Issue
25(2)
Being
Bright is Not Enough: The Unwritten Rules of Doctoral Study
(2nd ed.). (2003). Peggy Hawley. Springfield:
Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 178 pp.
Price: $58.95. ISBN 0-398-07439-9.
Review
By: Kurt
Xyst
Undergraduate
Advising
University
of Washington
Hawley
has produced a concise, unadorned, and street-wise primer for
the doctoral process. Without some working knowledge of, or exposure
to, the trials and tribulations of doctoral study, advisors may
be at a disadvantage when discussing the value of undergraduate
education, especially the liberal arts, with students who express
interest in continuing their education.
The
guiding theme of Hawley's book is that attrition within Ph.D.
programs is not indicative of academic preparation or capacity.
That is, those who graduate with a doctorate are not necessarily
the most gifted or the most promising; rather, they are those
who successfully navigate the process. Hawley argues that doctoral
study is fraught with traditional and political obstacles that
must be successfully navigated. Her guidance is intended to ameliorate
the more cumbersome and potentially terminal difficulties students
may encounter. To that end, Hawley touches upon major stages of
study including such topics as: choosing a dissertation topic,
forming a committee, crafting a proposal, and defending the dissertation.
Though
written from an academic perspective, it is unclear if students
will find Hawley's book useful. The context of doctoral study
is addressed only briefly in three short paragraphs that provide
the reasoning behind undertaking doctoral study and the ramifications
of obtaining the degree. There is scant attention paid to the
reasons for not pursing the Ph.D. although significant
research has been done in this area. For instance,
Hawley mentions the work on doctoral attrition conducted by Dr.
Maresi Nerad and Dr. Joseph Cerny at the University of Berkeley
from the late 1980s, but does not discuss the ongoing
work being conducted by Dr. Nerad at the Center for Innovation
and Research in Graduate Education, part of which focuses on the
shortcomings of U.S. doctoral programs. Additionally, although
Hawley cites research on underrepresented students, minority students
and their unique situations, they are mentioned only briefly in
the opening chapter never to be returned to again, thus maintaining
the white, middle-class hegemony of higher education.
Being
Bright is Not Enough
is a cursory overview of the stages within doctoral study. Though
written for students, Hawley's text pays little attention to the
overall context of doctoral study before and after the Ph.D. Cleanly
written and efficient, Hawley's text is useful for those needing
an introduction to the process of doctoral study but unnecessary
for anyone actually involved in it.
Reference
Nerad, M. (2003). The PhD in the US: Criticisms, Facts, and
Remedies. (Online), Retrieved August 10, 2004, from http://www.educ.washington.edu/COEWebSite/Cirge/pdfs%20for%20web/Twente_revised.pdf.
