Teaching

Teaching sociology at the college level is a way to engage young adults in critical reflection on the world around them. It is also a way to offer students resources to engage in repairative action. I do sociological research because I believe knowledge of social structures can help people make sense of their lives and the constraints they face. I teach sociology because I want to help people to think creatively about how to manage, negotiate and challenge such constraints.

Course Areas:
Social Theory, Qualitative and Ethnographic Methods, Gender and Sexuality, Urban Sociology, Sociology of Inequality, Sociology of Culture, Sociology of New Media

Sample Course Syllabi: Media, Culture & Society; Social Theory; Culture & Power; Digital Vernacular Music Culture

Teaching & Learning Research Areas:
Multiculturalism and diversity, politics and authority in the classroom, effective use of student evaluations, classroom management

Article on teaching and learning: 2007. “Using Mid-semester Evaluations to Encourage Active Learning.” Teaching Concerns, (Newsletter of the Teaching Resource Center, University of Virginia) Spring.