I am a bit sick of people saying to me, "Your PhD clearly means a lot to you".
Clearly it does, or I wouldn't be putting myself through all this stress! But do they say that to every PhD student? Do they use the same emphasis? I think not! Just because I'm trans and I'm writing about trans stuff doesn't mean that it means a lot in a ~mysterious~ way. I hope that I'm creating something that I can stand by politically, ethically and academically. Surely a large fraction of PhD students hope the same? (Or am I just naive!?)
It's not that big a deal. But I wanted to post something, so this is it.
(P.S. Maybe I'll tell you about the people at the post office one day.)
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The guy serving me at the bank the other week told me that he gets customers who tell him "they're only doing a PhD so they can put 'doctor' in front of their name". O_o He then proceeded to ask me if I thought "'chronic fatigue' is a Real Thing". This along with a handful of other interactions over the last two months have made me realise why PhD students might start telling people such a thing.
Also, my mother warned me that I will have to be careful "not to be biased" in my research. Not as a general thing, but because I *Care* so much about my topic. I suppose doctors or biomedical researchers investigating my topic are magically bias-free...
actually, the 'dr' has always been a major drawcard for me. (seriously - a gender neutral title! THAT NOBODY CAN DENY ME!)
YES! to the 'bias' thing. i feel like that's the second implication. i.e. (1) i'm only doing it because it's so PERSONALLY MEANINGFUL to me; (2) because of that, i'm not able to be ... "objective" (as though other people could be)!
I asked Mrs. J. whether people had said things like that to her when she was doing hers. You're right, she says, people didn't use the emphasis with her.
vindicated! ("in my study of TWO OTHER FORMER AND PRESENT POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS . . .")
I confess that I'm pretty keen on having the title someday too, but I can't imagine anyone putting themselves through a PhD just for that.
S never gets the 'bias' thing, or the "you must care So Much" thing (that I know of - I will ask him when he gets home, for now I am curious) - just general implications of nerdiness (which are undeniable, after all).
would be interested to hear what s has to say!
S says no-one has ever said that to him...
No-one ever said that to me (Japanese literature). They said "Wow, that must be so hard!" which was something they never said to the Asian-but-not-Japanese students in the program with me!
i feel all these things would be at home on microaggressions.
Yeah, no-one ever said that to me about my PhD on fantasy fiction. Usually I just got vague interest (oh! how interesting! do not tell me anything more!) or distinct hostility (how DARE you, over-reading etc).
Wow. That is like, kind of passive aggressive, no? :? I'd be really peeved too if someone said that to me.
ooh, queen emily, i would love to read your dissertation!
julian, it kind of is... i don't think people realise they're doing it, though.
microaggressions?
http://microaggressions.tumblr.com/
ooooh....
(something tells me there will be a reinstatement of leechblocker in my near future)
haha, yes. i have leechblocked tumblr, dreamwidth, livejournal and google reader during work hours (cuts in after 5 (or 10?) min per hour). should really block twitter as well, but where would that leave me?!
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