TEACHSOC: Re: need advice

Fri, 07 Apr 2006 11:25:45 -0700

It seems to me that teachsoc has always been a supportive community where people try to offer support and advice to one another about how they can accomplish what they want to accomplish.  I'm not sure phrases like "give me a break" and telling people that their approaches are wrong accomplishes that mission.




D. Angus Vail
Associate Professor of Sociology
Willamette University
900 State Street
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503.370.6313
Fax: 503.370.6512

"It's not enough to know that things work.
The laurels go to those who can show HOW they work."
From: "Del Thomas Ph. D." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
CC: Teaching Sociology <[email protected]>
Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: need advice
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2006 13:40:21 -0400
>
>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
> >
> >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
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