Sunday, September 27, 2009
Welcome to the Maryland Sociology Blog!
We are excited about the new format for Sociology News! It is the first time we are trying this format, so, naturally, we'll have some kinks to work out. We hope you will be active participants in the growth of this blog by commenting to posts already up and contributing blogs of your own!
If you're interested in submitting a piece for the second edition of the Fall semester, please e-mail me at kbuford@socy.umd.edu.
Happy reading, viewing and writing!
Letter From the Editress
We are pleased to introduce the 2009-2010 edition of Sociology
News. Beverly Pratt and I will be the interim editresses (an actual
word in the dictionary) until the election results are in. We plan to
alternate roles as lead editress each semester. We have changed
the format from a newsletter to a mini-magazine to provide greater
variety and depth. We hope you will find this edition visually
interesting, practical and relevant. We have received input from
faculty as well as students of different backgrounds at different
points in their careers. The best part of our new approach is that it
is interactive. All of the information in the magazine will be included
in the blog, www.umdsocy.blogspot.com, where you can leave your
feedback on each segment. We look forward to your questions,
comments and suggestions!
The theme for this edition is Imagine. I thought this reference to C.
Wright Mills,’ The Sociological Imagination, would be appropriate
given the new ideas that the new cohort brings and the transitional
nature of the department, in general. Perhaps what has attracted
most of us to this doctoral program is not the PhD title—and
certainly not the torture associated with the process. For many
of us, it was our intellectual curiosity. Mills helped me to define
and hone it through his explanation of what he called the
sociological imagination.
“Nowadays men often feel that their private lives are a series of traps…What they need, and what they feel they need, is a quality of mind that will help them to use information and to develop reason in order to achieve lucid summations of what is going on in the world and of what may be happening within themselves. It is this quality, I am going to contend, that journalists and scholars, artists and publics, scientists and editors are coming to expect of what may be called the sociological imagination” (The Sociological Imagination, 1959, p.3).
The idea that one could attain a quality of mind to better understand
the multiple and subtle ways her life influenced and was influenced
by local and global forces, one could and could not see, piqued my
interest.
More importantly, I was concerned with how this quality of mind
helped sociologists address social problems. Karl Marx famously
stated: “Philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various
ways--The point, however, is to change it.” The implicit challenge
in this statement calls us to use the skills and tools we have as
scholars to imagine a better society. Great scholars like W.E.B.
DuBois and Harriet Martineau’s visionary perspectives concerning
discrimination remind us that imagination is not simply the stuff of
dreams—it is foundational to social transformation.
As sociologists, we hold a mirror up to society and identify ways to
improve the portrait, in which, we are included (albeit not the central
focus). However, we can also hold up a mirror to ourselves and have
candid discussions concerning ways to make this department better
for the undergraduates, graduates and professors. We might begin
by posing questions such as: How might politics amongst faculty
members adversely affect the graduate students? How is the junior
faculty adjusting to the new department? What can students do to
reduce the time it takes to complete the program? How can students
help themselves to secure more funding? Is there a sense of mutual
respect between students and faculty members who do quantitative
or qualitative analysis? Why do certain classes tend to be male
dominated?
I do not pose these questions simply to be provocative, rather
they are grounded in my own experiences here. Once in a writing
workshop group professor Kestnbaum and Michelle Corbin opened
my eyes to the ways in which I had repeated practices of domination
in my writing—claiming my argument was valid because popular
scholars agreed with me, elevating my claim by elevating them. It is
important that we help each other to discern ways in which we may
repeat the protectionist, discriminatory practices we critique.
I think the students, in particular, can show our appreciation for this
department and this institution in general by working with faculty to
identify ways to enhance the program. After all, it is an honor to be a
student here. As students, we can imagine the ideal environment and
decide how to realize it given our skills and resources, which is what
I see several students doing already. In light of our workloads, this
task may seem superfluous and time consuming. Yet, imagine, what
if these ideas began with a simple contribution to this magazine, led
to an informal discussion and then became included on the Graduate
Student Forum agenda.
We hope this magazine can be light-hearted and fun, but also a
vehicle for students and faculty to discuss how they would like
to see the department grow. If we can stay connected to why
we really came to this field, we can continue to strengthen the
program—just imagine.
-Kathryn Buford
News. Beverly Pratt and I will be the interim editresses (an actual
word in the dictionary) until the election results are in. We plan to
alternate roles as lead editress each semester. We have changed
the format from a newsletter to a mini-magazine to provide greater
variety and depth. We hope you will find this edition visually
interesting, practical and relevant. We have received input from
faculty as well as students of different backgrounds at different
points in their careers. The best part of our new approach is that it
is interactive. All of the information in the magazine will be included
in the blog, www.umdsocy.blogspot.com, where you can leave your
feedback on each segment. We look forward to your questions,
comments and suggestions!
The theme for this edition is Imagine. I thought this reference to C.
Wright Mills,’ The Sociological Imagination, would be appropriate
given the new ideas that the new cohort brings and the transitional
nature of the department, in general. Perhaps what has attracted
most of us to this doctoral program is not the PhD title—and
certainly not the torture associated with the process. For many
of us, it was our intellectual curiosity. Mills helped me to define
and hone it through his explanation of what he called the
sociological imagination.
“Nowadays men often feel that their private lives are a series of traps…What they need, and what they feel they need, is a quality of mind that will help them to use information and to develop reason in order to achieve lucid summations of what is going on in the world and of what may be happening within themselves. It is this quality, I am going to contend, that journalists and scholars, artists and publics, scientists and editors are coming to expect of what may be called the sociological imagination” (The Sociological Imagination, 1959, p.3).The idea that one could attain a quality of mind to better understand
the multiple and subtle ways her life influenced and was influenced
by local and global forces, one could and could not see, piqued my
interest.
More importantly, I was concerned with how this quality of mind
helped sociologists address social problems. Karl Marx famously
stated: “Philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various
ways--The point, however, is to change it.” The implicit challenge
in this statement calls us to use the skills and tools we have as
scholars to imagine a better society. Great scholars like W.E.B.
DuBois and Harriet Martineau’s visionary perspectives concerning
discrimination remind us that imagination is not simply the stuff of
dreams—it is foundational to social transformation.
As sociologists, we hold a mirror up to society and identify ways to
improve the portrait, in which, we are included (albeit not the central
focus). However, we can also hold up a mirror to ourselves and have
candid discussions concerning ways to make this department better
for the undergraduates, graduates and professors. We might begin
by posing questions such as: How might politics amongst faculty
members adversely affect the graduate students? How is the junior
faculty adjusting to the new department? What can students do to
reduce the time it takes to complete the program? How can students
help themselves to secure more funding? Is there a sense of mutual
respect between students and faculty members who do quantitative
or qualitative analysis? Why do certain classes tend to be male
dominated?
I do not pose these questions simply to be provocative, rather
they are grounded in my own experiences here. Once in a writing
workshop group professor Kestnbaum and Michelle Corbin opened
my eyes to the ways in which I had repeated practices of domination
in my writing—claiming my argument was valid because popular
scholars agreed with me, elevating my claim by elevating them. It is
important that we help each other to discern ways in which we may
repeat the protectionist, discriminatory practices we critique.
I think the students, in particular, can show our appreciation for this
department and this institution in general by working with faculty to
identify ways to enhance the program. After all, it is an honor to be a
student here. As students, we can imagine the ideal environment and
decide how to realize it given our skills and resources, which is what
I see several students doing already. In light of our workloads, this
task may seem superfluous and time consuming. Yet, imagine, what
if these ideas began with a simple contribution to this magazine, led
to an informal discussion and then became included on the Graduate
Student Forum agenda.
We hope this magazine can be light-hearted and fun, but also a
vehicle for students and faculty to discuss how they would like
to see the department grow. If we can stay connected to why
we really came to this field, we can continue to strengthen the
program—just imagine.
-Kathryn Buford
Traveling Terps
Susan Hong
I traveled Europe with some friends for three weeks in August, visiting Rome, Paris, Versailles, Prague, Munich, Vienna, and Koln. We went to several museums, saw the Eiffel Tower, visited the Vatican, Neuschwanstein Castle, and several beautiful gardens in Versailles. The food (and coffee) was delicious, and the music, culture, and art were beautiful. I’m looking forward to visiting again in the near future!Mike Ryan
I spent the summer living and working on my dissertation in Lima, Peru. I also set off on trips to see the Nazca lines, the waterfalls of Matucana, and spent a week in Iquitos, an Amazonian jungle town only accessible by air or boat. I leave in a few weeks for Ecuador to continue working on my dissertation and exploring the wonders of South American life!
Nanae Nakamoto
This summer, I went back to Japan for a month and also visited Korea for a week. Every year, when I visit home, my family would take a trip. This year, we went to Kanazawa (located northwest of Tokyo along the Sea of Japan). It was only a two-nights trip, but it is always nice to spend time with my family…Then, at the end of May, I visited my friend from UMD in Seoul. I was surprised to find that the
atmosphere in Korea and Japan was very much alike (e.g. buildings and how people dressed). I want to thank my friend for being a great
tour guide as well as a translator! I bought Korean language books in Seoul and have been trying to learn Korean since I came back to College Park…
Kathryn Buford
Rome is like walking into a work of art. Event the clouds look as if
God edited them in photo-shop. My friend Candice and I had the
opportunity to spend five days there eating gelato and taking in
popular sites like Trevi Fountain, the Vatican and the Spanish Steps.
However, it’s always difficult hearing sad news away from home. I
heard about Michael Jackson’s passing while in Europe. At the time,
I was among mainly new friends from different parts of the world.
We all shared our favorite songs and dance moves with varying
degrees of nostalgia, disbelief and sorrow. Many musicians, dj’s
and nightclubs across the world paid special tribute to the timeless
“King of Pop.”
My friend Candice and I met some kindred spirits from Chile while
looking for a place to dance in Via Testaccio, a center in Rome with
a lot of nightlife.
We all talked about many things, including, of course, Michael.
Later that night we had the opportunity to see an appreciation
performance while in Rome. We all danced and sang: “You
can be my baby, it don’t matter if your black or white…
dooooodoodoodoodooooodooooo…” Here is a piece of the
performance.
My favorite songs by Michael Jackson are “Man in the Mirror”
and “Bad.” My favorite music videos are “Remember the Time”
and “Smooth Criminal.” Michael always danced like his life
depended on it! He sang about what was in his heart. The world
has lost a king, but Michael left a precious legacy. I love looking
around the globe and seeing his style, energy and spirit.
Gems of Wisdom From Our Faculty
In line with the theme, Imagine, we asked professors: What drew
you to sociology? What keeps you interested in the field? Below is the
wisdom they shared...
Julie Park
My first undergrad class in sociology, "interpersonal interracial
dynamics." How could you not be interested in sociology after that?!
The continual opportunity to ask interesting questions about society
and then trying to answer them.... Making connections between two
seemingly unrelated ideas to generate new ways of looking at things...
Helping to make sense of the world around us as its pace of change is
ever accelerating. It's all about people, groups of people... and to
me, that's never boring!
Harriet Presser
I was planning to be a social worker, and took the required sociologycourses in my first two undergraduate years (at U of FL) before
getting married and dropping out for a while. When I returned to
school (GWU, mostly at night, as had a young child by then) I decided
to stick with sociology as the best way to quickly finish courses for
my B.A. degree. I remained only mildly interested in sociology when,
after another break--and a divorce--I went to graduate school (UNC)
for my M.A., but became extremely interested when, after another
break, went back for my Ph.D. (UC Berkeley) and studied demography.
It is the many fascinating issues of social demography, especially
when viewed from a gender perspective, that have maintained my
interest.
David Segal
began college as a geology major, never having heard of sociology,
and being enthralled with glacial paleontology. During my first two
college years, I learned that geological processes are very slow
(glacial, one might say), and that glaciers are very cold. At the same
time I took my first social science courses, and became consumed by
them. After college I did my graduate work at the University of
Chicago, where some of the great minds of the social sciences were
teaching. It was a time of social turbulence--the civil rights
movement, the Vietnam War, etc., and I think a majority of my entering
cohort of graduate students saw in sociology a means to address some
of the problems of the world. Perhaps as important as the fame of
the people I studied with was the fact that they were engaged with the
world. Phil Hauser, the chair of the department, had been the director
of the Census Bureau, Don Bogue, for whom I was a research assistant,
was battling population growth, Morris Janowitz, who was my mentor,
was off to Washington or on TV at least once a month to talk about
military policy. I was attracted by the possibility of having an
impact beyond the walls of the academy. After Chicago, I joined the
faculty at the University of Michigan, where the dept. chair, Al
Reiss, was constantly consulting and testifying in the area of
criminal justice. I took a leave from Michigan in the first years of
the volunteer military force, to establish a sociological research
program for the Army, and found it fulfilling to have senior military
commanders, federal executives, and members of the Congress interested
in my research. I came to Maryland after three years of federal
service, intending to return to research on social stratification and
political sociology, but it never happened. The constituencies that
had been developed outside the university--the military services, the
Congress, and the media, pressed me top continue research on the
military. I think if I ever reach the point at which the only people
who read what I write are other sociologists, I'll turn to my
childhood ambition and become a cowboy.
Jeff Lucas
My undergraduate degree was in business. As I was working in a real
job and starting to move through my MBA, I was exposed to Weber’s The
Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism and then Durkheim’s
Elementary Forms of Religious Life. I thought the work was
fascinating, particularly in how it connected to my own experiences. I
was raised Catholic, for example, and Durkheim’s discussion of the
functions of ritual explained well my experiences with religion. These
works led me to pursue an advanced degree in sociology.
Carrying out research, particularly with students, teaching in its
various forms, and learning what other researchers are doing all keep
me interested in the discipline. The research I do is in group
processes, and there is a one-day mini-conference every year for group
processes researchers, usually the day before the ASA meetings. I find
this mini-conference especially invigorating. I get to learn what
other people in my area are doing, talk with people who approach
research in similar ways to me, and get a sense of future directions
in the area.
George Ritzer
I was attracted to sociology because of its wide horizons and many options. It is this that has kept me interested in sociology and keeps me interested to this day. Over the years I have changed my focus many times, including work and occupations, theory (and among many different kinds of theory), metatheory, consumption, social geography, globalization, and most recently prosumption. Followingone interest for a time has inevitably led me to others. I hope and expect that this process will continue.
There’s always something new; sociology is always new!
A Sociological Imagination Applied
Most of us pursue a PhD in Sociology for some reason beyond,
or perhaps within, our selves: a theoretical piece – like Baudrillard’s
America – demonstrated the creativity of theory… sociologists on
the syllabi of our undergraduate Critical Race and Women’s Studies
courses discussed social injustices in ways in which we had yet to
consider... a Research Methods class demonstrated the applicability
of Sociology – both theory and methods – as a tool to eliminate
social injustices. And for those of us who choose Sociology because
if these– or myriad other reasons – we struggle with how to dutifully
apply our budding Sociological Imaginations – both abstractly and
in praxis.
Within the tension of this struggle I choose to pursue the
Sociological Adventure. I also choose to volunteer time –
what little I can afford as a graduate student – at a Washington,
DC nonprofit actively utilizing their own Sociological Imagination.
I volunteer at Sojourners – a nearly 40 year-old faith-based social
justice nonprofit in the heart of the District’s ever changing – for
better and worse – Columbia Heights neighborhood. Though the
organization doesn’t provide direct-care services to people in the
neighborhood, it instead mobilizes activists and builds coalitions
among both secular and non-secular organizations fighting against
such oppressions as poverty, racism and those fighting for such
reforms as immigration and health care parody. In doing so,
Sojourners partners with organizations like World Vision, Oxfam,
and ONE.
So, while I don’t provide direct-care to people, I do get to interact
with folks who consider themselves activists, many since the Civil
Rights Movement. I’ve learned of their narratives as social
activists, volunteered side-by-side with them at huge mobilizations
and Capital Hill rallies, and have been able to witness and
experience sweat and tears as natural components to organizing
massive campaigns against the constantly fluctuating backdrop
of Washington, DC. While the nonprofit isn’t perfect (what
organizations are?), spending time within an organization founded
upon Sociological grassroots ideologies has both sharpened and
expanded my Sociological Imagination.
The potential and application of our Sociological Imaginations aren’t
limited to the classroom, our comprehensive exams, or even our
dissertations. Our Sociological Imagination extends beyond our
selves and our academically gated community to a political,
economic, and social world in much need of our Imaginations!
So, I definitely encourage you, whether you’re just beginning
your Sociological Adventure or are further along and in the midst
of one of its valleys to give what time you can to organizations,
relationships, and people that need you. I can testify that it’s
a reciprocal relationship, for the better.
-Beverly Pratt
or perhaps within, our selves: a theoretical piece – like Baudrillard’s
America – demonstrated the creativity of theory… sociologists on
the syllabi of our undergraduate Critical Race and Women’s Studies
courses discussed social injustices in ways in which we had yet to
consider... a Research Methods class demonstrated the applicability
of Sociology – both theory and methods – as a tool to eliminate
social injustices. And for those of us who choose Sociology because
if these– or myriad other reasons – we struggle with how to dutifully
apply our budding Sociological Imaginations – both abstractly and
in praxis.
Within the tension of this struggle I choose to pursue the
Sociological Adventure. I also choose to volunteer time –
what little I can afford as a graduate student – at a Washington,
DC nonprofit actively utilizing their own Sociological Imagination.
I volunteer at Sojourners – a nearly 40 year-old faith-based social
justice nonprofit in the heart of the District’s ever changing – for
better and worse – Columbia Heights neighborhood. Though the
organization doesn’t provide direct-care services to people in the
neighborhood, it instead mobilizes activists and builds coalitions
among both secular and non-secular organizations fighting against
such oppressions as poverty, racism and those fighting for such
reforms as immigration and health care parody. In doing so,
Sojourners partners with organizations like World Vision, Oxfam,
and ONE.
So, while I don’t provide direct-care to people, I do get to interact
with folks who consider themselves activists, many since the Civil
Rights Movement. I’ve learned of their narratives as social
activists, volunteered side-by-side with them at huge mobilizations
and Capital Hill rallies, and have been able to witness and
experience sweat and tears as natural components to organizing
massive campaigns against the constantly fluctuating backdrop
of Washington, DC. While the nonprofit isn’t perfect (what
organizations are?), spending time within an organization founded
upon Sociological grassroots ideologies has both sharpened and
expanded my Sociological Imagination.
The potential and application of our Sociological Imaginations aren’t
limited to the classroom, our comprehensive exams, or even our
dissertations. Our Sociological Imagination extends beyond our
selves and our academically gated community to a political,
economic, and social world in much need of our Imaginations!
So, I definitely encourage you, whether you’re just beginning
your Sociological Adventure or are further along and in the midst
of one of its valleys to give what time you can to organizations,
relationships, and people that need you. I can testify that it’s
a reciprocal relationship, for the better.
-Beverly Pratt
ASA Top 10!
The annual American Sociological Association conference took
place this Summer. The ASA president was Professor Patricia
Hill Collins.
Beverly Pratt shares her top ten favorite moments
from the event. Please let us know your opinions of ASA!
ASA 2009 Top Ten List
10. Enjoying UMD’s Sociology community 3,000 miles away
from our offices.
9. Plenary sessions loaded with sociological abstractions
and praxes.
8. Networking with Sociologists whose Sociological Imaginations
are similarly inspired.
7. Food, food, and more food (Mexican, Italian, Japanese)… yum(!).
6. Enjoying the colorful tapestry and diversity of San Francisco.
5. Attending sessions with your Sociological super-heroes.
And sometimes even getting to be on the same panel as them.
4. Roaming around searching for Foucault-haunts.
3. Being able to escape the mid-Atlantic humidity for some
northern California weather.
2. Dr. Collins’ “The New Politics of Community”
address… woo hoo!!!
1. Getting to cheer for Dr. Collins as a community!!!
place this Summer. The ASA president was Professor Patricia
Hill Collins.
Beverly Pratt shares her top ten favorite moments
from the event. Please let us know your opinions of ASA!
ASA 2009 Top Ten List
10. Enjoying UMD’s Sociology community 3,000 miles away
from our offices.
9. Plenary sessions loaded with sociological abstractions
and praxes.
8. Networking with Sociologists whose Sociological Imaginations
are similarly inspired.
7. Food, food, and more food (Mexican, Italian, Japanese)… yum(!).
6. Enjoying the colorful tapestry and diversity of San Francisco.
5. Attending sessions with your Sociological super-heroes.
And sometimes even getting to be on the same panel as them.
4. Roaming around searching for Foucault-haunts.
3. Being able to escape the mid-Atlantic humidity for some
northern California weather.
2. Dr. Collins’ “The New Politics of Community”
address… woo hoo!!!
1. Getting to cheer for Dr. Collins as a community!!!
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