Teaching, Teaching, Teaching

Good news are rare these days. So here are some good news: despite the pandemic, I secured (almost too) many courses to teach! I love teaching university courses. But I'd never thought that I would teach five different courses (at two universities) this semester. After I initially thought I might have only two courses at …

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The Joys of Mansplaining

Thank you, dear men, for your endeavors to explain the world to me. Thank you, dear men, for explaining my research topics to me. Thank you, dear men, for approving of my decisions. I had no idea what I was doing for years before you came around and explained everything in one or two sentences! …

The ‘Subversiveness’ of Not Wearing Face Masks

Every time I am leaving the house, I cannot believe that there are still people refusing to wear face masks. I see people on public transport that do not wear masks or do not wear them properly, covering mouth and nose—including the person disinfecting the handrails, handholds, and grab handles. I see people in shopping …

(Not) Doing Fieldwork in Times of COVID-19

How does one begin a new research project these days? It's difficult to begin a new research project without funding. It's difficult to get funding without (a lot) of experience in a new field. So the plan was clear: use some of my own funds for a brief, exploratory field trip to the new place …

At the AAA in Vancouver

When I booked my room for this year's AAA in Vancouver, I didn't think too much about it. It was quite cheap, the reviews accordingly, but without funding, it had to do. It can't be too bad, right? When I arrived in Vancouver on Tuesday, public transportation didn't work as expected so I decided to …

Thriller! Pop Culture 2.0

I recently went to a party playing (almost) exclusively Madonna and Michael Jackson songs. We were not sure what to expect. An empty dance floor? A crowded club? A few hours before the party, we checked the Facebook event. Chantal was excited about the upcoming evening and posted a picture of her outfit for the …

Sexual Harassment In the Field: On Academic Assholes (Part II)

A few days ago, I talked about academic assholes and elaborated on supervisor assholes. Today, I want to talk about those saddening peer assholes. Everyone met them. Competitive, judging, arrogant, selfish, self-centered, self-involved (basically every word that begins with ‘self’), nonempathic. The list is endless. I started avoiding these people, but sometimes, you don’t have …

Fun At the Gym. Maybe.

I go to the gym three or four times a week. I try to go when no one else does, usually around noon or in the afternoon—a crowded gym annoys me. My gym is a bit expensive and accordingly, most members are from a certain economic class. There is diversity, but not a lot. (It’s …

A Day In a Theme Park

Theme park or amusement park? Have you ever wondered whether there is any difference between the two terms?Arthur Levine (2019) I did. So when I started this post, I found Arthur Levine's article "What is the Difference Between a Theme Park and an Amusement Park?" and learned that I visited a theme park. Rough rule …

Stop Being Such Assholes

Before getting to my main argument, I want to highlight two things: The term ‘asshole,’ as I understand it, is gender-neutral. To make sure it is, I googled it and found this convincing post by redw6452. FYI: it’s quite difficult to google ‘asshole for women.’ Most hits explain how to be a perfect asshole to …