In this paper, I make a case for a critical contemplative pedagogy that synthesizes critical peda... more In this paper, I make a case for a critical contemplative pedagogy that synthesizes critical pedagogy and contemplative pedagogy. A critical contemplative pedagogy may seem like a merger of two vastly distinct educational practices. Contemplative pedagogy is often posited as an inner-directed practice of helping students find balance and wholeness in their lives. Critical pedagogy is generally viewed as a form of education that is outer-directed and attempts to foster radical social change. I suggest that there is a logical and maybe even necessary fit between contemplative and critical educational practices. I offer the following five dimensions of critical contemplative pedagogy as a way to explain what is meant by this hybrid approach and why contemplative and critical educators might adopt it: (1) Establishes a foundation of nonduality; (2) Promotes an awareness of interdependence; (3) Encourages us to embrace impermanence; (4) Fosters intentionality; (5) Grounds the political with the personal.
Although fraught with complexity, the self is a central phenomenon of discussion and analysis wit... more Although fraught with complexity, the self is a central phenomenon of discussion and analysis within sociology. This article contributes to this discourse by introducing the Buddhist ideas of anatta (no-self) and prattyasamutpāda (interdependence) as analytic frameworks to deconstruct and rethink the self within sociology. We argue that the sociological self, most clearly articulated by symbolic interactionism, is premised on a self-other dualism. This dualism leads to a conceptualization of the self as constantly threatened and anxious. Using these Buddhist concepts we propose an alternative interpretive schema, a sociology of no-self, for analyzing social interaction and understanding the roots of social angst.
Although critical pedagogy has been discussed in the Teaching Sociology literature for nearly twe... more Although critical pedagogy has been discussed in the Teaching Sociology literature for nearly twenty years, dialogues about the difficulties in practicing and implementing critical pedagogical strategies in everyday classroom life are less common. In this note, we discuss a predominant theme of our workshop: challenges and concerns that may arise when one attempts to do critical pedagogy. We focus on both challenges and potential solutions for learners, instructors, and institutions of higher education. Understanding what some of these obstacles are and how they manifest in institutions of higher learning goes a long way in devising strategies to assuage their deleterious effects.
Despite the fact that athletic activism is nonnormative behavior, there is still a long, albeit s... more Despite the fact that athletic activism is nonnormative behavior, there is still a long, albeit small, tradition of individuals who use the playing field to advocate for political and social justice. This article examines such individuals who, while in their role as athletes, engage in social or political activism to foster progressive social change. Using data from 21 in-depth interviews conducted with athletes who have been involved in activism on a range of issues, we identify four embedded dimensions of sport that have strong implications for a progressive and activist political orientation. These dimensions are social consciousness, meritocracy, responsible citizenship, and interdependency. In conclusion, we make the case that sports can and should be a vehicle for progressive social change.
This article builds on the concept of "writing as thinking" by describing an in-class, cumulative... more This article builds on the concept of "writing as thinking" by describing an in-class, cumulative, peer-writing exercise that helps foster reflexivity. Reflexivity is understood as a process of seeing and a process of being. To be reflexive means that we are fully conscious of the lenses through which we view the world. It suggests that we understand both our situationality and our positionality. In this sense, reflexivity is an essential component of the sociological imagination. Three themes of reflexivity commonly arise from this exercise: developing reflexivity, reinforcing reflexivity, and resisting reflexivity. These themes are discussed and illustrated with full-length excerpts of students' work.
Using data from 82 in-depth interviews with a randomly selected sample of college students, we ex... more Using data from 82 in-depth interviews with a randomly selected sample of college students, we explore how these students are forming felt identities in the following domains: intelligence and knowledgeability, occupation, and cosmopolitanism. We study the formation of students' identities by considering college an arena of social interaction in which the individual comes in contact with a multitude of actors in various settings, emphasizing that through these social interactions the identities of individuals are, in part, constituted. In using a symbolic interactionist approach in our research in conjunction with consideration of the social structural location of colleges in the wider society, we demonstrate the sorts of information and insights that can be gained from a nondevelopmental approach to the study of college student change.
This article examines the micro-analytical strategies of identity formation among individuals att... more This article examines the micro-analytical strategies of identity formation among individuals attempting to transform their ascribed social-class position into an achieved social-class position. The interpersonal strategies discussed include associational embracement, associational distancing, and presentations of self. Data come from forty in-depth, semi-structured interviews with college seniors (twenty men and twenty womcn) from a large northeastern public university. The students were sampled systematically using a randomized list provided by the Office of Institutional Research. Results suggest that social transformation is difficult, in part, because of the interpersonal strategies in which individuals must engage. Self-avowals arc not enough to achieve a desired social identity; rather, individuals must engage in the requisite identity-work activities in order to be successful in social transformation. These results suggest a convergence between social identity theory and identity theory to the extent that individuals must be successful in their role enactments if they hope to gain membership in a particular social group.
Research on social reproduction focuses predominantly on the working class. Middle-class social r... more Research on social reproduction focuses predominantly on the working class. Middle-class social reproduction is not as widely studied and is often assumed to be a structurally determined process lacking human agency. Using in-depth interviews with 41 college seniors, I demonstrate that middle-class social reproduction arises out of the interplay between agency and structure, specifically, from individuals' activation and negotiation of structural advantages.
Using data collected during a four-year ethnographic study, this article examines the stigma mana... more Using data collected during a four-year ethnographic study, this article examines the stigma management strategies of kids who are homeless in the San Francisco Bay area. We focus specifically on strategies of inclusion and exclusion. Strategies of inclusion are attempts by homeless kids to establish harmonious relationships with both peers and strangers. The most common are forging friendships, passing, and covering. Strategies of exclusion are aggressive and nonconciliatory attempts to gain social acceptance. They include verbal denigration and physical and sexual posturing. Some of these strategies successfully protect the kids' sense of self, while other strategies had the unintended effect of reinforcing their spoiled identities. We argue that these stigma management strategies are both informed by and interpreted through their disadvantaged social structural location.
Although much has been written in the past 50 years about the pedagogical value of The Sociologic... more Although much has been written in the past 50 years about the pedagogical value of The Sociological Imagination, one section of Mills's book has been underutilized for far too long. Namely, the essay in the appendix, "On Intellectual Craftsmanship," has been rarely invoked by sociologists discussing the significance of The Sociological Imagination for teaching and learning. Given that the appendix is explicitly about doing research and engaging in the scholarly process, this oversight may be understandable; however, we argue that there is much to be found in the appendix that serves the needs of teachers and learners alike. The purpose of this paper is to highlight some of the pedagogical insights that are implicit in Mills's recommendations for being intellectual craftspersons.
Abstract This paper presents the contrasting orientations toward work and family between female a... more Abstract This paper presents the contrasting orientations toward work and family between female and male college students. The data come from interviews with 30 female and 30 male seniors. The majority of women sampled reject the traditional female role of caretaker and articulate a desire to be professional and autonomous individuals who do not have to rely on a man for support—whether it be financial, domestic or emotional.
Documents distributed by the American Sociological Association are not intended to represent the ... more Documents distributed by the American Sociological Association are not intended to represent the official position of the American Sociological Association. Instead, they constitute a medium by which colleagues may communicate with each other to improve the teaching of sociology. The ASA Teaching Resources Center encourages the production of course syllabi sets and other instructional materials.
In this paper, I make a case for a critical contemplative pedagogy that synthesizes critical peda... more In this paper, I make a case for a critical contemplative pedagogy that synthesizes critical pedagogy and contemplative pedagogy. A critical contemplative pedagogy may seem like a merger of two vastly distinct educational practices. Contemplative pedagogy is often posited as an inner-directed practice of helping students find balance and wholeness in their lives. Critical pedagogy is generally viewed as a form of education that is outer-directed and attempts to foster radical social change. I suggest that there is a logical and maybe even necessary fit between contemplative and critical educational practices. I offer the following five dimensions of critical contemplative pedagogy as a way to explain what is meant by this hybrid approach and why contemplative and critical educators might adopt it: (1) Establishes a foundation of nonduality; (2) Promotes an awareness of interdependence; (3) Encourages us to embrace impermanence; (4) Fosters intentionality; (5) Grounds the political with the personal.
Although fraught with complexity, the self is a central phenomenon of discussion and analysis wit... more Although fraught with complexity, the self is a central phenomenon of discussion and analysis within sociology. This article contributes to this discourse by introducing the Buddhist ideas of anatta (no-self) and prattyasamutpāda (interdependence) as analytic frameworks to deconstruct and rethink the self within sociology. We argue that the sociological self, most clearly articulated by symbolic interactionism, is premised on a self-other dualism. This dualism leads to a conceptualization of the self as constantly threatened and anxious. Using these Buddhist concepts we propose an alternative interpretive schema, a sociology of no-self, for analyzing social interaction and understanding the roots of social angst.
Although critical pedagogy has been discussed in the Teaching Sociology literature for nearly twe... more Although critical pedagogy has been discussed in the Teaching Sociology literature for nearly twenty years, dialogues about the difficulties in practicing and implementing critical pedagogical strategies in everyday classroom life are less common. In this note, we discuss a predominant theme of our workshop: challenges and concerns that may arise when one attempts to do critical pedagogy. We focus on both challenges and potential solutions for learners, instructors, and institutions of higher education. Understanding what some of these obstacles are and how they manifest in institutions of higher learning goes a long way in devising strategies to assuage their deleterious effects.
Despite the fact that athletic activism is nonnormative behavior, there is still a long, albeit s... more Despite the fact that athletic activism is nonnormative behavior, there is still a long, albeit small, tradition of individuals who use the playing field to advocate for political and social justice. This article examines such individuals who, while in their role as athletes, engage in social or political activism to foster progressive social change. Using data from 21 in-depth interviews conducted with athletes who have been involved in activism on a range of issues, we identify four embedded dimensions of sport that have strong implications for a progressive and activist political orientation. These dimensions are social consciousness, meritocracy, responsible citizenship, and interdependency. In conclusion, we make the case that sports can and should be a vehicle for progressive social change.
This article builds on the concept of "writing as thinking" by describing an in-class, cumulative... more This article builds on the concept of "writing as thinking" by describing an in-class, cumulative, peer-writing exercise that helps foster reflexivity. Reflexivity is understood as a process of seeing and a process of being. To be reflexive means that we are fully conscious of the lenses through which we view the world. It suggests that we understand both our situationality and our positionality. In this sense, reflexivity is an essential component of the sociological imagination. Three themes of reflexivity commonly arise from this exercise: developing reflexivity, reinforcing reflexivity, and resisting reflexivity. These themes are discussed and illustrated with full-length excerpts of students' work.
Using data from 82 in-depth interviews with a randomly selected sample of college students, we ex... more Using data from 82 in-depth interviews with a randomly selected sample of college students, we explore how these students are forming felt identities in the following domains: intelligence and knowledgeability, occupation, and cosmopolitanism. We study the formation of students' identities by considering college an arena of social interaction in which the individual comes in contact with a multitude of actors in various settings, emphasizing that through these social interactions the identities of individuals are, in part, constituted. In using a symbolic interactionist approach in our research in conjunction with consideration of the social structural location of colleges in the wider society, we demonstrate the sorts of information and insights that can be gained from a nondevelopmental approach to the study of college student change.
This article examines the micro-analytical strategies of identity formation among individuals att... more This article examines the micro-analytical strategies of identity formation among individuals attempting to transform their ascribed social-class position into an achieved social-class position. The interpersonal strategies discussed include associational embracement, associational distancing, and presentations of self. Data come from forty in-depth, semi-structured interviews with college seniors (twenty men and twenty womcn) from a large northeastern public university. The students were sampled systematically using a randomized list provided by the Office of Institutional Research. Results suggest that social transformation is difficult, in part, because of the interpersonal strategies in which individuals must engage. Self-avowals arc not enough to achieve a desired social identity; rather, individuals must engage in the requisite identity-work activities in order to be successful in social transformation. These results suggest a convergence between social identity theory and identity theory to the extent that individuals must be successful in their role enactments if they hope to gain membership in a particular social group.
Research on social reproduction focuses predominantly on the working class. Middle-class social r... more Research on social reproduction focuses predominantly on the working class. Middle-class social reproduction is not as widely studied and is often assumed to be a structurally determined process lacking human agency. Using in-depth interviews with 41 college seniors, I demonstrate that middle-class social reproduction arises out of the interplay between agency and structure, specifically, from individuals' activation and negotiation of structural advantages.
Using data collected during a four-year ethnographic study, this article examines the stigma mana... more Using data collected during a four-year ethnographic study, this article examines the stigma management strategies of kids who are homeless in the San Francisco Bay area. We focus specifically on strategies of inclusion and exclusion. Strategies of inclusion are attempts by homeless kids to establish harmonious relationships with both peers and strangers. The most common are forging friendships, passing, and covering. Strategies of exclusion are aggressive and nonconciliatory attempts to gain social acceptance. They include verbal denigration and physical and sexual posturing. Some of these strategies successfully protect the kids' sense of self, while other strategies had the unintended effect of reinforcing their spoiled identities. We argue that these stigma management strategies are both informed by and interpreted through their disadvantaged social structural location.
Although much has been written in the past 50 years about the pedagogical value of The Sociologic... more Although much has been written in the past 50 years about the pedagogical value of The Sociological Imagination, one section of Mills's book has been underutilized for far too long. Namely, the essay in the appendix, "On Intellectual Craftsmanship," has been rarely invoked by sociologists discussing the significance of The Sociological Imagination for teaching and learning. Given that the appendix is explicitly about doing research and engaging in the scholarly process, this oversight may be understandable; however, we argue that there is much to be found in the appendix that serves the needs of teachers and learners alike. The purpose of this paper is to highlight some of the pedagogical insights that are implicit in Mills's recommendations for being intellectual craftspersons.
Abstract This paper presents the contrasting orientations toward work and family between female a... more Abstract This paper presents the contrasting orientations toward work and family between female and male college students. The data come from interviews with 30 female and 30 male seniors. The majority of women sampled reject the traditional female role of caretaker and articulate a desire to be professional and autonomous individuals who do not have to rely on a man for support—whether it be financial, domestic or emotional.
Documents distributed by the American Sociological Association are not intended to represent the ... more Documents distributed by the American Sociological Association are not intended to represent the official position of the American Sociological Association. Instead, they constitute a medium by which colleagues may communicate with each other to improve the teaching of sociology. The ASA Teaching Resources Center encourages the production of course syllabi sets and other instructional materials.
Donald Trump embodies many of the definitions of fascism. So why is there a resistance by journal... more Donald Trump embodies many of the definitions of fascism. So why is there a resistance by journalists, educators, politicians, among others, to call him a fascist? Some sociological concepts might help explain this reluctance.
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Papers by Peter Kaufman