I had a friend who whined to me today about how she hated her life. I replied "I hate your life too, but it's not my life. I'm so lucky."
Immediately after that, I got that strange sense of euphoria one gets when one wallows in the sad circumstances of another, much like Dogbert does to Dilbert. Wallow wallow. Then I realised that probably wasn't very kind because she's a really nice person. (Note to this person if you're reading this: I called you a nice person ok. Lol.)
This week, a particular incident that stayed with me. I cold called a professor for an interview request, and he declined me flatly with the fact that he did not grant student interviews because real research does not involve the collection of expert opinions.
Let's get technical here.
There are two kinds of research; quantitative, which attempts to predict trends by generalising data from large random samples, and qualitative, which attempts in depth studies by using fewer focused samples. I was doing a study on human behaviour. Interviews were the obvious method of choice. Why is it that a year 1 undergraduate is clearer about what research is than a professor?
And how do you define "real" research anyway? If qualitative research does not constitute "real" research, then all studies on human behaviour are silly frivolous pursuits. Whoa pretty loaded accusation. But it wasn't me who loaded this gun.
However, this guy upped the dumbness factor a notch with what he said next. When I clarified that I wasn't doing research, needing just an expert opinion from a sociologist for my news report on social issues, he actually told me to find another expert, and said "I don't specialise in neighbourliness."
Its fair game if he had told me that he specialised in ethnic and race relations or some other recognised specialisation of Sociology. But he did not do that.
I'd like to ask you professor, where on earth can you find a degree that reads PhD of Sociology (Neighbourliness)? If you can find me someone who has that specialisation, I'll gladly look for them instead.
Then he told me "Uh you're the media. It's your job to find out this kind of thing."
I'm a student. Year 1. I'm not the media. My job is to pass assignments and get quotes from people like you who are supposed to know what they studied about. Why aren't you doing your job?
Sociology is "the scientific study of society, including patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and culture." Isn't it fair then to assume someone with a PhD in Sociology would have something to say about a social issue like alienated neighbourly relations in Singapore, no matter what their specialisation?
I don't even need a thesis. I just want a single quote to pass an assignment. You could say "Mary had a little lamb, her fleece was white as snow, but I think my neighbour is a cow." Coming from a professor, it's more credible than anything I can say.
You know, when they say that a PhD stands for permanent head damage, they might actually be right. Am I so glad I'm studying in NTU, and not somewhere else with professors that shitty.