This post is a classic paper by Peter Rossi from 1987 (Research in Social Problems and Public Policy, Volume 4, pages 3-20), which addresses a chronic problem in all policy efforts to change complex social systems. The social organizations of modern life are so large, so complex, so dependent on the cooperation of so many … Continue reading Peter Rossi: The Iron Law of Evaluation and Other Metallic Rules
Today I'm posting Max Weber's classic piece, "Science as a Vocation." It was originally delivered as a speech at Munich University in 1918. Its relevance for scholars today is as great as it was then, asking these questions: What does it mean to be a scientist? What are the sources and limits of scientific authority? … Continue reading Max Weber’s “Science as a Vocation”
This post is an essay by Elizabeth Steere that was recently published in Inside Higher Ed. Here's a link to the original. For teachers worried about students who turn in AI produced essays, she provides an analysis of 50 some essays she generated using ChatGPT using prompts from past assignments she's deployed in her own teaching. … Continue reading Elizabeth Steere — Anatomy of an AI Essay
This post is a piece that is included in my newish book, Being a Scholar: Reflections on Doctoral Study, Scholarly Writing, and Academic Life. In it I focus on an issue that I’ve been thinking about for quite a while: How to understand the core business model that governs American universities. The answer is in … Continue reading Universities Give Away Knowledge and Sell Degrees
This piece was published in Inside Higher Ed in June, 2020. Here’s a link to the original. It speaks for itself. The argument here seems particularly pertinent in light of the current conflicts on campuses across the country over free speech and the war between Israel and Hamas. DOCTORAL DYSFUNCTION Many doctoral students today are tending to fall into … Continue reading Doctoral Dysfunction
This post is a piece by Gurwinder Bhogal, published recently in his blog The Prism. Here's a link to the original. It's a lovely collection of principles to live by when you're trying to make sense of the world. For academics, who make their living this way, these principles are … Continue reading 30 Useful Principles
Social media provide a wide open space for social exchange and personal expression. This openness is both its strength and its weakness. Anything is possible, and in practice nearly everything does indeed take place online. For anyone entering into this space, you have to choose your online persona. Now that I've been posting on this … Continue reading Thoughts On My Online Persona
This piece was published in Inside Higher Ed in June, 2020. Here’s a link to the original. It speaks for itself. It also appears in my new book, Being a Scholar: Reflections on Doctoral Study, Scholarly Writing, and Academic Life. DOCTORAL DYSFUNCTION Many doctoral students today are tending to fall into one of two disturbing categories: academic … Continue reading Doctoral Dysfunction
For anyone who’s interested, I’m posting below an updated list of all my publications and course syllabi, including links to these works and to full course materials. Here’s a link to the list as a Word document, which is way more useful. Feel free to share. Links to Publications and Course Materials March 31, 2023 David … Continue reading Links to All My Publications and Course Materials — An Updated List
This piece was published in Inside Higher Ed in June, 2020. Here’s a link to the original. It speaks for itself. Doctoral Dysfunction Many doctoral students today are tending to fall into one of two disturbing categories: academic technician or justice warrior, writes David F. Labaree. David F. Labaree June 18, 2020 After nearly 40 years as a … Continue reading Doctoral Dysfunction — We’re Creating Too Many Academic Technicians and Justice Warriors
