{"id":2085,"date":"2013-08-02T12:41:49","date_gmt":"2013-08-02T17:41:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/editors\/?p=2085"},"modified":"2013-08-05T10:18:38","modified_gmt":"2013-08-05T15:18:38","slug":"if-you-see-something-say-something","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/editors\/2013\/08\/02\/if-you-see-something-say-something\/","title":{"rendered":"If You See Something, Say Something"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"apple_Doug88888\"<\/a>
Image courtesy of @Doug88888 via Creative Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A shedload of sociologists descends on New York next week for a big annual meeting. As we scuffle for jobs and book deals or steel ourselves for presentations, the vibe can be a bit tense <\/i>in the hotel lobbies. It isn\u2019t easy to present new ideas to an audience that prides itself on the critical analysis <\/i>of new ideas.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s a small move you can make to improve said vibe, whether you\u2019re a professional academic or a civilian reader who just enjoys sociological writing. Has anyone’s work inspired or influenced you? Did a writer turn a particularly memorable phrase in an article or post on TSP or elsewhere? If so, let them know about it! Send a quick note or strike up a conversation with someone whose work you\u2019ve enjoyed and tell them so.<\/p>\n

A good compliment is an amazing restorative \u2013 enough to sustain many of us through professional or personal rough patches. But there\u2019s a strong professional bias against giving and receiving compliments, as sociologists take a jaundiced view of the practice. A 2012 study\u00a0is titled \u201capple-polishers, butt-kissers, and suck-ups<\/a>\u201d and most research on compliments points to class, race, and (especially) gender disparities in ingratiation. But there\u2019s also a grain of truth in Oscar Wilde\u2019s admonition in Lady Windermere\u2019s Fan<\/em>: it is a great mistake to give up paying compliments, \u201cfor when we give up saying what is charming, we give up thinking<\/i> what is charming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Compliments can be an unexpected delight — people noticing your name tag or sending an email out of the blue (especially when you’re\u00a0not <\/i>chairing a hiring committee). And the more obscure and left-field the compliment, the better. Kind words about a newsletter piece, a talk for a community organization, or a small contribution to a book that sold 5 copies are especially appreciated. Looking over the past year, did you find something charming or true in one <\/i>piece you read? Or, perhaps, in a piece of a piece<\/i> you read? If so, the author would like to hear about it.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re so inclined, here are a few general characteristics<\/a> and specific examples of good compliments, as distinct from simple schmoozing. The first is the most important; if you\u2019re not feeling it, the recipient won\u2019t either. And do try to avoid backhanded compliments (saying something positive, and then bringing the nasty).<\/p>\n

1. Genuine<\/em><\/p>\n