Archive for July, 2005
Current Readings
or better the books bought in the last three weeks, some of which I already finished reading, am reading or just quickly scanning thru (or should be reading;)):
- Systematic empiricism: critique of a pseudoscience (David and Judith Willer, 1973);
- Quantity and Quality in Social Research (Alan Bryman, 2000);
- The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research: Third Edition (Norman K. Denzin, Yvona S. Lincoln - eds., 2005);
- Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches (John W. Creswell, 2003);
- Social Research Methods: A Reader (ed. Clive Seale, 2004);
- Key Problems of Sociological Theory (John Rex, 1961).
I am very happy I bought every single one of them, they make a very interesting reading. But most proud I am of buying the big handbook, as I had been wanting to buy in for the last few years, but had always found it too expensive. But this new edition has really gotten into me, and it is worth every penny.
I very much like also Bryman’s and Creswell’s books, both are really top readings for my PhD.
My temperature came back a few days ago, only this time in a more elaborated edition: I have a sore throat and a running nose as well. I think I am over sensitive on air conditioning in the library or something. I really don’t find any other feasible explanation to this. Or maybe it’s just sadness, knowing that I will be leaving London and this wonderful LSE library quite soon. Too soon. I wish I had a few more weeks, ah … months even!
By Nana | July 31, 2005 | Topics: Academic books, PhD, Research | No Comments »
Graduation Photo of Medieval King Lord Dr. Ian Bruff
Yes yes … Ian is dr now;) Congratulations, Ian!!!
Short abstract of his thesis:
European countries compared to large European countries in the 1980s
and 1990s. Many explanations focus on the role of policies and
institutions, while others mention the influence of national culture
without investigating it fully. The thesis used a neo-Gramscian
framework, and data from 18 qualitative elite interviews, to make the
case for the role of national culture in the economy’s evolution.
By Nana | July 28, 2005 | Topics: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Notice To All Passengers
Please, do click to enlarge picture! What a notice!!
At the place, where people are always running for trains or something …
By | July 28, 2005 | Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Bus Inspection
This morning, on my way to LSE library (I usually take 171 bus from Peckham and go off in Aldwych) our bus was inspected - by the police. And my big black Targus backpack, which is full of books and a laptop, got a suspicious look. But then - seems like I didn’t look suspicious at all so the police officer didn’t shoot me;))
I know, bad joke, but I still can’t forget that innocent guy who got shot on Friday morning - on his way to fix the air conditioning somewhere.
I am really sorry for him and all his family.
Right … off to work I go!!
By | July 25, 2005 | Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
New Explosions in London
only minor explosions, three tube stations, one bus, one injured, read more one bbc news.
Hmmm, what is this? Two weeks after the bombing someone is trying to scare Londoners again? Oh well, now that I managed to get rid of the temperature, will I have to be worried about the bombs? I don’t think so. Let’s work on;))
By Nana | July 21, 2005 | Topics: Les Voyages, Uncategorized | No Comments »
On An Opening of a Gallery and On Running a Temperature
Yesterday evening, one of my temporary housemates (Oliver) here in London invited me to an gallery opening. Like the other two housemates (Hannah and Steve, who designed the logo for this gallery), he is an art student, interested in impact of ICT on art creation and its dissemination. Yesterday opening didn’t have anything to do with his web interests tho. Instead, he helped to build the gallery. The current exhibition is called Beautiful Seedy, featured by Steve McIntrye. At first, it seemed a bit odd, a vibrator and a phallus drawer. Then I read the accompanying and I like the idea behind the drawers. As the artists says:
“The sexual content of the work is intentionally interactive, opening a drawer by means of a phallus or a vibrator is an ironic gesture towards the upsurge in sexually based material and modern society. We live in an era of Pornographic Chic, where the use of sexual images is prevalent in everything: from clothing to the release of a new song … “
Nice drawers, huh?
Then I went to bed and woke up in the middle of the night, shaking and quivering all over my body. At first I thought that the weather had gotten worse but then I realised was me. I measured my body temperature and what a pleasant surprise: 39,5. In London. What could I want more?? What an appropriate timing. Well, I didn’t wait for another moment but got up and took some medicine I had brought with me. Then I got myself tucked up in bed and started to sweat … so right now I think am doing much better. Oh well, am not gonna let the temperature spoil my plans;))
UPDATE
The temperature still here … a bit lower tho but I haven’t been able to do anything substential today. What a nuisance!
By Nana | July 17, 2005 | Topics: Les Voyages | No Comments »
Too Hot To Work
After all the conferences in the last week I am finally based here in London and I should start working on my papers, PhD and stuff. But instead I try to find ways how to cope with the heat here. It’s waaaay too hot. Well, I will have to find a solution, I guess.
So, basically, here there’s no trace of what happened last week (well, apart from the stations, which are still guarded by the police and there are flowers for those who lost their lives there). People live a very normal life, sweating on buses, rushing to work, laughing in the pubs, enjoying sales, etc.
So … rushing off to the library …
By Nana | July 14, 2005 | Topics: Les Voyages | No Comments »
Safe In Oxford
Hmmm … to all who sent me all the sms messages and emails: thanks for your concern. Luckily enough, I am in Oxford at the moment and won’t be going back to London till Sunday. Then I hope things will get back to normal. Tho here in Oxford people appears to be mad chilled … nobody seems to be bothered with what happened in London this morning … well, at least it looks like that. I keep getting smss whether I am ok and where am I. Seems to me that the rest of the world is in much greater panic about what’s happening around here than can actually be felt here.
My conference has just started and my presentation was good this morning. Most of the participants here are philosophers so the comments were quite interesting. One for example said: you know, there is no such thing as quantitative data, all data is in fact qualitative. Wow, I need to have a conversations with him. And the other one said: You know, a qualitative methodology is positivist one as well. And there was another comment on how all social science methodology is rubbish and that there is a completely different approach to research. I like all three of them and hope to have some fruitfull discussions in the following days.
In the afternoon me and Jana went to do some strolling thru the city, which btw is extremely appealing. And I found a fantastic book which I happened to forget in a toilet in the cinema … then I needed to rush back and at my surprise it was still there. Well, people probably don’t find a big excitement in social research methods book from Clive Seale … Actually it’s a very good reader.
Will keep in touch …
By Nana | July 7, 2005 | Topics: Conferences, Les Voyages | No Comments »