Just get them over with as soon as you can!

MPhil is considered a 'step above' a masters, not less. It is a research-based course between a Masters and a PhD - you may get taught however this will be less than a traditional Masters course. Cambridge (and Oxford), for institutional reasons offer these rather than MAs/MScs.

Diplomacy is the way, but I had a great piece of advice this week from a senior member of staff: it doesn't matter what your supervisor does or doesn't do, if you are not happy with your supervision it is an issue. You don't have to 'prove' it, offer examples or anything like that, being unhappy is sufficient grounds to change

Hi... I'm in the process of changing supervisor at the moment (half way through my second year) for similar reasons - poor feedback, constantly cancelling meetings. I have tried to do it as diplomatically as possible by simply telling the relevant members of staff that as she is inexperienced and has a number of PhD students she is struggling to cope.
I was advised to email her to arrange a meeting, she cancelled, and said she was too busy to arrange another. I was then advised to inform her of my concerns by email. She replied with a personal character attack on me, when I had ensured I kept it professional. It has got very bitter now - but her personal comments have negated any 'defense' she had and were a perfect demonstration of her unsuitability as a supervisor. My new sup is much more grounded and ultra-professional.
All I would say is get advice from your personal tutor/director of graduate studies before you proceed. If it gets nasty, you need to cover your back...

"The impact of new basket-weaving technology on the world of macrame."

Hi Nadia
As you're sensible enough to be planning to be outside London then (if you currently have no debts to pay back), you can realistically live on £700-£800 a month if you are careful. If you get a shared house with other PhD-ers then rent will be around £300 for a decent place in a good part of wherever you plan to go. Food £100 a month, bills another £100, and general living costs/books/paying towards conferences etc £200-300 a month. Then its just an issue of fees.
You won't really be able to do a PhD full-time and work enough to cover these costs.
Humanities isn't as cut-throat as it is often perceived. If you have a really good supervisor who can get you contacts (its all about who you know), then your job prospects will be a lot better regardless of funding.

Don't know if this link will work...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VwzPGL1vHbU

Hi! This April 28th will be the 20th Anniversary of National Willy Fogg Day, held in celebration of the greatest of all 1980s cartoon "80 Days Around the World with Willy Fogg". I think we should have a cyber-party to relive our youths for the day... and think of all the fun places we could be travelling (with a Lion, a circus butler, a mouse, and an Indian Princess Cat that sounds like a 10 year old girl).

Oh, you should also look at Ulrich Beck's argument that conflict is the driving force of integration which supports both Coser and Simmel

The field isn't that new - the journal Urban History Yearbook has been going since the 70s, and Leicester has had a research centre there for years (once led by Richard Rodger, but he left last summer I believe)...

You're a loony

I think it might be a Soc Sci thing - and it's only happened over the past 10 years or so with more and more people doing PhDs... it makes sense to an extent, so what if you went to the best uni, if you are examined by Dave the binman then is that really a test of your knowledge? Rating a PhD on the quality of the assessment is a pretty good idea - you prove your knowledge to the best in your discipline and that's what you're judged on.

The situation in the UK is slightly different, but it depends on your field. Of course there are more prestigious institutions, moreover certain institutions have excellent reputations for certain subjects. However, in my area (Social Science/Politics), I have been told by a range of academics at both my own and other Unis that it is your external examiner that carries more weight than your Uni when it comes to jobs.
But of course you also need a good publishing (and often teaching) record.

Hi everyone,
My dad just rang to tell me that last night my grandmother died. We had been expecting it, she has had Alzheimers for about 8 years, and spent the past two weeks in hospital following a collapse at the home where she lives, and I went to see her in hospital last week. The thing is, this Sunday I am due to fly to San Francisco for an academic conference. Its the largest in my subject area (ISA), highly prestigious and difficult to get accepted as a PhD student unless you are invited to be on a panel (my supervisor asked me to participate). Should I stay for the funeral or go to the conference? My dad (it was his mother) presumes I am still going, but I don't think I should, even though my Uni has paid a lot of money for me to go and like I said, I only got in because my Supervisor arranged it.
What would you do? I'm in my 2nd year if that changes anything.

You're lucky with 1st April, I don't get paid again till 30th May! Its sooooo wrong.