Advanced Research

So, I had my first advanced research course last night, with the short, sarcastic, British professor. I like him, although he can be a bit of a bastard.

We're working on our dissertation proposals throughout the course, which means that it is time for me to Commit to a Topic. This terrifies me. What, I ask, is interesting enough to occupy me for the next several years of my life?

So, I think I'm committing to a participant action performance ethnography on the experiences of those with so-called neurological disorders with the medical community. I'm currently multi-tasking between this and my first research memo...my personal experiences, assumptions, goals, and their advantages and disadvantages for who I am as a researcher in relationship to my project.

Funny APA related thing of the day:
Classmate: "Umm, I'm doing my practicum log, and how should I code the sexual orientation of a seven-year old?"
Me: "Latency?"

We have to code sexual orientation, disability status, and race. And we're not supposed to attach manifestos deconstructing the categories. We're lost!

I have been sitting in this goddamn office all morning waiting for my practicum supervisor to call me back, but alas, no call. Tonight is one of those freaking 13 hour days on campus...

For the record, my fight with the DVD (ironically entitled "Quiet Rage" has continued. I got it working on the second office DVD player...but when I tried it out at home (still trying to actually preview the sucker before I show it in class!) it wouldn't read the disc...but it worked in my laptop for a few minutes before making everything crash. *Sigh.*

Tomorrow in class we're discussing the similarities between the Zimbardo study and Abu Ghraib, and also debating the role of psychologists in interrogations...having the video helps a lot. And I'll look like an ass who can't operate a DVD player...

At least I like my students, right?