Abstract:Contemplative practices are becoming more common in educational environments for attending to whole-student learning, fostering empathy, and promoting social justice and socially just pedagogues. This conversation explores how holistic approaches facilitate and expand the parameters of sociological pedagogy to integrate humanist pedagogies and initiate emancipatory citizenship. By building a pedagogical bridge between sociology and contemplative practices educators can help inspire empathy and hopefulness amon… Show more
“…Therefore, while empathy paths exist at the cultural and personal level, institutional context is important to consider because it may more strongly shape how individuals perceive and enact empathy in that setting. Ross and Beardall (2022) argue that sociology instructors can use contemplative practices as a tool to help students build empathy and hopefulness in the face of injustice. These contemplative practices can be used to shape how students perceive and enact empathy and develop their sociological imagination.…”
Section: What Role Should Sociology Play In Conversations About Empathy?mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Several recent sociological studies have explored if and how students develop empathy through their enrollment in sociology courses in general and through specific class activities (Ghidina 2019; Latshaw 2015; MacNamara, Glann, and Durlak 2017; Rockwell et al 2019; Romero 2020; Ross and Beardall 2022). These studies have shown empathy is an important cognitive tool for engaging students in the kinds of difficult conversations that often happen in sociology classes (Latshaw 2015; Ross and Beardall 2022). Many students experience distress and despair when learning about injustices in sociology classes.…”
Section: How Does Empathy Facilitate Teaching Sociological Content?mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Faculty can also model practices that may help students develop empathy. One way to do this is to include contemplative practices such as visualization, reflective journaling and sharing, meditations, and embodiment in courses (Ross and Beardall 2022). These practices may not be perceived directly as empathetic practices, but they help students to be able to manage stress and promote well-being and enable students to prepare for intense discussions in the classroom.…”
Section: Empathetic Practices To Considermentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Empathy is at the core of sociological pedagogy, and sociology courses promote empathy development (Latshaw 2015; Rockwell et al 2019). Using empathy in the classroom allows sociologists to engage students in discussions of complex or sensitive topics (Latshaw 2015; Ross and Beardall 2022). Zembylas (2012) argues that using empathy in critical and strategic ways can be an effective pedagogical tool for faculty when faced with resistance toward antiracist work.…”
Section: Why Is It Important For Faculty To Think About Empathy?mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Many students experience distress and despair when learning about injustices in sociology classes. To empower students and help them cope, Ross and Beardall (2022) argue for the use of contemplative practices in classrooms to build empathy and hopefulness alongside students’ sociological imaginations. In analyses of activities on victim-blaming, domestic violence, and coming-out experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people, when students were able to take the perspective of others in different situations, their empathy increased, as did their learning (Ghidina 2019; Hubbard and De Welde 2003; Latshaw 2015).…”
Section: How Does Empathy Facilitate Teaching Sociological Content?mentioning
Teaching during a global pandemic has prompted many discussions about how faculty can best support students and create classrooms where deep learning and engagement occur. In this conversation, we argue there is a role for empathy in college classrooms. We present data from interviews with faculty at a small, Midwestern, teaching-focused university during the fall of 2020. We map these perspectives onto the empathy paths framework and suggest that the therapeutic and instrumental paths are most useful for understanding empathy in the classroom. We also discuss why it is important for faculty to think about empathy and the role sociology can play in these conversations. Finally, we present a series of empathetic practices individual faculty can incorporate into their pedagogy and structural supports that departments and universities can provide to help faculty engage in empathetic practices in the classroom.
“…Therefore, while empathy paths exist at the cultural and personal level, institutional context is important to consider because it may more strongly shape how individuals perceive and enact empathy in that setting. Ross and Beardall (2022) argue that sociology instructors can use contemplative practices as a tool to help students build empathy and hopefulness in the face of injustice. These contemplative practices can be used to shape how students perceive and enact empathy and develop their sociological imagination.…”
Section: What Role Should Sociology Play In Conversations About Empathy?mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Several recent sociological studies have explored if and how students develop empathy through their enrollment in sociology courses in general and through specific class activities (Ghidina 2019; Latshaw 2015; MacNamara, Glann, and Durlak 2017; Rockwell et al 2019; Romero 2020; Ross and Beardall 2022). These studies have shown empathy is an important cognitive tool for engaging students in the kinds of difficult conversations that often happen in sociology classes (Latshaw 2015; Ross and Beardall 2022). Many students experience distress and despair when learning about injustices in sociology classes.…”
Section: How Does Empathy Facilitate Teaching Sociological Content?mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Faculty can also model practices that may help students develop empathy. One way to do this is to include contemplative practices such as visualization, reflective journaling and sharing, meditations, and embodiment in courses (Ross and Beardall 2022). These practices may not be perceived directly as empathetic practices, but they help students to be able to manage stress and promote well-being and enable students to prepare for intense discussions in the classroom.…”
Section: Empathetic Practices To Considermentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Empathy is at the core of sociological pedagogy, and sociology courses promote empathy development (Latshaw 2015; Rockwell et al 2019). Using empathy in the classroom allows sociologists to engage students in discussions of complex or sensitive topics (Latshaw 2015; Ross and Beardall 2022). Zembylas (2012) argues that using empathy in critical and strategic ways can be an effective pedagogical tool for faculty when faced with resistance toward antiracist work.…”
Section: Why Is It Important For Faculty To Think About Empathy?mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Many students experience distress and despair when learning about injustices in sociology classes. To empower students and help them cope, Ross and Beardall (2022) argue for the use of contemplative practices in classrooms to build empathy and hopefulness alongside students’ sociological imaginations. In analyses of activities on victim-blaming, domestic violence, and coming-out experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people, when students were able to take the perspective of others in different situations, their empathy increased, as did their learning (Ghidina 2019; Hubbard and De Welde 2003; Latshaw 2015).…”
Section: How Does Empathy Facilitate Teaching Sociological Content?mentioning
Teaching during a global pandemic has prompted many discussions about how faculty can best support students and create classrooms where deep learning and engagement occur. In this conversation, we argue there is a role for empathy in college classrooms. We present data from interviews with faculty at a small, Midwestern, teaching-focused university during the fall of 2020. We map these perspectives onto the empathy paths framework and suggest that the therapeutic and instrumental paths are most useful for understanding empathy in the classroom. We also discuss why it is important for faculty to think about empathy and the role sociology can play in these conversations. Finally, we present a series of empathetic practices individual faculty can incorporate into their pedagogy and structural supports that departments and universities can provide to help faculty engage in empathetic practices in the classroom.
Given the profound social implications of climate change, this subject is increasingly important for a broad range of sociology classes. Sociology instructors who address the subject of climate change face a dilemma. Presenting too grim of a portrait risks fostering psychological distress and withdrawal from action to address climate change, whereas downplaying the magnitude of the crisis can provide false assurance that the situation is well in hand and that urgent action is unnecessary. I argue that educators must be sensitive in their presentation of the issue but forthright, even as the scientific evidence indicates that the social impacts of climate change are grim. This does not necessarily foster withdrawal and inaction. Social movement theory suggests that political participation is not primarily a rational pursuit based on calculated outcomes. Educators can inspire climate action by providing students with opportunities and support to do so.
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