French original text : «Quand je dois expliquer le sujet de ma thèse…en featuring avec PhDelirium» Traduction by Alex Mahoudeau

When I had to explain my thesis’ topic, it appeared that doing a sociology thesis on companies getting bankrupt somewhat incited – especially in the beginning – to jokes or sarcastic remarks. Like these times when…

… there was the very candid, “You must be so busy with everything that’s going on right now!” Indeed (and every time, in petto, I thought it was just a wee bit more complex than that, but opted for the shortest answer!).

… there was this classmate who told me half-jokingly during the coffee break that I worked “with the enemy – aka Big Money.”

… during a Parisian party, a childhood friend working as a trader explained to me up front that it made no sense because “bankruptcy ain’t about sociology but about law or finance.” LOL!

… this business coach in interview to talk about one of the companies he worked with, after I explained what I was working on more precisely, yelled “That’s useless! They’re all vultures in the business courts! Like so with their claws (and imitating a vulture)!” For a second, I thought maybe it would be a good idea to invest in a falconer’s glove 😀

… and really my favorite, a small shade from an entrepreneur, met (and never met again) during an award ceremony. There was about five of us socializing at the reception. One of the group, I can’t remember what he was working in, asked what I did for a living. I said I was a PhD candidate in sociology, working on company bankruptcies. The guy looked at me, took a big step back, and said, “Makes you sound like an undertaker”… and I smiled, saying that they’re needed too!!!

And once I told all of these stories to PhDelirium (if you don’t know ger, go check her website → HERE), well here’s what happened…

PS: “My Bankrupt PhD!” also has a Facebook page.

Crédits Image à la Une : ©Virginie Blum