What's wrong with you people (fellow faculty in my college)?! I tried to be nice and organize a social gathering, which went nowhere. Engineers are soooooooooo lame. I'm a dink who moved away from the region where I grew up. I know it's only supposed to be write grants/paper, eat, sleep and repeat, but common already. It's not healthy to drink alone.
Looking around the academic blogosphere, I see us new faculty repeating this sentiment constantly. Here is one example, among many:
http://academic-jungle.blogspot.com/2011/05/home-is-where-job-is.html
Then, I came across this study.
http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic436591.files/COACHE_Study_NewChallengesNewPriorities_20100304.pdf
It made me feel a whole lot better about my situation. Most of the gen X faculty out there are feeling incredibly isolated. It's not just the few of us who have turned to the internet for human interactions. It seems to be a growing trend. So I'm technically gen Y, but I think we are even more isolated because people don't think we're old enough to be faculty yet.
I'm contemplating organizing a TT faculty group in my town. We have a few schools in the area which would increase the pool of potential candidates/friends. Ideally, this would be a MeetUp at a bar where we could drink and commiserate. The problem with this humungous internet and all of this information is that it's now almost impossible to get a message out to people. Also, faculty with kids would probably want to meet at a different time and place.
Looking around the academic blogosphere, I see us new faculty repeating this sentiment constantly. Here is one example, among many:
http://academic-jungle.blogspot.com/2011/05/home-is-where-job-is.html
Then, I came across this study.
http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic436591.files/COACHE_Study_NewChallengesNewPriorities_20100304.pdf
It made me feel a whole lot better about my situation. Most of the gen X faculty out there are feeling incredibly isolated. It's not just the few of us who have turned to the internet for human interactions. It seems to be a growing trend. So I'm technically gen Y, but I think we are even more isolated because people don't think we're old enough to be faculty yet.
I'm contemplating organizing a TT faculty group in my town. We have a few schools in the area which would increase the pool of potential candidates/friends. Ideally, this would be a MeetUp at a bar where we could drink and commiserate. The problem with this humungous internet and all of this information is that it's now almost impossible to get a message out to people. Also, faculty with kids would probably want to meet at a different time and place.
Did you have food? I've noticed this as a big difference between scientists and engineers. Engineers really don't seem to like to socialize! I have also observed that the more women in a department, the more likely there are to be successful social ventures...but that may just be a correlation...
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem! people can't handle social events. i am pretty outgoing and i have even had social anxiety at events, because if you show up somewhere not knowing anyone already, you'll end up standing around by yourself looking like a loser while people around you have conversations amongst themselves without thinking to include you. my S.O. is a consultant, and when you go to a consultant party, it would be sacrilege to leave someone standing alone. in fact, the lone guy is seen as a wonderful opportunity to meet someone new, not a pity case.
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