<p>Oh the humanity. And academics wonder why they get so little public support. </p>
<p>[News:</a> Sociologists in Sin City - Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/08/26/sociology_conference_in_vegas]News:”>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/08/26/sociology_conference_in_vegas)</p>
<p>The most surprising thing to me in this article - aside from barrons choosing to ignore that the article implies that there were actually few Debbie Downers in the group - was that many of the sociologists spent their time judging rather than learning. </p>
<p>Just think: days upon days of field research into the American psyche there for the offering and sociologists - of all people!!! - ignore that chance.</p>
<p>"sociologists spent their time judging rather than learning. "</p>
<p>Newsflash number 1 - Sociologists are people too</p>
<p>“days upon days of field research into the American psyche there for the offering and sociologists - of all people!!! - ignore that chance.”</p>
<p>Newsflash number 2 - academics specialize - someones whose work is on methodology, or on rural areas, or whatever isnt going to get much (in terms of the their work) wandering down the Strip </p>
<p>"aside from barrons choosing to ignore that the article implies that there were actually few Debbie Downers "</p>
<p>Newsflash number 3 - people with axes to grind scour the net for supportive factoids</p>
<p>If you don’t think the focus of the article was on exactly what I noted you are just not reading the article. And I had no reason to scour the net–I read the site every day and this article was unique in what it documented. Nearly every comment supports my reading of the article’s intent. Having a token quote of support of LV hardly offsets the overall tone and video selected.</p>
<p>Is it news that Vegas doesn’t market itself to nerds? You’d have the same result if you sent a bunch of professors to spring break in Cabo or the Oscars or New York Fashion Week. They’re not nerd habitat, and nerds will feel out of place there. Put some Vegas showgirls in Princeton, and they’d react like it was a foreign country, too.</p>
<p>Given that there were 5,000 people attending the convention and this article inteviewed perhaps 10, I’d be hard pressed to draw any reliable conclusions about what sociologists think about anything. </p>
<p>I’d say this author had his tongue firmly in is cheek while writing this article, and was trying to poke fun at the PC attitudes that everybody knows exists within academia. Frankly I think most of the interviewees were in on the joke. Good for them for being able to laugh at themselves.</p>
<p>Here’s an exciting annual convention held in Las Vegas every year:</p>
<p>“Since 1975, World of Concrete has been the industry’s ONLY annual international event dedicated to the commercial concrete and masonry construction industries. Featuring indoor and outdoor exhibits, leading suppliers showcasing innovative products and technologies, exciting demonstrations and competitions, a world-class education program, and the information you need to help sustain and grow your business. Start the year off strong at World of Concrete!”</p>
<p>Yeah, right. You do not know Sara Rab. I do. Of course the author did not interview 5000 people. But I also am pretty sure the article captures the gist of things.</p>
<p>“Also male: the grad student from a California public who smilingly boasted of having slipped a small bribe to the man at the check-in desk in exchange for a room with a good view of the pools (and the bikini-clad women therein) – which view, he said, he found rather distracting as he sat in his room preparing his presentation.”</p>
<p>“preparing his presentation”…I never heard it called that.</p>
<p>So I work in a den of nerds…every year one or two of my coworkers attend “World of Concrete”. I’m not joking–my company is a supplier for the concrete building industry.</p>
<p>I have a colleague whose legitimate professional conference meets annually in Las Vegas. He has a terrible time convincing management that he’s really, really going for work…</p>
<p>I simply don’t understand why so many professional conferences are booked in NYC, LA, SF, LV, SD, etc. when there are destinations like Scranton, Wheeling, Akron, Minot, Pueblo, San Angelo and Stockton available.</p>
<p>San Angelo, lol. That’s where my mom is from. Los Lonely Boys, too.</p>
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<p>Probably has to do with size not fun. Our national annual conference- also an academic one- is limited in where it can be held because we number about 10,000 when we show up. Only some cities seem able to readily accommodate that influx (especially providing hotels within walking distance of each other). And cost is an issue, so we invariably we end up in very hot (and thus relatively unpopular locations) for the time of year its held. We have done Las Vegas! We are just as nerdy, but business school professors are not quite so social left-oriented as sociology professors :)</p>
<p>Ive only been to casinos a couple of times and every time I’ve been around it I wonder “where are James Bond and the other rich, competent guys?”</p>
<p>Casinos are interesting places for sociologists, economists, and any other person who is interested in human behaviour. They receive much less attention from the mainstream media than churches receive. And generally more favorable coverage.</p>