I’ve stated in the past that I don’t mind when people look at my nametag at ASA. Of course, I may be a little more aware of tag checking than I was when my institutional affiliation was slightly more impressive, but if you are going to create a social situation in which people are required to wear nametags, it is pretty ridiculous to think that nobody is going to look at them. What I do find offensive is when I introduce myself to somebody and after telling them where I work they say, “I’ve never heard of that.” I know that sociologists have a reputation for being socially awkward, but what kind of asshole thinks that they have heard of every school in the country? This year, I have decided that my official response to this statement is going to be, “Now you have.” I’ll refrain from adding, “Asshole.”
[…] In the past, the top 50% made up Tier 1, the next 25% made up Tier 3, and the final 25% made up Tier 4. In addition to numbering more schools, the bottom 25% is now designated with the more respectable “Tier 2″ moniker. For schools like mine, the symbolic meaning of this change seems quite large. Students and job applicants who check these rankings when considering schools may be more likely apply to a school that is ranked between 100 and 200 than they would have been to apply to one in Tier 3, even though nothing about the school has changed. Additionally, this revised ranking may be more impressive to those who have never heard of my school. […]
[…] what was wrong with me in my first year. It is possible that she may look at my job at an unknown school and think that I could have done better if I had only listened to her advice. My hope, however, is […]
[…] I’ve never heard of that […]
[…] quite a bit about attending conferences in the past, covering submission types, tag-checking, dealing with the status of my institution, and the ASA’s continuing efforts to provide unisex restrooms, but Medley-Rath’s post, […]
[…] There are some key differences in publication, research culture, expectations, and prestige. But, some things are similar to R1 […]
[…] There are some key differences in publication, research culture, expectations, and prestige. But, some things are similar to R1 […]
[…] however, suggest a sort of inferiority complex that might be brought on by working at a school that nobody has ever heard of but that could also be linked to the perceived status of teaching vs. research in academia. After […]