis great powers by testing theories of alliance formation and collapse against several case studies of states that have granted and/or rescinded basing rights to the US.

I find it pretty interesting, but seeing how the adcomms have just left me hanging so far, I guess my research interests aren't cool enough.

[oscarwildebeest]

I'm writing about the psychological and institutional bases of Reinhold Niebuhr and Judith Shklar's critiques of liberal theory, and what kind of reconstruction a "transformative" politics would need to respond to their arguments. I'm gonna take a nap and then get to work on section II, which features guest appearances by Seyla Benhabib and Richard Rorty.

[CatallaxisOfEvil]

Not absolutely sure yet, but my MSc thesis will probably be based on a critique of Gerry Mackie's 'Democracy Defended', relating Riker to a longer strand of liberal-democratic theorists in HPT and showing the distinction between historically reflexive and non-reflexive interpretations of democratic models to be the main point of divide. So not a defence of positive political theory, more 'Riker isn't anti-democratic' in the philosophical sense. And if I can throw in a few digs on Deliberation while I'm at it then that would be nice.

Sorry, did I mention I was a theory guy?

[IRHopeful]

My thesis examines the use of coercive diplomacy in U.S. nonproliferation policy in the past several decades. It's interesting stuff, and I definitely enjoy it. It's hard to find time though with all my other classes and commitments. Spring break will be my salvation.

[jvita]

State Capacity and the Politics of Economic Development in Vietnam.

.... And I've got nothing to be optimistic about on the graduate school front.

I think I'm gonna need to start job hunting.

SansSociety,

I'm writing about more or less the same topic and equally pessimistic about graduate schools applications... Only heard from one university so far. Where did you apply?

[oscarwildebeest]

Not absolutely sure yet, but my MSc thesis will probably be based on a critique of Gerry Mackie's 'Democracy Defended', relating Riker to a longer strand of liberal-democratic theorists in HPT and showing the distinction between historically reflexive and non-reflexive interpretations of democratic models to be the main point of divide. So not a defence of positive political theory, more 'Riker isn't anti-democratic' in the philosophical sense. And if I can throw in a few digs on Deliberation while I'm at it then that would be nice.

Sorry, did I mention I was a theory guy?

Intriguing. Who do you read as falling in Riker's liberal-democratic lineage?

[SansSociety]

SansSociety,

I'm writing about more or less the same topic and equally pessimistic about graduate schools applications... Only heard from one university so far. Where did you apply?

I applied to Yale, Cornell, UCSD, UCLA, Berkeley, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, and USC.

Oh well... We'll see what happens... Getting the axe from Cornell really hurt - it seemed to be the best fit of the bunch I heard from..

[IRdreams]

Are most of people's theses for undergrad or MA? I've noticed our applicant cohort has alot of MA holders. I'm applying straight from undergrad.

[jamesmadison]

I am writing, or avoiding writing, on the treatment of fine arts in political theory, and their influence on liberal institutions like the national endowment for the arts

[jamesmadison]

I'm writing about the psychological and institutional bases of Reinhold Niebuhr and Judith Shklar's critiques of liberal theory, and what kind of reconstruction a "transformative" politics would need to respond to their arguments. I'm gonna take a nap and then get to work on section II, which features guest appearances by Seyla Benhabib and Richard Rorty.

Is there a love scene between the two? Rorty is pretty attractive for being recently deceased.

[jamesmadison]

Are most of people's theses for undergrad or MA? I've noticed our applicant cohort has alot of MA holders. I'm applying straight from undergrad.

I'm an undergrad. So is scintille.

[oscarwildebeest]

Is there a love scene between the two? Rorty is pretty attractive for being recently deceased.

Ha! Somehow I can't imagine Benhabib being into that. Maybe in someone's liberal utopia...

I'm an undergrad. So is scintille.

Me too!

[IRHopeful]

Are most of people's theses for undergrad or MA? I've noticed our applicant cohort has alot of MA holders. I'm applying straight from undergrad.

I'm straight from undergrad too.

[poscme]

My thesis is: "Cohort or Culture? Unconventional Political Behavior in the Middle East" (MA)

I am having extreme difficulties in staying focused. As the rejections pile on, it seems pointless to be in a rush.

[julianashe]

My current major is Econ. My thesis is about capital account liberalization in developing countries. But it's really hard to concentrate on it when I am waiting for my application results for Poli Sci :roll:

[poliscidude]

I'm doing an MA thesis.

[tothesyntax]

...

[fenderpete]

Undergrad thesis... 'What went wrong in postconflict reconstruction in Iraq?'. I'm looking specifically at the Sadr Uprising and splitting it into political, military and civil and trying to get at elements of democratic consolidation and contemporary war fighting.

[scintille]

I guess I should answer since I started this thread. I'm an undergrad, my thesis is a feminist re-framing of federal marriage promotion efforts. I'm arguing that it isn't that bad. Please don't tell Martha Fineman, or my conscience.

[bold_brew]

Undergrad thesis here; I'm a double-major in POLS and SOC, and I'm submitting separate -- but related -- theses to each dpt. I'm looking at how liberal and conservative Protestant groups define their American identity differently: is America the 'city on the hill' and God's Chosen Nation, do Americans have a moral/religious obligation to help other nations, etc.? I have a theory chapter, a content analysis, and an ethnography of a 'liberal' congregation in Chicago. But because the topic is so broad, I keep getting distracted on tangents: the most recent being public/private sphere theory by Michael Warner and Craig Calhoun, and Thomas Jefferson's 'wall of separation.' Oye vey!

I honestly did not expect waiting on grad school results to be this consuming. I'm supposed to be so much further on this project than I actually am... Anyone have any 'focus' techniques? I just discovered gradcafe, and it's probably more a curse than a blessing that will just feed into my obsessive e-mail/website checking.

[IRdreams]

Is it only me? Or do others find it more difficult to concentrate on the thesis now that they have some fat envelopes in hand?

[poliscidude]

Is it only me? Or do others find it more difficult to concentrate on the thesis now that they have some fat envelopes in hand?

Couldn't tell you. But now that I've pretty much accepted the fact that, barring any last minute miracles, I won't be getting any offers, my productivity has skyrocketed, believe it or not. Failing and being forced to move on it very freeing.