Anthropology and Sociology

Emily Pyle and Rebecca Heslin Successfully Defend their Honors Theses

kissaner — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:30:46 +0000

This week, anthropology and sociology majors Emily Pyle and Becca Heslin successfully defended their honors theses. Emily spent the year exploring the criminal justice response to domestic violence through a comprehensive review of the research literature and interviews with advocates, lawyers, and police officers. For her thesis, Becca examined “hyper-reality,” also through a comprehensive literature review and interviews in which she investigated reactions to shows like The Bachelor. Both students did a fantastic job, and we are so proud of their accomplishments!

A&S Majors Win Awards

kissaner — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:51:22 +0000

Congratulations to our majors who recently received accolades!

Juliet Lodi and Rebecca Heslin

Paul Bernon Memorial Prize in Sociology: Rebecca Heslin ’12 (anthropology and sociology), Hellertown, Pa. (EXCEL Scholar) and Juliet Lodi ’12 (government & law/anthropology & sociology), Park City, Utah

Foreign Languages and Literatures Culture/Literature Studies Award: Meagan Betke ’13 (anthropology and sociology), Commack, N.Y.

Minerva & Emil V. Novak Prize in Government and Law: Juliet Lodi ’12 (government & law/ anthropology & sociology), Park City, Utah

Welcome our New Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Neha Vora!

kissaner — Sun, 06 May 2012 16:34:31 +0000

Please join us in welcoming Neha Vora, our new assistant professor of anthropology! Professor Vora received her Ph.D. in Anthropology (with Graduate Feminist Emphasis) from the University of California, Irvine. Her previous research centers on the forms of belonging, exclusion, and citizenship among Indian migrants in Dubai. Currently, she is exploring the influx of American institutions of higher learning into the Gulf Arab States. This fall, she will be teaching Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (A&S 102) and Gender in Muslim and Arab Worlds (A&S 271). Welcome Professor Vora to Lafayette!

Sociologist Wendy Espeland to Give Presentation 4/26/12

kissaner — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:15:39 +0000

Professor Espeland will be speaking about her research on institutional responses to the US News and World Report Rankings.

Title of presentation: “Rankled by the Rankings: Law School and Other Organizational Responses to the US News and World Report Rankings”

When: Thursday, April 26, 2012 – 2:30pm to 4:00pm

Where: Hugel 100

Presenter: Professor Wendy Espeland, Northwestern University

Sponsored by: Anthropology and Sociology

Anthropology and Sociology Alumni Dinner Panel

kissaner — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:25:06 +0000

On Tuesday, March 6th, the Emile Durkheim Society and the Career Services office teamed up for an A&S Alumni Dinner Panel. Anthropology and sociology majors and faculty dined with department alumni in the Faculty Dining Room to meet alums and find out what they have done with their degrees after Lafayette. Students got a chance to hear career and life advice from panelists Harrison Bailey III ’95 (Assistant Principal in Parkland School District), Emily Magee ’10 (Resolution Services Associate, Vanguard Education Savings Group), Tucker Flood ’82 (President of Eastman Radio), Alysse Henkel ’08 (Mission Research Specialist for Goodwill Industries International), and Amy Sonin ’01 (Assistant Public Defender for Lehigh County). After the panel, students joined the alums of their choice for dinner and dessert for a chance to ask questions about specific fields.
Thanks to our loyal alums, the Career Services staff, and hosts Becca Heslin and Brooke Kohler of the Emile Durkheim Society for making the event a great success!

[Show as slideshow]

Students Present Research at Eastern Sociological Society Meeting in New York City

leecw — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:29:28 +0000

Prof. Rebecca Kissane’s “Grand Challenges” student Emily Melvin and Prof. Caroline Lee’s AMS thesis student JJ Houldin presented their independent research at the undergraduate student poster session at the Eastern Sociological Society Meeting in New York City on Friday, February 24th.

New A&S course for spring 2012 semester

kissaner — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 16:16:38 +0000

A&S will be offering several new courses for the spring 2012 semester. These include “Global Colonialism” taught by Andrea Smith, associate professor of anthropology.

A&S 353 Global colonialism:

Colonial conquests have occurred throughout human history. This course will identify two forms, extractive and settler colonialism, as we consider their myriad effects on subject populations. What is the “colonial critique” and how has it shaped contemporary anthropological theory? And isn’t colonialism now “dead”? As we shift our attention to settler colonialism, we will find the answer to this question a resounding ‘no,’ and we will foreground the challenges settler colonialism poses today for both anthropologists and indigenous populations.

Prerequisite: A&S 102 or 103, or permission of instructor

Civic engagement expert Peter Levine features Prof. Caroline Lee’s research on his blog

kissaner — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 16:00:56 +0000

Discussing Professor Caroline Lee’s recent article entitled “Five Assumptions Academics Make About Public Deliberation, And Why They Deserve Rethinking” in the Journal of Public Deliberation, Levine says the article “sets a hugely valuable agenda for research aimed not at understanding how deliberation affects participants or communities, but what it is as a field of practice.” You can read Peter Levine’s full blog here.

Occupy Brown Bag, 11/10/11

kissaner — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 15:31:02 +0000

An in-depth look at the social and political issues behind the Occupy Wall Street movement. Presenters will include Caroline Lee, assistant professor of sociology; Michael Feola, assistant professor of Government & Law; a student who attended Occupy Wall Street; and a facilitator at Occupy Philly.

The panel will be followed by a question and answer session.

When: November 10, 2011 from 7:00 – 8:30 pm

Where: Kirby 104

Sponsored by the Emile Durkheim Society, the Office of Intercultural Development, LINC: Lafayette Intercultural Networking Council, the Government & Law Department, the Economics Department, ALF and LEAP.

The Economics of Food Stamps Brownbag, 11/16/11

kissaner — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 15:06:54 +0000

Come learn more about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as “food stamps”) with this Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week presentation. Presenters include Susan Averett, Charles A. Dana Professor of Economics, Rebecca Kissane, Associate Professor of Sociology, and Emily Zangla, Class of 2014. Food is provided.

When: November 16, 2011 from noon to 1pm

Where: Hogg Hall — Interfaith Chapel

Sponsored by Landis Center & Food Services