It was the first time for an ‘Early Career Researcher’ event at the BSA MedSoc annual conference. The theme was (perhaps predictably) ‘Careers in Medical Sociology’ – although fortunately the day was broad enough to still be very interesting to those of us who may feel we are slightly ‘outside’ that particular area…
Being a co-convenor myself for the BSA PG Forum, I know just how challenging it can be to arrange appropriate speakers, at the correct time, in the ‘right’ space. Here at the University of Leicester I think the committee deserve lots of congratulations – they got the balance just right, in that the content of the sessions seemed to appeal to the inevitably broad audience on the day. The sun was shining and the audience were enthusiastic!
The highlight for me was the chance to meet Kathy Charmaz again, who I last spoke to at the Qualitative Inquiry Congress at the University of Illinois in May (blogged below). Yesterday she spoke at length about her personal journey, and the intertwining of the personal with the academic. This held resonances for me, having just finished reading a chapter by Gayle Letherby in a new book about ‘Theorised Subjectivity’. In her talk, Kathy recalled the impact of seeing the gathering of Ku Klux Klan in a farm near to her childhood home, her own close calls with death and the effects of chronic illness and sudden death on family members. “When we witness something, it becomes part of our being” she told us and as Letherby (2012) argues, it is crucial that this ‘being’ is articulated in our research. Indeed, I argue in my own research that it is through qualitative research and listening to others’ story-telling that I can begin to calibrate and reflect on my own biography…
Kathy also talked about the importance of social context and mentors and how significant figures such as Mead, Wright-Mills and Strauss had played a part in helping her in her journey. However, she warned against taking all advice from potential mentors on board: “we must put all suggestions into our own context” She explained “decide what works for you”.
In terms of her own suggestions, and bearing in mind the current difficult climate, she had two main pieces of advice for us ‘early-career’ researchers:
1. Keep publishing! Even if you are not in a permanent, academic job, remain as active as possible and maintain a presence in publications in your area – even if it is informally in Blogs/papers etc.
2. Choose (at least) TWO professional bodies to become/stay a member of. (Hopefully one of these will be the BSA)! This way, you have lots of opportunities to interact with others who share your research interests and could potentially assist with (co)writing or providing feedback on papers etc. Not least this helps retains some passion for your subject too!
In finishing, Kathy reminded us that there is hard work involved in the two suggestions raised above, and that success almost always leads to…. MORE WORK!
Amongst other sessions, Jude Robinson, reader in the Anthropology of Health and Illness in the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology at the University of Liverpool delivered a talk on ‘Applying for Grants in (Medical) Sociology. I found this very useful so I’ve bullet-pointed the main pieces of advice below:
1. Do not dismiss the ‘smaller’ grants. These maybe unfeasible and/or unattractive to other academics and hence the competition may be less. It may be possible (although Jude didn’t recommend this herself) to fund your/a full time salary from several smaller projects running simultaneously.
2. When writing a funding application be as clear and consistent as possible. Always put the research objectives in bullet points. Link these to the needs of the funding body (and your own). Link them also to the methods. Use a diagram to illustrate your points – even if this is not explicitly asked-for.
3. Bear in mind that you can ALWAYS get something out of a research project for yourself (e.g. a publication). Think carefully about every aspect of the project and what you could potentially get out of it - either now or in the future.
4. Choose your team-members carefully. Those who have a track-record and those you can work with and will bring value to the project – even if it’s as a ‘reviewer’ for the project meetings and outcomes. You may also be able to suggest reviewers for the application (this depends on the situation).
5. It is crucial that you spend some time on explaining the specifics of how the dissemination of the results will take place.
6. When budgeting costs, be aware that work with charities may subsidised, therefore some institutions may waive fees that would normally be associated with running a project. “If you don’t ask you don’t get!”
Jude and Kathy, together with other speakers, including Elizabeth Murray, Professor of Sociology at the University of Leicester, provided an insight into their own interpretations of the informal side of academic life and how (as Bourdieu would say) they have learned to ‘play the game’.
But now it’s time to crack-on with some work as the conference ‘proper’ will start shortly. Let’s hope it a bit cooler today!
