Teaching engagement: Reflections on sociological praxis

Abstract

Sociology has a long history of engagement with social justice issues, and through concepts like the 'sociological imagination' we equip our students with the ability to think through, and ideally work to change, inequities. This engagement is under threat, however, from recent changes in the higher education sector that have shifted the focus from learning experiences to qualifications. There is little room within accreditation frameworks for social justice as an educational goal. This paper will place these discussions of engagement and social justice as key outcomes of a sociology degree within the broader context of the changing higher education sector, and will explore how we teach students to use their sociological imaginations outside of the classroom. We recognise that this is a messy process, involving ambiguous learning spaces, sometimes conflicting institutional versions of 'engagement' and unforseen outcomes. Nevertheless, 'engaged' sociology should encourage students to exercise their sociological imaginations and their own capacity to act as agents of social change.

#Aboriginallivesmatter: Mapping Black Lives Matter discourse in Australia

“…In the past decade, a number of Indigenous hashtag activism campaigns have been developed in Australia. Some prominent examples include the #SOSBLAKAUSTRALIA hashtag which emerged in 2015 in response to the closure of 150 remote Aboriginal communities, whose existence then-PM and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Tony Abbott offensively characterised as a ‘lifestyle choice’ (Carlson and Frazer, 2016; Dreher et al, 2016); #IndigenousDads which was formed to show respect and admiration for Indigenous Australian fathers after a cartoon drawn by Bill Leak depicted Indigenous fathers as abusive (Carlson and Frazer, 2018; Petray and Rowan, 2017); #InvasionDay and #SurvivalDay, which countered the celebratory, white nationalist discourses that arose on social media in response to the government's ‘Australia Day Your Way’ initiative (Fransen-Taylor and Narayan, 2018); #RiseUpUOW used to discuss transnational experiences of Indigenous marginalisation within economic, political, and sociocultural institutions (Carlson and Frazer, 2018); and, #IndigenousX, started by Twitter user @LukeLPearson to spotlight Indigenous accomplishments (Petray and Halbert, 2013: 21).…”

Assigning Authenticity: Future Directions for Undergraduate Writing in Sociology

“…Teaching Sociology , however, has published numerous studies that show the potential rewards that await professors who choose to forgo this kind of institutional socialization in favor of creating occasions for students to enhance their reflexivity (Kaufman 2013; Picca, Starks, and Gunderson 2013), experience greater engagement (Auken 2012), recognize sociological shifts (Whitaker 2017), overcome theory anxiety (Pelton 2013), sharpen their sociological imaginations (Bidwell 1995; Petray and Halbert 2013), mitigate plagiarism (Heckler, Forde, and Bryan 2013), and develop storytelling skills (Riedmann 1991; Mannon and Camfield 2019). Other studies demonstrate that this is not a zero-sum game: Hudd et al (2013), Migliaccio and Carrigan (2017), and Howard and Butler (2018) put forward multifaceted definitions of writing in the service of varied learning outcomes while still preserving instruction in disciplinary norms as an essential goal.…”

Measuring the Impact of Community Engagement: Development of the BACE Scale

“…Similarly, and perhaps more importantly, engaged pedagogy works to strengthen students' identity and enhance their personal development (Lester, Tomkovick, Wells, Flunker, & Kickul, 2005;Pelco, Ball, & Lockeman, 2014). Personal development includes improved problem-solving, decision-making and communication skills, and an increased sense of self-efficacy (Petray & Halbert, 2013). Moreover, engaging students in meeting community needs can result in personal growth unconnected to the course objectives, such as clarifying values or considering a new career path (Hatcher, Bringle, & Hahn, 2016b).…”