I got feedback on a chapter yesterday. It was ... interesting. On the one hand, E thinks a lot of data work is nice, and the theory seems interesting. On the other hand, E thinks I need to do way more work - including splitting this chapter into two parts and expanding my number of cases. This is in addition to his usual comment of "greater theoretical focus!" He's not exactly wrong on the latter. But on the former ... well. He's not *wrong.* However. On a practical level, I'm afraid that he'll get me bogged down and keep me here longer than I want to be. On a totally scared shitless level, I'm afraid expanding my cases will blow my theory apart (ah - the bravery of academia!).
I mean, I've thought about it some - I don't think my theory will *totally* FLY apart. It'll just need massaging. And, in a lot of ways, E is so right it hurts: if my theory is that shit and particular, I'll never get a job worth spitting at. So, pushing hard this year (re: doing my work and stopping taking fucking classes like a schmuck), expanding the cases ... I'll be able to answer hard questions at job talks with a smirk and a clever slide - hopefully. That would help me on the market, really and truly. I'm just.. well. I'm lazy basically. I mean, I'll DO what he wants. I'd just rather the chapter was fine as I turned it in.
In better news: this week I read a truly shit-tacular book published by a major press (Cambridge) by some guy with a great job (UCSD!) that was utter, total crap. So see, there is hope for us hacks! Also, a friend who is does computer modeling work for a psychology lab asked me about a regression table and I was totally able to help him his interpret his results (not that that's so hard). These things have made me feel marginally competent this week.
I mean, I've thought about it some - I don't think my theory will *totally* FLY apart. It'll just need massaging. And, in a lot of ways, E is so right it hurts: if my theory is that shit and particular, I'll never get a job worth spitting at. So, pushing hard this year (re: doing my work and stopping taking fucking classes like a schmuck), expanding the cases ... I'll be able to answer hard questions at job talks with a smirk and a clever slide - hopefully. That would help me on the market, really and truly. I'm just.. well. I'm lazy basically. I mean, I'll DO what he wants. I'd just rather the chapter was fine as I turned it in.
In better news: this week I read a truly shit-tacular book published by a major press (Cambridge) by some guy with a great job (UCSD!) that was utter, total crap. So see, there is hope for us hacks! Also, a friend who is does computer modeling work for a psychology lab asked me about a regression table and I was totally able to help him his interpret his results (not that that's so hard). These things have made me feel marginally competent this week.