Signup date: 28 Mar 2011 at 1:20pm
Last login: 12 Mar 2012 at 6:32pm
Post count: 282
Hey Bewildered - you're a PhD student. Isn't the careful examination and consideration of numerous viewpoints supposed to be a research strength? Seeing multiple assessments of supervisors would be really helpful and offer a rounded view. The only downer on this is that we couldn't name the person - libel etc - so it wouldn't get off the ground. But I'm a bit sad that it wouldn't.
Some types of PhD research actually favour a practitioner approach. So does your PhD design methodology and the course you're on, allow for enough of this? Action research, in particular, is a great approach for practitioners. Maybe this is an opportunity to tweak what you're doing and find an alternative that really suits your style of working. In my field, Education, that's been recognised by dividing us into EdD and PhD (I did PhD as I'm not a practitioner). But maybe all other disciplines could jump on board and recognise this division, and the difference in skills that each celebrates?
I don't know if your University has a Student Support and Development Unit. Mine has, and I finally had to take refuge in it when my super was behaving like yours, although also attacking me. I can't be more grateful to the service given to me. It was supportive, instructional and motivating. My advisor was a PhD examiner in my own subject and was exceptional in every way. But before calling in that support I'd tried to get some alternative help from anyone and everyone in the department, and it was useless.
So first I'd say - call on others in the department. Then call on Director of Studies. Then, if all else fails, get help from wherever, as I had to. It saved my life and my thesis. Up until then I'd felt so angry with the way I was being fobbed off and delayed.
It really was the last resort, but in my case it worked wonders.
Love, don't let her put her aggro on to you. She's displacing. It's nothing to do with you. Stay calm, stay focussed. Remain sure. This woman is bonkers, clearly. As are many in our academic field. Just had a similarish toys out of the pram from my ex super. Rise above it. A glass of Pinot Grigio can work wonders, as can a decent night's sleep, and the support of friends. You have my total support.
Some of us didn't have that wonderful choice to make, as we weren't funded. Kudos to those who were. For the rest of us, getting this over and done with, in the shortest possible time, with the smallest effect on our former income was what mattered. We wuz shafted by a system in which people think life works in dichotomies. How short-sighted and cognitively impaired is academia?
There aren't two approaches. There are fluidly intersecting multitudes of approaches (didn't you ever do qualitative analysis?). And one you haven't taken account of, as have few on this board, is the emotional and intellectual need for some of us to sacrifice our entire life for the passion we felt for a PhD subject, throwing ourselves into it without funding, and ruining our careers rather than enhancing them. WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY INCOME FROM A PHD STUDY. IT COST SHED-LOADS IN EVERY WAY. I hope I said this loud enough. And several of us had no partner nor any other form of support. And some of us have no rewards at the end, except the satisfaction of a job well done before we die.
I've said this often enough. So now I'll just shut up and get me coat..... :-s :$
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