• Seat on Undergraduate Comittee, Sociology Department
  • Associate Professor (Lecturer), Sociology Department

Current Courses

Fall 2024

  • SOC 342-090
    Sociology of Film
  • SOC 3042-090
    Sociology of Film
  • SOC 3042-290
    Sociology of Film
  • SOC 3140-090
    Social Theory
  • SOC 3140-290
    Social Theory

Summer 2024

Spring 2024

Entrepreneurial Experience

  • Page Amusement and Vending. 01/01/1965 - 01/01/1985. Employees: 8.

Professional Organizations

  • Pacific Sociological Association. 01/01/2023 - 12/31/2023. Position : member.
  • American Sociological Association. 01/10/2022 - 01/10/2023. Position : Member.
  • American Sociological Association. 01/01/2020 - 12/20/2020. Position : Member.
  • Society for the Study of Symbolic Interactionism . 01/01/2020 - 12/31/2020. Position : member.
  • American Sociological Association. 02/01/2018 - 02/01/2019. Position : Member.
  • Amrican Sociological Association. 12/01/2017 - 12/01/2018. Position : Member.
  • American Sociological Association. 02/15/2016 - 12/01/2019. Position : Member.
  • Society for the Study of Symbolic Interactionism . 01/01/2010 - 12/20/2020. Position : member.

Teaching Philosophy

I am a generalist interested in studying and communicating basic concepts and ideas that illuminate the nature of society and its relationship and effect upon the individual.  Social Psychology and Social Theory are my two primary areas of specialization.  These fields complement one another in that social theory is very useful at the macro-level, while social psychology has many micro-level applications and also illuminates important macro-micro linkages.  Together they provide a sound conceptual frame work for many of my subjects. 

In my classes, I use a variety of textbooks and materials, and I make a conscientious effort to continually develop a mature syllabus that reflects central concepts, recent research, and important theorists and issues.  Essentially, I take a classical, theoretical, and historical approach that draws on theory and research.  In doing this, I always underscore the way in which sociological theory and research can be used to contextualize human nature and illuminate factors associated with many social and moral problems such as racism, sexism, speciesism, crime, inequality, conflict, poverty, child abuse, alienation and environmental degradation.  Here, I illuminate causation in terms of different yet interacting levels of analysis that include, biology, psychology, sociology, history, economics, politics, religion, family, and even existential explanations.  Most importantly, I always underscore the importance of sound reasoning, empirical analysis, the use of the scientific method, and creative thinking.  

In teaching, I emphasize discussion and the application of class materials to current events.  In my online classes, my students participate on discussion boards and by email, and in some cases may get together for group projects and discussion.   To help students formulate their views and express them clearly and logically, I always assign papers, and give my students a variety of topics, and qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches to choose from.  These include not only formal research papers such as surveys and experiments, or meta-analysis, but also ethnography, personal histories, participant observation, role playing  experiments, breaching experiments and the analysis of biographies, novels, histories, movies, and documentaries, diaries, and current events, all of which is done with an eye to students being immersed and deeply engaged with the materials.  With that in mind, in all of my classes I always supply a suggested book list, and a list of suggested documentaries and movies that they can write about.   This is complemented by examinations which can be objective or essay.  In grading papers and essay exams, I always give guidance on issues of grammar and organization, while addressing issues of logic, the strength of conclusions and arguments, and most importantly, insight and authenticity. 

The goals and values that guide my teaching and research are traditional enlightenment ideals that propose that reason, knowledge, and creativity can be used to promote and preserve freedom, morality, and human well-being.  Much of my inspiration comes from C. Wright Mill’s and his conception of “The Sociological Imagination,” that essentially proposes that sociologists address the relationship between society and personal well-being and put forth a clear model and concepts that people can understand.   As noted by Mills, much of this entails addressing the malaise often associated personal and social problems, and thereby clarifying underlying phenomena and articulating social issues clearly.   As a result, my goal as a teacher and researcher in sociology is to make human interdependence and the existence and influence of the social order and other social forces obvious and understandable.  My assumption is that this knowledge will help individuals, policy makers, parents, and voters make better decisions.  My hope is that it will allow people to be more objective in their analysis of human problems and more compassionate and understanding in their judgment of others.  Moreover, I think that democracies require an enlightened public if they are to function fairly and effectively, and that the shear survival of society and the planet depends upon having an open informed discussion.

I am a generalist interested in studying and communicating basic concepts and ideas that illuminate the nature of society and its relationship and effect upon the individual.  Social Psychology and Social Theory are my two primary areas of specialization.  These fields complement one another in that social theory is very useful at the macro-level, while social psychology has many micro-level applications and also illuminates important macro-micro linkages.  Together they provide a sound conceptual frame work for many of my subjects. 

In my classes, I use a variety of textbooks and materials, and I make a conscientious effort to continually develop a mature syllabus that reflects central concepts, recent research, and important theorists and issues.  Essentially, I take a classical, theoretical, and historical approach that draws on theory and research.  In doing this, I always underscore the way in which sociological theory and research can be used to contextualize human nature and illuminate factors associated with many social and moral problems such as racism, sexism, speciesism, crime, inequality, conflict, poverty, child abuse, alienation and environmental degradation.  Here, I illuminate causation in terms of different yet interacting levels of analysis that include, biology, psychology, sociology, history, economics, politics, religion, family, and even existential explanations.  Most importantly, I always underscore the importance of sound reasoning, empirical analysis, the use of the scientific method, and creative thinking.  

In teaching, I emphasize discussion and the application of class materials to current events.  In my online classes, my students participate on discussion boards and by email, and in some cases may get together for group projects and discussion.   To help students formulate their views and express them clearly and logically, I always assign papers, and give my students a variety of topics, and qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches to choose from.  These include not only formal research papers such as surveys and experiments, or meta-analysis, but also ethnography, personal histories, participant observation, role playing  experiments, breaching experiments and the analysis of biographies, novels, histories, movies, and documentaries, diaries, and current events, all of which is done with an eye to students being immersed and deeply engaged with the materials.  With that in mind, in all of my classes I always supply a suggested book list, and a list of suggested documentaries and movies that they can write about.   This is complemented by examinations which can be objective or essay.  In grading papers and essay exams, I always give guidance on issues of grammar and organization, while addressing issues of logic, the strength of conclusions and arguments, and most importantly, insight and authenticity. 

The goals and values that guide my teaching and research are traditional enlightenment ideals that propose that reason, knowledge, and creativity can be used to promote and preserve freedom, morality, and human well-being.  Much of my inspiration comes from C. Wright Mill’s and his conception of “The Sociological Imagination,” that essentially proposes that sociologists address the relationship between society and personal well-being and put forth a clear model and concepts that people can understand.   As noted by Mills, much of this entails addressing the malaise often associated personal and social problems, and thereby clarifying underlying phenomena and articulating social issues clearly.   As a result, my goal as a teacher and researcher in sociology is to make human interdependence and the existence and influence of the social order and other social forces obvious and understandable.  My assumption is that this knowledge will help individuals, policy makers, parents, and voters make better decisions.  My hope is that it will allow people to be more objective in their analysis of human problems and more compassionate and understanding in their judgment of others.  Moreover, I think that democracies require an enlightened public if they are to function fairly and effectively, and that the shear survival of society and the planet depends upon having an open informed discussion.

Courses I Teach

  • Soc. 3042-090 - Social Psychology
    Sociological Social Psychology, emphasizing macro-micro linkages, social perception, cognitive dissonance, authority, conformity, violence and prosocial behavior.
  • Soc. 3042-090 - Sociology Through Film
    This courses uses films to illuminate sociological forces and core concepts.
  • Soc. 3140-090 - Social Theory
    This course addresses classocial sociological theory, including functionalism, conflict theory, Symbolic Interactionism, Role Theory, and modern and postmodern theory.

Other Profile Data

 I have encouraged many undergraduates to go graduate school and written many letters of recommendation and many letters for scholarships.