home cooked theory

After the crisis, if there is one

The last few posts and comments have a further purpose which is to prepare for Boston ICA this week. I’m on a panel with Nick Couldry (Goldsmiths), Isabel Maria Capeloa Gil (Universidade Catolica Portuguesa) and Stewart M. Hoover (U of Colorado) and the topic is ‘The University in Crisis’. Here’s the abstract: Anyone who has [...]

Final question

Ho do I convince my parents that my life will NOT be a failure If I do not get a PhD??

Academia and its discontents

How did you know you wanted to go into academia? Other than publishing as much as possible, what kinds of things should you be doing to become an academic after your PhD? How does having a PhD/ academic ‘success’ change your sense of self? If you’re pretty sure academia is not the appropriate long term [...]

Blogging and PhD

Any tips about blogging and using blogging as a part of your PhD?

PhDs

What is the benefit of studying for a PhD in gender/cultural studies in Australia v. overseas (Europe, USA)? What are the best institutions (anywhere) for a PhD in the discipline of gender and cultural studies? (other than /as well as Sydney Uni ) How do you know if you’re well-suited to further tertiary study (PhD)? [...]

Research careers and the big questions

Last week’s class focused on career paths following a research degree. The readings were: • Genevieve Bell. “Be Naked as Often as Possible: Anthropological Advice.” Commencement address, School of Information, University of California, Berkley, 2008. • William James. “The PhD Octopus.” (originally published 1903). • Melissa Gregg. “Why Academia is No Longer a Smart Choice.” [...]

Promotions training

Yesterday I went to an induction session for staff serving on promotion committees this year. The speaker from the HR Equal Opportunity Unit showed another interesting set of figures. Based on staff numbers in 2010: Women comprise 46% of all academic staff at the university. Women make up 52% of staff at Levels A, B [...]

Figures

Distribution of Australian PhDs in Cultural Studies RFCD Discipline, 1987-2006 The five-yearly analysis of the figures shows that there were 34 theses in 1987-1991, more than doubling to 76 in 1992–1996, then doubling again to 185 in 1997 to 2001, then reaching a peak of 252 in 2002 to 2006. Source: Terry Evans & Peter [...]

Understanding Underbelly

Catch up post 1: What is a field?

Writing an interdisciplinary thesis requires a specific set of skills. In GCS, the combined title of our Department indicates a range of intellectual histories and legacies at play. Many of our Honours students choose to specialise in Gender Studies, since that is the major that has been taught longest at undergraduate level. Meanwhile, Masters by [...]