Adjunct Professor - California State University, Fullerton (2021 - Present)
Regularly Taught Courses:
Race and Ethnic Relations
This sociology course on race and ethnic relations interrogates fundamental questions such as "What is race?" and "What is ethnicity?", and examines how these social constructs shape our daily lives. It delves into sociological theories, historical contexts, and the role of race in various social institutions, including the criminal justice system, education, labor market, law, and immigration system. Students will explore how race and ethnicity influence social outcomes, examining patterns of prejudice, discrimination, and institutional racism. The course equips students with analytic tools to recognize and critically assess the tangible impact of race and ethnicity on American society, fostering a comprehensive understanding of these pervasive and influential social constructs.
Writing for Sociology Students
Students learn the essentials of sociological writing, including research skills, synthesizing journal articles, outlining core ideas, paper composition and writing practices, and editing and polishing for sociological papers. Writing is an essential part of research. This class aims to instill strategies and practices for better writing at all phases of the writing process, from picking a topic to formatting reference pages. Good writing is fundamental whether students are interested in Quantitative or Qualitative research topics.
Social Relations & Emotions
We study emotions by examining their social and cultural context, their impact on individuals and society, and their role in shaping behavior and social relationships. This course is intended to provide junior and senior undergraduates with applied knowledge that they can use in various settings. Students are involved in: (1) Examining the cultural and social norms around emotions and emotional expression. (2) Analyzing the major theoretical paradigms in the sociology of emotions, including functionalism, symbolic, cultural, and constructivist perspectives. (3) Investigating the impact of emotions on individuals and their behavior, such as the impact of gender on anger and emotional expression or the influence of race on people’s affective lives. (4) Studying how emotions are socially constructed and the impact of cultural and historical factors on the expression and experience of emotions. (5) Analyzing the role of emotions in shaping and maintaining social relationships, such as the impact of emotional labor on job satisfaction or the influence of emotions in political movements. (6) Investigating the relationship between emotions and power, including the ways that dominant groups may use emotions to maintain control and the ways that marginalized groups may use emotions to resist oppression.