“Famous” sociologists

Aside from hearing about the latest research in one’s area of interest and worrying about the academic job market, I think that one of the most interesting aspects of attending ASAs comes through encounters with “famous” sociologists.  Obviously, some sociologists have published more visible work than others, but the likelihood of somebody’s sociological fame extending out into the real world is near zero.  Despite the media blitz surrounding Gang Leader for a Day, for example, I highly doubt that Sudhir Venkatesh gets recognized on the street.

I wonder if this lack of recognition outside of sociology is what causes some big-name (or even medium-name) sociologists to be such ridiculous assholes.  While lots and lots of well-known people are nice, interested, and respectful, there seems to be a handful of status-happy tag checkers who give everybody else a bad name.  One such person stepped between a friend and I and the person we were talking to and was reportedly delighted at the fact that she ended our conversation by doing so.  In fact, the conversation had been rather awkward (as conversations with that person tend to be) and this bout of jackassery provided us with a good opportunity to continue on our pursuit of lunch.

If you ever catch yourself thinking that you’re a famous sociologist, I think that the key is to put this thought in perspective.  While the individual described above and others like her may think, “I”m a famous sociologist, bitch!” the rest of us are thinking, “You’re just a famous sociologist… asshole.”

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I’ve never heard of that

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.”

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Striking out on my own

Based on my publication record I think it is safe to say that nobody who doesn’t already know me would recognize my name from my work.  This has never posed a problem at conferences when people tag check me because, until now, every time I’ve attended an academic conference my nametag has carried the name of a school with a top-25 sociology program.  This year at ASA, however, instead of a nametag that said, “John Smith, Top-25 Program,” I had one that said “John Smith, SLAC You’ve Never Heard Of.”

I don’t mean to diminish the novelty of being affiliated with an institution of higher learning that is going to pay me with actual money.  I am happy to be affiliated with SLAC You’ve Never Heard Of, as the multitudes of people I showed my faculty ID can affirm.  Rather, what this experience made clear to me is that my reputation is now in my own hands.  People will no longer smile approvingly when they see Top-25 Program on my nametag.  If they smile approvingly it is going to be because they know me, they’re drunk, or they’ve read my work and it didn’t suck.  If the pressure of making a name for myself wasn’t enough, I also realized that because they have no prior knowledge, people will likely be judging SLAC You’ve Never Heard Of based on my work.  So much for a taking a break after finishing my dissertation.

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I look at nametags

Every time I go to a conference I experience the academic equivalent of somebody checking me out.  That is, their eyes make contact with mine and then drift down to my nametag, before returning to my face.  I’m sure that this behavior is sometimes indicative of the sort of status game that many ascribe to it.  Most of the time, however, I think that those who have been “tag checked” project their own feelings onto the interaction (similar to my belief about candidates at the employment service).  The thing is, I tag check people all the time and I’m pretty sure it doesn’t have anything to do with a desire for status.  When I am at a conference I’m constantly trying to connect names with faces and remember if the familiar face I see is somebody I’ve met or merely looks like somebody I’ve met.  Given my new institutional affiliation (to which the most common reaction at ASA was, “I’ve never heard of that”), I doubt that anybody will suspect me of playing the status game.  In the future I’ll likely have to remind myself that the fact that somebody is affiliated with a school I’ve heard of does not mean they don’t want to talk to me because I’m from a school that they haven’t heard of.

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