From Academia to Pew Research Center: Differences and Dilemmas

• In Event: 1423 - Practice Symposium- Lightning Round on Career Paths, Transitions, and Opportunities for Sociologists Beyond Academia

Abstract

In this 10 minute lightning presentation, I will discuss a few key points of difference and tension in my transition from a tenure track assistant professor to a research associate at Pew Research Center. Organized into 10 research teams of varying size, we study U.S. politics and policy, journalism and media, science and technology, religion and public life, global migration, and U.S. social and demographic trends. We also have a team that focuses on big data and computational social science. I think this presentation will be useful to audience members who are considering a transition from academia to research centers or graduate students who might be considering non-teaching careers. The themes that I will touch on are:

1. Shifts in authority and autonomy, as you go from work that is largely individual to a team based environment. This also impacts the peer review of and bylines on Pew publications.

2. Differences in the research and writing process, specifically the differences in conceptualizing and writing up studies for the scientific community vs. the general public.

3. Pew-specific dilemma of being a black feminist sociologist in a staunchly non-partisan and non-advocacy organization (this might differ from other non-profits and/or research centers). That is, I will discuss how I am able to take my work which is deeply informed by who I am and what I believe into an environment that is explicitly against providing normative statements on social relations in our published work.

Author

• Kiana Cox, Pew Research Center