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While many sociologists are committed to and enjoy working within academic institutions, there is an increasing interest in, and need for, scholars to “think outside of the academy” and consider working in applied settings. In part, this is fueled by an economy that makes desirable academic positions less abundant. . . . → Read More: “Thinking Outside the Academy”: Working as an Applied Sociologist]]>

While many sociologists are committed to and enjoy working within academic institutions, there is an increasing interest in, and need for, scholars to “think outside of the academy” and consider working in applied settings. In part, this is fueled by an economy that makes desirable academic positions less abundant. But it is also fueled by the important contribution sociologists make to non-academic research, education, and policy venues.

This session — presented at the Sociologists for Women in Society Winter Meeting in Tamaya, Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico on February 8th, 2013 — includes a panel of successful sociologists who are working in a variety of non-academic settings, including a think tank and in independent practices. Panelists include:

• Gayle Sulik, Ph.D. independent social science researcher and writer, affiliated with the University at Albany Department of Women’s Studies, with expertise in medical sociology and interdisciplinary community research and a focus on medical consumerism, cancer survivorship, health policy, and the culture and industry of breast cancer.
• Mindy Fried, Ph.D., Principal of Arbor Consulting Partners, who conducts evaluation research in the areas of work and family policy, public health, arts education, and community development in low-income and immigrant communities for universities, foundations, non-profit organizations, and government.
• Chloe Bird, Ph.D., senior sociologist at the RAND Corporation, who studies gender differences in physical and mental health and social determinants of health, and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School.

Panelists shared their personal journeys in choosing applied sociology as a career, and gave insights regarding the pros and cons of applied sociology as a career choice. They discussed their opportunities for scholarship, the audiences they seek to influence, the products they create, and the finances of a non-academic career. After short presentations, panelists addressed questions from participants.

Here is Gayle Suik’s presentation. Download slides (PDF)

Sociologists for Women in Society Winter Meeting in Tamaya, Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico on February 8th, 2013.

Internationally acclaimed and award-winning filmmaker Léa Pool brings her unique signature style to Pink Ribbons, Inc., a feature documentary that looks at the politics of breast cancer philanthropy. . . . → Read More: Sulik discusses the film, Pink Ribbons, Inc.]]> Pink Ribbons, Inc. will be featured on Friday, October 12 at 8 pm as a special presentation of the Colony Film Festival.

Internationally acclaimed and award-winning filmmaker Léa Pool brings her unique signature style to Pink Ribbons, Inc., a feature documentary that looks at the politics of breast cancer philanthropy. As high-profile “pink” marketing campaigns raise millions of dollars in the name of breast cancer, the focus is not on prevention but on “the cure,” and the breast cancer movement has changed from activism to consumerism.

The film features interviews with an array of activists, writers and physicians, many of them feminist, as well as with the major players of the breast cancer fundraising and cause-marketing cultures. Interviews run the gamut from authors such as Dr. Susan Love of Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book; Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Bright-sided: How Positive Thinking is Undermining America;  and Ellen Leopold, whose two books, A Darker Ribbon: Breast Cancer, Women and Their Doctors in the Twentieth Century andUnder the Radar: Cancer and the Cold War; to Nancy Brinker, founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Dr. March Hurbert, Executive Director of the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade; Evelyn Lauder of Estee Lauder, the first cosmetic company to use the pink ribbon as a symbol of breast cancer awareness; and many others.

The American Sociological Association invited me to present a workshop at the 2012 annual conference on the dissertation to book process. Knowing that my personal experience writing a book differed from many of my colleagues, I started the workshop planning process early and by investigating others’ experiences. After identifying . . . → Read More: From Dissertation to Book Workshop]]>

The American Sociological Association invited me to present a workshop at the 2012 annual conference on the dissertation to book process. Knowing that my personal experience writing a book differed from many of my colleagues, I started the workshop planning process early and by investigating others’ experiences. After identifying common themes, differences, and resources I wrote an abstract and identified colleagues who would add a perspective different from my own.

What follows is a brief summary of the workshop, its goals, the workshop team, and a set of resources.

Summary

PhDs are often encouraged to transform their dissertations into books. Yet the audience, content, structure, writing, and voice of a dissertation (i.e., thesis) differ dramatically at times from a published book, even one that is based on the dissertation’s data and arguments. In writing your dissertation, you figured out something important and explained it in a way that your advisers would understand and validate. For your book, you need to tell the story differently, with fresh insight, clarity, and a new readership in mind. This workshop will help you do that.

Workshop Goals

This workshop breaks down the dissertation-to-book process into key elements and considerations. Depending on where you are in the transformation, your focus will change. However, there are some basic elements. The workshop:

• Describes how a book manuscript differs from a dissertation
• Explains key stages in the process of developing a manuscript based on dissertation research
• Identifies common stumbling blocks and ways to address them
• Provides resources and ideas about where to look for help

The Team

If you’re reading this website, you already know that I’m Gayle Sulik – an independent scholar, health advocate, and research associate affiliated with the University at Albany. What you may not know is that my book “Pink Ribbon Blues: How Breast Cancer Culture Undermines Women’s Health” – originated back in 2001 with my dissertation research. After completing the dissertation (2004), which focused on women’s survivorship, care, and decision-making, I expanded my research into breast cancer culture and industry to learn how the system worked. After several smaller research projects, I spent one year on a research fellowship from the National Endowment from the Humanities to complete my research and write the bulk of the book. I published “Pink Ribbon Blues” with Oxford University Press as a “cross-over/trade” book with the intent of expanding public dialogue about what works and what doesn’t in breast cancer culture. This was six years after the completion of my dissertation. The take-home message for scholar-authors: be persistent.

Astrid Eich-Krohm, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Southern Connecticut State University. She is a qualitative sociologist with research interests in gender, international migration, aging and health. Her migration research focuses on recent German migration to the United States by comparing settlement/return decisions of German families in the U.S. Most importantly, her research focuses on the larger role of the family especially the spouses who are often considered “tied migrants” without much say in the decision process of returning or settling. She is the author of “German Professionals in the United States: A Gendered Analysis of the Migration Decision of Highly Skilled Families” (LFB Scholarly Publishing, 2012).

Dr. Eich-Krohm offers insights about the importance of balancing personal and institutional expectations when writing a book, and why she decided to publish in a “book series.”

Meika Loe, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies at Colgate University. She is the author of “Aging Our Way: Lessons for Living from 85 and Beyond” (Oxford University Press, 2011) and “The Rise of Viagra: How The Little Blue Pill Changed Sex in America” (NYU Press, 2004). The latter was based on her earlier dissertation research. Dr. Loe’s critical scholarship on culture, age, medicine, technology, and gender has appeared in a range of academic journals, and she has spoken with numerous media outlets in addition to writing about aging on the Aging Our Way Blog.

Having written one book based on her dissertation, and a second book based on new research Dr. Loe offers important “take-aways” about the publication process.

Adina Nack, PhD., is Associate Professor of Sociology, Gender, and Women’s Studies at California Lutheran University. She is also Director of CLU’s Center for Equality and Justice and a Senior Research Fellow for the Council on Contemporary Families. In the field of women’s health, Dr. Adina Nack has made an impressive debut with her book, Damaged Goods? Women Living With Incurable Sexually Transmitted Diseases, which highlights years of medical sociology research. Known for discussing taboo topics from a sociological perspective, Dr. Nack connects readers with women who boldly shared their stories of living with medically incurable STDs. An author, blogger, and public speaker, Dr. Nack is a strong advocate for comprehensive sexuality education and has been featured in two MTV documentaries.

Dr. Nack. shares insight into the book production process and the crucial importance of “marketing and book promotion” for those who are reaching out to a broader audience.

Resources

On May 11, 2012 Astrid Eich-Krohm and I participated in an ASA Professional Webinar about the Dissertation to Book Process. It may be run again this fall. In the meantime, here are the powerpoint slides from the ASA workshop, and a companion handout.

Powerpoint Slides »

Companion Handout »

Suggested Citation

Feel free to download, use, and share these materials. When you do, please use the following citation:

Sulik, Gayle, Astrid Eich-Krohm, Meika Loe, and Adina Nack. 2012. “Professional Development Workshop: From Dissertation to Book.” Presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, August 19, Denver, CO. Retrieved [Date] (http://gaylesulik.com/?p=14522).