I am so glad I am not teaching an inequality class next school year. Group dynamics and research methods. The reason for this celebration? Honestly… cause teaching all of this inequality starts to get damn depressing. Staying constantly updated on everything, dealing with students who tell me that I’m “playing the race card” and knowing they feel pleased cause they remember a term I taught them (and them failing to realize that they just proved the entire point of the semester)… it wears on me. And, yes, I realize that my ability to feel this way (predicated on some idea that I get some sort of escape from all of this) is a reflection of my many privileges (white, heterosexual, ambiguously religious…). But, I still feel that way. And, to drive it home, a great news story from Rachel Maddow:

This constant awareness about how much the world sucks… I doubt I can shut it off. I know I’ll still read, write, and discuss issues related to race, class, gender, and sexual inequalities. I can’t help but be happy that it won’t be my job to do so, at least for two semesters.

A while ago (probably about a year), I told you about the wonderful book Name of the Wind by Pat Rothfuss. At the time, he was running a fundraiser for Heifer International. If you didn’t get on board last year, you have another chance.

First, read the book (really, it’s really really good).

Second, you can get your name in the next book of the trilogy (Wise Man’s Fear). By going here and following the instructions. (Actually, you’d need to do this first cause time is running out … but, you can help out Heifer, which is good anyway).

Good fiction and a great cause. What more can you ask for (besides tenure)?

Also, while you are at it, you can read this blog post by Pat which talks about hating his job (to write fabulous books) sometimes. Sound familiar?

And, while we are on this track, there was this post on Chronicle Higher Ed about a new professor. I found the comments hard to read. Everyone was basically saying that she/he was a crap teacher because she/he was struggling with liking what she/he was doing. To me, all of his/her worries indicates she/he IS a strong teacher… I guess I’m sensitive about that, because lately I hate my job … but I still think I’m good at it. Part of the reason we hate is because, ultimately, we care so much.

Bystander Intervention news story:

RICHMOND, Calif. – The gang rape and beating of a 15-year-old girl on school grounds after her homecoming dance was horrific enough. But even more shocking, police say, was that up to 20 people watched and did nothing to stop it. (see here)

h/t Blue

I spend a long time designing my courses. You’ve seen on here my social psych syllabus. That one flew together compared to the pure art of my inequality classes, where I weave podcasts, short stories, poetry, and film throughout. By the time I get done, I want to hang it on the wall highlighted with some artistic lighting. Not that my students appreciate it, but there you go. They seem to be my creative outlet.

Why am I bringing this up?

I’m working on a 400 level stratification course and I wanted to shamelessly plumb the collective knowledge of the online sociology rock stars to suggest books. I am using Scott Sernau’s Worlds Apart: Social Inequalities in a Global Economy for the main text. Looking through the many texts that I requested, this one does a great job of addressing intersectionalities (without making that the pure focus — which is important because this is supposed to be more of a class-based course) and how inequalities are truly a global phenomenon (and America’s role in it). Furthermore, it does this while being very readable. I actually got pulled into reading much more of it than I had planned, good sign.

Sernau doesn’t do a great job explaining the different models of inequality. His explanation of neoliberalism was only two paragraphs long and didn’t make tons of sense. I figure that’s not a big deal, because I’ll just add additional readings on that material and lecture over it.

What I’m looking for are books about different class experiences — poverty, middle class, wealthy — probably mostly in terms of America. I would like one that perhaps delves into globalization. These are the ones I’m considering:

• Chutes and Ladders: Navigating the Low-Wage Labor Market (Newman)
• A few readings from Class Matters (NY Times)
• Planet of Slums (Davis)
• No Logo: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs (Klein)

While I’m versed in the classics, theories, and articles — I don’t know as much about current cutting edge work going on in this area. It’s just not truly my area. That’s why I’m asking you all to help me out. Any new works that I should consider? Anything you think a stratification course would be incomplete without? Any book that addresses the weakness of Sarnau while also giving an interesting look into the social world wins extra points!

Art work clearly indicates who is saved and who is doomed. Because of the insights from John McNaughton, we have reliable evidence that supreme court judges, the liberal media, politicians, and the college professor are all off to hell. And, from the descriptions (yes, interactive scrolling!) it appears that the Professor is the worst of them all! I’m glad I saw this before my God-complex had the chance to fully form.

But, in good news, I enjoy the label of “educational elite.” That has a nice ring to it. (Ring to it… Ring to it… anyone?). There is an alternate version here.

Oh, Fox News. h/t Blue

Blue shared this with me:*

What I find fascinating is what is “feared.” Boys fear physical contact with another male. But the fear for females is not the same. Instead of showing women kissing other women, they show “masculine” females. Of course, women having sexual contact with other women has become, in a way, normalized — as long as it is done for male consumption.** It reminds me of this coverage of gays in commercials by Bryan Safi.

“I kissed a girl and I liked it… because I am a Lesbian.”

I originally found this from Soc Images. If you watch the video they have up, I have one question — Can you IMAGINE what Glenn Beck would do with this? “The Liberal Media is trying to turn us ALL GAY!”

*I wrote this during my scheduled email/reader time for the day.

**I am aware that the Onion is a satire of news. Yet, humor often reveals underlying assumptions, norms, etc (in fact, I do a whole class on humor, culture & norms in introductory level courses). Just thought I should say that before I get comments from people who search for “Lesbians Hot” and decide to let me know that the Onion isn’t for reals.

I’m drowning. I really am. I find myself wondering if I worked all those long years just to get a job that I don’t even like. I constantly tell myself that it will get better, that everyone has a hard first year, that when all of my classes aren’t new prep things will calm down and I’ll be able to return to what I really love — research. (As a note, I do really like my department. At least I’m not dealing with issues there as I go through all of this).

Question the first:

What are your first year experiences? Is it fairly normal not to like the job? I spoke recently to a friend of mine that went through the same PhD program. He is also in his first year and absolutely LOVES it. He has 4 classes (two online), but thinks it’s great fun. This diverges from my own experiences.

Question the second:

What organizational schemes allowed you to do everything you had to for teaching, meetings, committee work AND still research (not to mention sleep and relax)?

Question the third:

How long was it (after starting your first academic appointment) when you felt settled in and could come to a reliable conclusion as to what you thought about it?

I’ll have more teaching specific questions later, but I thought I’d start off with these.

…or threat to call out people who lie. Check out the White House blog that directly challenges Beck’s claims about the Olympics here. (h/t Blue)

Then check out the “Truth-O-Meter” (pointed out in the White House blog) here.

Even if they are REALLY asking for it?

You think by the fifth week of school, and the first exam, students would understand that they are supposed to be doing the reading and HOW to do the reading. I have two books. I have explained over and over again how to tell which book is which (and it’s freaking obvious, I might add)… and I still get a question at the review today: “So the test is just going to be over lecture, right? We don’t need to do the reading, right?”

Right. You’re exactly right. I just put it on the syllabus so it didn’t look so empty.