Hi, everyone - I did not follow the entire stream of thought associated with Del's response below, but let me make a couple of observations.
1) It seems that Erin is trying to teach her students about the sociological imagination. However - her note did not provide enough information for me to judge whether she was doing this in a "bogus" or "teacher/preacher" manner. 2) Actually - I think she was trying to teach about social problems in saying that she tries to show students that the issues they address are affected by "structural barriers and vested interests." 3) So - what might be a better way to talk and discuss how to teach would be to ask Erin to elaborate a bit further. Final thought - one of my teaching goals is to get students to think critically about information they receive - whether from me or the media or anyone else. The ultimate goal is that they become active participants, and maybe even activists, who do indeed change the world by challenging strongly held assumptions. Anne F. Eisenberg Assistant Professor Department of Sociology SUNY-Geneseo 123D Sturges Hall Geneseo, NY 14454 716-245-5447 (office) 716-245-5337 (fax) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Del Thomas Ph. D." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "Teaching Sociology" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, April 07, 2006 1:40 PM Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: need advice > > Erin, > > Give me a break. Rather than explain upward mobility research ........we > 1. tell the student that only the examined life is really worth living. > Who are we to tell anyone what is worth living? > 2. Your solution "learning how to overcome them through social action" > places the burden on the student in the tradition > of the puritan ....... far more damaging that the alternatives. > This is a classic example of the teacher/preacher approach that has > weakened our educational system. An escape from sociology > that is really damaging because it looks like we are pushing our > agenda/ideology. This is not science. > 3."personal troubles are often rooted in public issues." How booogus is > that. tell that to the woman who was raped by the Duke students > or the Enron employees ..... or those who are patients in mental > hospitals.... or better yet the family of a person who committed suicide. > > Some of these folks have social problems not personal troubles. We > should provide social solutions not demean their life > or send them out to change the world. > > Del > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >> I would tell the student that only the examined life is really worth >> living. It is much more viable to strive towards social mobility while >> understanding that personal troubles are often rooted in public issues. >> Realizing that structural barriers and vested interests may stand in >> your way and learning how to overcome them through social action is >> much better than struggling and failing and then blaming yourself, your >> genes, or a wrathful god! I teach my first year students that sociology >> is the equivalent of "Defense Against the Dark Arts" from the Harry >> Potter books. Forewarned is forearmed. >> >> Erin Steuter >> Mount Allison University >> >> >> > >> >> > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Teaching Sociology" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/teachsoc -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
