Archive for February, 2008
Numbers
I’ve promised myself since – oh, forever – that I ought to write a post about Umeå’s population policies and as you’ve probably guessed never actually done it. But when VK’s political editor asked the simple question “How many people live in Umeå in 2050“, I couldn’t help make a guess:
125.000 (provided that the administrative borders are the same in 2050 as today – which I doubt) against 111.700 at the end of 2007. (Source: SCB)
That is a bit below the more or less officially stated goal of 150.000 (or was that 200.000?). At one point I will explain why I think 150.000 inhabitants is a sensible goal and why I think it will be difficult to reach.
Promise.
Proliferation
I just noted a massive proliferation of cartoons and jokes on the message board in the printer room of my (still-)department. I’m not sure what, if anything, this indicates.
Any amateur work psychologists out there?
Blogs and Beards
Johan Karlsson of Mothugg has been travelling the Swedish academic blogosphere and noted a distinct lack of women in the band – or in his words: The beards have it.
So where are the women? (or in Swedish: Du, var e’ brudarna?) Is is a generational phenomenon – among teenage bloggers, girls outnumber boys even though the chosen themes reflect traditional gender roles? Is it because younger women in academia have to work harder to get a career, while the men can fool around on the intertubes? Does the uncivilised tone in the comments section scare women off blogging – or do the women simply meet up in real life to discuss things instead of going virtual?
For the record: I do not have a beard. John Quiggin of Crooked Timber sacrificed his impressive beard last year in a charity stunt.
It Was 350 Years Ago Today
Oh, we should note that today is the 350th anniversary of the Treaty of Roskilde in which Denmark ceded Skåne, Halland, Blekinge, Bornholm, Bohus and Trøndelag to Sweden. Interestingly, only one Swedish article about the date appeared in my Google Reader. (I managed to miss this strange essay in Berlingske Tidende).
In case you wonder about Bornholm and Trøndelag, both landscapes rebelled against their new Swedish overlords and were returned to Denmark-Norway in 1660.
Sweden, by the way, is preparing the celebrations for the bicentennial of the 1809 treaty with Russia which ended the Swedish-Russian war and which meant the loss of Finland to Russia.
links for 2008-02-26
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These two working papers explore the potential contribution of Social movement theory and socio-psychological approaches to throw light on the question of why and how violent radicalization occurs in Europe
The Grudge
Dani Rodrik has a grudge against Bill Kristol. Boy, does he have a grudge against Bill Kristol.
That’ll teach graduate students never ever to demand that undergraduates call them by their last name only when they work as assistant teachers.
Between the Seasons
I’ve had students telling me that the weather is sunny in Kiruna (they are probably trying to convince me that I should visit the place 
).
Anyway, this is how the view from my window was an hour ago: We have had unusually warm weather for nearly all of this winter and temperatures have been above the freezing point for the past days, but there is a wee bit of snow left.
links for 2008-02-25
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Kevin Grier says the blogospheric acclaim for Tyler Cowen’s argument that elections are unimportant for economic policy may not have been warranted:
Ready. Steady. Go!
It is past midnight now so I can announce that today I begin teaching my final course.
I know that I’ve said so once before, but this time this should really be it. (In case you wonder what this is about, go back to this post)
It is a bit strange as it is an internet-based course, and all of the presentations have been recorded in advance, so I will only be meeting the students (who are based in Gällivare, Jokkmokk, Kiruna and Pajala) face to face once – and only if I don’t have to make other plans at short notice. Everything else goes via the internet and telephone.
So, You Want to Be an Assistant Professor?
olderwoman of Scatterpoint has some advice. Even if it is from a US perspective, it may be useful on this side of the pond.
Actually, scatterpoint has also considered how to pick an advisor for your Ph.D.-project and how to deal with your advisor as a Ph.D.-student.
Killer quote:
Accept that most academics are introverts with underdeveloped social skills. Although there are certainly exceptions, we are, as a class, awkward and a little weird and tend to combine academic/intellectual arrogance with insecurity and competitiveness.