TEACHING
PHILOSOPHY + EXPERIENCE + AWARDS
On Teaching Sociology
“My overall goals when teaching sociology is to make our discipline interesting and relevant, and to enable my students to apply sociological concepts to their everyday lives. To me, conversation is pedagogy; I find that discussion is very important when sharing sociological knowledge and this concept informs my classroom practice. This belief means that it is important to me that students feel comfortable speaking in class. With the readings I assign, the group assignments I employ, and the purposefully relaxed classroom environment I create, I seek to provide an environment where students can truly explore the sociological imagination with me and with each other.”
“It is my aim to ensure that all students have space to give voice to their story and to ask for what they need to have a comprehensive learning experience in my classroom. Acknowledging and celebrating diversity is essential in the sociology classroom where diversity is a topic that is often discussed at length.”
Currently Teaching
SOC 110 Introduction to Sociology Cr. 3
An introduction to the basic insight, concepts, theories and methods of the discipline. The course encourages students to think critically, to apply sociological knowledge, and to develop a global perspective. Topics for discussion include culture, social interaction, deviance, sexuality, stratification, race relations, gender, family, economics, politics, technology, and social change.
SOC 201 Social Problems Cr. 3
Consideration of major contemporary social problems which reveal structural strains, value conflicts, deviations, and changes in society. Analysis of socio-cultural factors creating problems and of possible solutions.
SOC 255 Diversity in Families Cr. 3
An introduction to diverse family issues and concerns in a global perspective. The course examines the changing functions, patterns, and structures of the family as a major social institution. Topics include changing patterns of dating, mate selection, cohabitation, marriage, dual-career families, adoption, divorce, and remarriage.
SOC 278 Social Research Methods Cr. 3
Study of the basic methods of empirical social science research. Topics include techniques and theory of research design, formulating and testing hypotheses, measurements, sampling, modes of observation, data management, and elementary data analysis.
SOC 298 Sociology of Education Cr. 3
This course examines education through a sociological lens, focusing on how education impacts society and how society impacts education. Using sociological theories and perspectives, students will critically examine the structure and process of education.
SOC 363 Sociology of Gender Cr. 3
This course focuses on the social, political, legal, and economic dimensions of contemporary women’s issues. Topics include the feminization of poverty, reproductive technology, single parenthood, childcare policies, aggression against women, and institutionalized sexism. Prerequisite: SOC 110.
SOC 381 Sociology of Health and Illness Cr. 3
This course is a sociological analysis of health and medicine that will encourage students, including future medical professionals, to examine health and illness through a sociological lens. Topics include mental health, contested illness, doctor and patient interactions, the social construction of illness, and more.
SOC 477 Sociological Theory Cr. 3
This course introduces students to the major nineteenth and twentieth century thinkers who shaped the development of sociological thought. In exploring the theoretical heritage of sociology, the course seeks to develop an appreciation of what theory is and how necessary and useful it is for examining and understanding the social world. A major assumption of the course is that sociological theory has an eminently practical function for understanding ourselves and the world we live in. Prerequisite(s): SOC 110 or SOC 200H and SOC 476.
Other Courses Taught
- Social Movements
- Social Change and Development
- Environmental Sociology
- Comparative Ethnic Studies
Teaching Awards, Accreditation, & Certificates
- Alpha Kappa Delta Teaching and Learning Fellowship, awarded by Alpha Kappa Delta International Honor Society of Sociology (2020)
- Completion of the Teaching Documentation Program through Wayne State University’s Office of Teaching and Learning (2020)
- Completion of the Preparing to Teach Online Course for faculty at Henry Ford College (2020)
- North Central Sociological Association Preparing Future Faculty Certificate (2019)
- North Central Sociological Association Preparing Future Faculty Certificate (2018)
- Completion of the Introduction to College Teaching course through Wayne State University’s Office of Teaching and Learning (2018)