The Public Face of Sociology

I thought others might find this article interesting, as it discusses some of the different ways of doing sociology. I've increasingly moved into the public sociology realm in the past 5 years or so. I wish more sociologists embraced this approach! 

The Public Face of Sociology

UAB is hiring 3 new sociology faculty

We’ve had several retirements in the past couple of years, plus one of our colleagues passed away from cancer last fall. We’re hiring!


Please pass along this info to others who may be interested: - 1 Junior Position, 1 Open Rank Position, and 1 Teaching Assistant Professor. See descriptions below. We’re interviewing at ASA.

I’d love to have applications from people that do health and technology research (just my own opinion of course)!

1. University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Department of Sociology invites applications for a tenure-track/tenured position to begin August 1, 2012 for an Assistant Professor. Teaching and research should fit with the Department’s emphasis on medical sociology. Courses taught may include gender, statistics and medical sociology, with preference given to candidates with research interests in one or more of the following areas: genetics, obesity, nutrition, outcomes research, technology or health disparities. The successful candidate must hold a Ph.D. in Sociology at the time of appointment and have a record that demonstrates a strong independent research agenda. UAB is a Carnegie designated RU/VH: Research University institution with a population of approximately 17,500 undergraduate and graduate students. The Department has established research links with faculty in UAB’s Medical School, which is ranked in the top 25 in the U.S., and to various clinical programs and research centers on campus. The Department offers Bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Social Psychology, the MA in Sociology, and the Ph.D. in Medical Sociology. Metropolitan Birmingham is home to over 1 million people and is at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, with plentiful cultural and recreational opportunities. Applicants should send current curriculum vitae, a list of at least three references, and a cover letter summarizing interests and experiences to: Dr. William Cockerham, Chair, HHB 460, 1401 University Blvd., University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1152. The deadline for applications is October 1 or until the position is filled. We welcome applications from under-represented minorities and women. The University of Alabama at Birmingham is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution.

2. University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Department of Sociology invites applications for a tenure-track/tenured position to begin August 1, 2011. Rank is open, with preference given to candidates with a strong history of external funding and publication. Teaching and research should fit with the Department’s emphasis on medical sociology. The successful candidate must hold a Ph.D. in Sociology at the time of appointment. UAB is a Carnegie designated RU/VH: Research University institution with a population of approximately 17,500 undergraduate and graduate students. The Department has research links to faculty in the School of Medicine, which is ranked in the top 25 in the U.S. and to several clinical programs and research centers on campus. The Department offers Bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Social Psychology, the MA in Sociology, and the Ph.D. in Medical Sociology. Metropolitan Birmingham is home to over 1 million people and is at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, with plentiful cultural and recreational opportunities. Applicants should send current curriculum vitae, a list of at least three references, and a cover letter summarizing interests and experiences to: Dr. William Cockerham, Chair, HHB 460, 1401 University Blvd., University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1152. The deadline for applications is October 1 or until the position is filled. We welcome applications from under-represented minorities and women. The University of Alabama at Birmingham is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution.

3. University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Department of Sociology invites applications for a non-tenure track position to begin January 1, 2012 or later for a Teaching Assistant Professor. Courses taught may include Intro, Social Problems, and Social Change. Other courses should fit with the Department’s emphasis on medical sociology. The successful candidate must hold a Ph.D. in Sociology at the time of appointment. UAB is a Carnegie designated RU/VH: Research University institution with a population of approximately 17,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The Department of Sociology and houses the Center for Social Medicine and is affiliated with the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy, the Center for Aging, and others. The Department offers Bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Social Psychology, the MA in Sociology, and the Ph.D. in Medical Sociology. Metropolitan Birmingham is home to over 1 million people and is at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, with plentiful cultural and recreational opportunities. Applicants should send current curriculum vitae, a list of at least three references, and a cover letter summarizing interests and experiences to: Dr. William Cockerham, Chair, HHB 460, 1401 University Blvd., University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1152. The deadline for applications is October 15 or until the position is filled. We welcome applications from under-represented minorities and women. The University of Alabama at Birmingham is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution.

Shelia

How to think like a sociologist

I know you've all been wondering -- how does a sociologist think? Now you can know!

How To Think Like a Sociologist

Hmmm....

It seems like a long time since I've posted. It hasn't been all that long but it has been longer than I would have liked. A friend asked me a week and a half ago if I had just let my blog lapse. Ouch. It wasn't my intention but it seems I rarely have time for it anymore. I hope to make more time.

A few quick updates:
- I was in New Orleans last week and weekend for a sociology conference. My students and I had 3 presentations plus 3 panels we'd organized. It was a busy time but good in that I got to spend some time with friends I haven't seen in a while.
- The weekend before I was in NC for a mini grad school reunion. It was a lot of fun! I got to see some family and friends, which was really nice. All my grad school friends were just the same as ever! Nice to know that some people never change. Thanks to Jo Anne for hosting a wonderful reunion.
- My XO project team starts back resurveying approximately 1800 4th and 5th graders the end of this week. We have about 6 weeks to survey in 27 different schools! Wish us luck and if any of you would like to volunteer to help us survey, please email me offline!
- I'm trying to hire a Program Coordinator II position for my new NIA grant. Lots of time being spent reviewing applications!
- Some colleagues at work do an NCAA tournament pool. It is random. I got Wake Forest and UNC as 2 of my random picks. First time I've had to pull for UNC : ).
- I go in for outpatient surgery on Monday to have an ovarian cyst removed. While the doctor thinks it is probably nothing serious, I'd rather get it out than have it stay in when it might be something serious. Wish me luck on Monday!
- Callen is great and growing so fast! I can't believe she's almost 3.5 now.
- I still have all those pix on the camera and more that I noted a while back. Maybe someday I'll get them uploaded and post some of them!

Here's to more posts in coming days and weeks!

So Many Things of Interest . . . So Little Time . . .

I think one of the reasons that I became a sociologist is because the social world fascinates me. There are so many things of interest to me that I would like to study and that need to be studied that it is hard to say "no" when you see opportunities. I wonder though how well we do things when we over commit ourselves.

Some of my graduate students have such great ideas of things they want to study; it is hard to remind them to keep their feet grounded until they finish their dissertations when it is hard for me to not branch out as I think of and see new things I'd like to investigate.

I mentioned in an earlier post that it is harder and harder to find time to think and write the longer I'm in academia. I think part of this is because we become more and more involved in 'new' projects. A friend of mine once remarked that he felt almost like a small business owner, as he tried to manage all his projects and the associated tasks and other people involved. I understand what he means.

So, I'll keep pursuing my interests but also try to be mindful that I have limited time and resources with which to pursue new projects (as best I can anyway!). If you have suggestions for how to manage time and projects, please feel free to post a comment.

Here's to pursuing our interests, managing our time, and doing it all in some semblance of order . . .

The Luxury of Working at Home and Other Simple Pleasures

One of the things I enjoy most about academia is being able to work where I choose, for the most part. I'm trying to work at home 2 days per week this semester; so far I've only managed one day per week at home working. It seems the longer I'm in academia, the more meetings I have and the less time I have to think and write. Why is that?

Fall semesters always seem busier than spring semesters to me for some reason. Maybe it is because they start just after ASAs (our national sociology conference) and then the holidays hit, you're trying to get ready for visits with family, shopping, etc.

I sometimes wonder if a simpler life would be better. My brother has said for years that he wants to move to Alaska and live in a simple cabin. I'm sure that's not for me, but I wonder if there are ways that we could simplify our lives . . . maybe I'll try to think about that today, in between reading articles for my grad class, finding receipts for reimbursement, rescheduling meetings, etc. . . . at least I'll be doing them from the quiet comfort of my home...