Help for a Social Psychology/Gender PhD program

[JSM040704]

Hello. I have gone through most of my college searches, but I kinda want to get a second opinion on some sociology PhD programs.

 

I have a MA degree in sociology-general tract with a 3.8 GPA at a small liberal(but good) arts college. My thesis will hopefully also be published. I am working with two of my advisors to help me get published. I have spoken at Eastern Sociological Society in New York and Boston, did a couple small conferences in the PA area, and I will be speaking in Baltimore ESS, Tacoma(American Men's Study Association), and in San Fran for the ASA. I can't say what my thesis is, but it is a thesis in the field of Gender(for now lets say, masculinities between the ages of 16 to 32) and Social Psychology, using qualitative methods(if you want to know the topic of the thesis, you can PM me). I have taken some "teaching sociology" courses  and I am working on an instructor position at a community college. My interests however, are in more into research rather than teaching. While I have not taken the new GRE, I feel that I might be able to score a 60th percentile. At present, the GRE is 1100ish. My only downfall is that my undergrad GPA is not good. If somebody reads my portfolio, they will see that I have dramatically improved between the undergrad me and the current MA. Hopefully, they will see that I am a late bloomer.

 

I have a set of 7 schools that I am appling to, but I wanted to get the opinion of a forum. What school will work well with somebody with the above qualifications, and have a focus in Social Psych(focusing more on Symbolic Interactionism but SS&P is fine), Gender, and possibly Deviance? I am not limited to qualitative methods as I do not mind working with Mixed Methods (of course, SI favors more on the Qual over the Quant). If you want, you also say if the college is a dream school, good school, plan B school.

 

Thank you for your time and I look forward in hearing from you.

Edited September 17, 2013 by JSM040704

[faculty]

Arizona's social psychology program is now non-existent and is a perfect example of why reputational rankings are problematic. Of the others that Revo listed, Indiana is the best bet. Stanford is a nice combination of social psychology and gender. But, like most of the top social psychology programs, is heavily quantitative and experimental. I would consider applying to places that might seem less intuitive given the social psych ranking but have a constellation of the things you're looking for (Oregon, Georgia, UC Santa Barbara are a few that come to mind).

[JSM040704]

Yup, Georgia(especially for the gender) and UC Santa Barbara are definately on the list. (The big reason I didn't want reveal my list of schools is that I kinda wanted a non-bias oppinon/confrimation). Oregon I had not looked at, which is a good. I was also looking at UCLA as the dream school, but I am not deadset on the top programs. I am taking what fits and what is interested in the research agenda I am proposing.

[JSM040704]

Faculty, which Oregon are you talking about?

[faculty]

The University of Oregon. They have Hollander, Pascoe, and others who would be of interest for their qualitative approaches and interests in gender, deviance, and social psych/microsociology. 

[JSM040704]

Wow... Those two researchers are really really close to my own research interests/agenda. I guess, is there anybody else that professors you would recommend. I know that one should look for the college more than the people but, one of my weakness is that I do not know many sociologists besides the articles they have written.

Edited September 19, 2013 by JSM040704

[Maleficent999]

Wow... Those two researchers are really really close to my own research interests/agenda. I guess, is there anybody else that professors you would recommend. I know that one should look for the college more than the people but, one of my weakness is that I do not know many sociologists besides the articles they have written.

 

I have very similar research interests as you do, I believe.

[JSM040704]

@KrisOfSteel I should be publishing soonish. I have to put my thesis on proQuest soon, so by then I will trade some research experiences afterwords. It's nothing too major, but again I'm trying to show that I have improved my sociological imagination over the years.

Edited September 25, 2013 by JSM040704