Teaching

"The classroom remains the most radical space of possibility in the academy." - bell hooks

Courses Taught 

Introduction to Sociology

Sociology is the study of society. Individuals create our society; however, society also creates how individuals experience and navigate the world. The big question at the center of our class is “How are our taken-for-granted truths created and who benefits from their existence?” Through dialogue, writing, critical thought, and activities, we will cultivate and use our “sociological imaginations,” that is the ability to see the personal in its wider context, to analyze various social structures in the United States.

Sociological Theory 

This course focuses on the importance of theory to the project of sociology, covering important theoretical contributions of classical and contemporary theorists, as well as newer frames for thinking about justice and the future. Theory is a broad umbrella that encompasses an infinite number of theorists, ideas, and texts. In our sixteen weeks together, we will cover “the cannon” and the “schools of thought” that often make up classical theory. We will then shift our focus to more contemporary theorist’s treatment of power and systems of domination. And finally, we will turn to active theorizing around hope. This course will offer you a solid theoretical foundation of the discipline as well as contemporary understandings.

Christianity & Whiteness in U.S. Society 

Despite decreasing church attendance rates and increases in those who claim no religious affiliation, roughly 67 percent of people living in the United States identify as Christian (PRRI 2022). On the news, online, and in nearly every form of media, we see the ways that Christianity shapes our social words – sometimes with devastating consequences. This course asks, “How does Christianity intersect with white supremacy in the contemporary U.S., how does history inform their relationship, and how do sociologists theorize about these phenomena and their intersections with gender, sexuality, race, and class?” 

Research Methods 

What questions can we ask of quantitative data, and how do we go about interpreting their “answers”? In this skills-based course, we will learn about the assumptions of quantitative analysis, analytical approaches, and ways of effectively communicating data. The goal of this course is to have basic, hands-on skills, for quantitative data analysis.