Georgetown College

Fall/Winter 2012

SOCIOLOGY NEWSLETTER
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
This is an exciting time for the sociology department at Georgetown College. We closed out the 2011-2012 academic year by celebrating our largest graduating class to date! We applauded 15 seniors as they walked across the stage to receive their diplomas, and are currently supporting two other senior majors who will finish their sociology degree this fall. Two of our graduates entered highly respected PhD programs this fall. Two seniors also presented papers at international conferences. And, multiple others are now engaged in humanitarian work from the West coast to the Appalachian region and from South America to Western Europe. We are so proud of the work our graduates are doing, inside and out of the classroom. This academic year we have the privilege of sending two of our juniors to study at the prestigious Oxford University. Not only are our students achieving high marks academically, but they are also highly engaged in the local community. The majority of our majors and minors participate in our internship program which does a great job of bringing the classroom and community together. At the same time, many of these internship experiences also open up future employment opportunities for our students. Additionally, the department continues to be trailblazers for Georgetown Colleges service learning initiative. Well over half of the students taking sociology courses this year will have the opportunity through our service learning program to work alongside community partners in an effort to solve issues that affect the campus and our surrounding communities. I am so proud of our students and their many accomplishments. They are truly amazing young people who want to, and tell me they can, change the world! I ask for your continued support of our program and students. This comes in many forms: spreading the word about the wonderful things happening in the department, connecting us to community partners for our service learning program, and providing funds that will allow the sociology department to continue to prepare our students for the challenges of the 21st century. I cant thank you enough for your support and active role in our mission to develop advocates for change, committed to scholarship, social justice, and empowerment. Best Wishes, Eric Carter

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

The Oxford Connection . 2 Outstanding Students ... 3 Faculty Spotlights .......... 4 Kentuckians For The Commonwealth ............. 5 Campus Culture Change: Justice Initiatives .......... 6 Real Utopias with Erik Olin Wright7 Future Plans .................. 8 Make a Positive Difference ................................ 9

Regents Park College Oxford University

THE OXFORD CONNECTION

The Oxford Program at Georgetown College offers students a variety of unique opportunities to complete some portion of their program of study through Regents Park College in the University of Oxford. Regents Park College has been one of the permanent private halls at Oxford University since 1957, and it shares with Georgetown College a commitment to provide a rigorous education in an intentionally Christian context. Georgetown College established a partnership with Regents Park in 1998, opening the door for our students to study at Oxford in a variety of programs. Since 2008, 4 sociology majors (Carrie Summers, Adriana Nez, Samantha Yeates, and Robert Carter) completed the Oxford Program and 2 are going this Spring (Caliesha Comley and Morgan Reeves). This rigorous program benefits our students in preparing them for graduate school and beyond.

OUTSTANDING SENIOR: CHRIS LORD

The title of Outstanding Senior in Sociology fits no student better than recent graduate, Chris Lord. Chris, a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, now holds bachelors degrees in both Sociology and Spanish, and is an esteemed student in both disciplines by students and faculty alike. He plans to immediately pursue a masters degree in education as well as in sociology within the coming years. Chris four-year career at Georgetown shows promise for his future success as he has shown an exemplary commitment to academics and service in Georgetown and abroad. Chris explained that he chose sociology as one of his majors, mainly because of my concern for the inequalities that exist in America and because of the lack of answers that I have gotten from other sources in my life. I was looking for a historic explanation for why things were the way they were. With sociology as his foundation, Chris has made the most of his undergraduate experience as he explored answers to his questions. Chris is a natural leader and has taken advantage of numerous opportunities to use his gifts. During his time at Georgetown, Chris has served as both a volunteer and a leader in the Scroggins Park After School Tutoring Program. Chris also helped lead a student Plunge to Poverty among those without homes in Lexington. He served in the campus Student Abolitionist Movement, and was a Spanish tutor at Georgetown College. He also volunteered at Anne Mason Elementary and Scott County High Schools, both in Georgetown. A study abroad experience in Mexico led Chris to his current job with Teach for America. Within the program, he will teach English as a second language in Ohio. He plans to engage the American education system as a long term career goal, whether as a teacher, administrator, or a community member engaging the youth, parents, and schools in important social discussions, says the graduate. There is no doubt that Chris outstanding academic diligence and social attentiveness will be a service to any career path he chooses.

STUDENT AWARD WINNERS

Adriana Nez Outstanding Upper-class Research This award is presented to a sociology major with at least a 3.0 GPA who completes an outstanding senior research project. ALPHA KAPPA DELTA HONOR SOCIETY
The Georgetown College Sociology Department is excited to establish a campus chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD), the International Sociology Honor Society, this semester. The purpose of this society is to promote excellent scholarship in the study of sociology, research of social problems, and other such activities as will lead to improvement in the human condition. To be eligible to apply for AKD membership, a student must be a junior, have completed 4 courses in sociology, have an overall GPA of 3.3 or be ranked in the top 35% of his/her class, and have achieved a sociology GPA of 3.0. Seven students were inducted into the honor society this fall. They are:

Darius Gates Community Commitment Award This award is presented to a sociology major through an internship/s who makes a difference in the Georgetown community. Aaron Padgett C.W. Mills Award This award is presented to a sociology major with at least a 3.0 GPA who exemplifies the intersection of scholarship and social activism.

Morgan Reeves C.W. Mills Award This award is presented to a sociology major with at least a 3.0 GPA who exemplifies the intersection of scholarship and social activism. Caliesha Comley Carlton/Deason Scholarship

This scholarship honors J. Richard Carlton and Mary E. Carlton and in Juniors: Morgan Reeves memory of Owen W. and Betty Jean and Caliesha Comley. Deason. The award is presented to a rising junior or senior who is majoring 3 in sociology or history and is based on student academic performance, promise, character, and need.

Seniors: Claire Strnad, Layla Padgett, Kelsey Ach, Brandy Smith, and Shelby Barron.

FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS
Dr. Eric M. Carter joined the faculty of Georgetown College in Fall 2006 as an Assistant Professor of Sociology. Dr. Carter received his bachelors degree in sociology from Carson Newman College. He went on to receive his masters degree in sociology from Marshall University, and his PhD in sociology from Kansas State University, where his work focused on the sociology of work and labor markets, social change, social stratifiDr. Sarah E. Cribbs joined the faculty of Georgetown College in Fall 2011 as an Assistant Professor of Sociology. Dr. Cribbs areas of teaching interest include race and ethnicity, gender, health and illness, applied sociology, research methods and other core courses. Dr. Cribbs currently serves as the faculty advisor for Sociology Club, Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD), and as the co-advisor for Student Women and Gender Society (SWAGS). She is the Chair of the committee on Civic Engagement (where service learning is housed) and member of the Honors Program Committee and Oxford Program Committee. Dr. Stephanie Holcomb-Kreiner joined the faculty of Georgetown College in Spring 2012 as Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology and was promoted this Fall semester to Assistant Professor of Sociology. Dr. Holcomb-Kreiner received her PhD in sociology from the University of Kentucky in Spring 2012. Her dissertation, entitled Explaining Benefit Variability in FMNP in Kentucky: An Application of Pierre Bourdieus Theory, represents her diverse interests in food-related behaviors, social inequality, program evaluation, sustainability and community development. Dr. Holcomb-Kreiner has several projects underway. She is working to cation, and the sociology of sports and culture. Dr. Carters dissertation, titled, Failing at Success, centered on anomie and deviance in the National Football League. He is currently the chair of the department. Dr. Carter is the author of the book, Boys Gone Wild: Fame, Fortune, and Deviance Among Professional Football Players. He is also involved in research in the areas of sports, stratification, and education. Dr. Cribbs received her PhD in sociology from the University of Oregon in 2011. Her dissertation, Rooted in the Past, Blind to the Present: Health Care Administrators Perceived Role and Response to Spanish-Speaking Immigrants in a New Settlement Community, investigated the ways in which the administrators within one health care system perceived and framed their institutions changes resulting from new, Spanish-speaking immigrant population growth within their surrounding metropolitan area. Dr. Cribbs recently published in the Journal of Social Work and Social Welfare and the Journal of Black Studies. expand service learning into her courses, and this semester has worked with Habitat for Humanitys Restore on paint recycling. She is also guiding the implementation of a sustainable landscaping project on GCs campus, which will serve as a demonstration garden and eventually an outside classroom space. As part of her emphasis on engaged and applied scholarship, Dr. Holcomb-Kreiner is drafting an article on food-related behaviors among low-income individuals and pursuing LEED certification, initially as a Green Associate and culminating in LEED AP Neighborhood Development (LEED AP ND) credentials.

SOCIOLOGY CLUB ALLIE S WITH KENTUCKIANS FOR THE COMMONWEALTH

The Georgetown Sociology Club has been a phenomenal partner of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, connecting with the broader community to learn and to make a difference, empowering citizens to have a say in our democracy. Sociology Club students have engaged in a wide variety of activities, often also playing a key role in helping other students to get involved in grassroots organizing and community service as well. Amongst other things, they have:

Registered voters on campus, at community festivals and in nearby African American Communities. Gained first-hand experience talking to legislators about a range of issues in Frankfort and participating in rallies there. Worked in solidarity with the Georgetown NAACP for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day march. Organized a tremendous Earth Day concert last semester that brought out hundreds of students. Began networking with student activists from UK, starting to make a space to learn from each other.

We hope and expect that the Georgetown Sociology Club will continue to play a vital role in the community and cant help but think that this kind of experiential learning will make them even better citizens of this Commonwealth and planet. Dave Newton, KFTC Deputy Organizing Director

Kentuckians For The Commonwealth is a statewide citizens organization working for a new balance of power and a just society. As we work together we build our strength, individually and as a group, and we find solutions to real life problems. We use direct action to challenge and change unfair political, economic and social systems. Our membership is open to all people who are committed to equality, democracy and nonviolent change.

CAMPUS CULTURE CHANGE

SOCIOLOGY STUDENTS LEAD THE WAY IN SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

GEORGETOWN SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE

The Georgetown Sustainability Initiative (GSI) began in 2011 as a combination of past environmental groups Creation Care, Green Team, and a Recycling Committee. The organization was founded on the principle to raise awareness of environmental issues and to help Georgetown College transition to a more sustainable institution. Students, faculty, staff, and administration work together to implement Earth-friendly practices onto campus. GSI has been successful upon its inception and has accomplished a variety of goals, including the installation of more recycling bins on campus, work in the GC community garden, and the screening of the documentary Tapped, which examines the bottled water industry. GSIs most significant achievement was an Earth Day Celebration we sponsored on April 22, 2012 which gathered over 200 people from the college and community. The crowd included more than 20 campus and non-profit organizations committed to justice. GSI was also excited to host renowned Kentucky-born cellist Ben Sollee who incorporates environmental activism in his songwriting.

STUDENT ABOLITIONIST MOVEMENT

The Student Abolitionist Movement (SAM) is a network of students fighting to end modern-day slavery. SAM provides students with key programs and resources to educate, advocate, and take action for the end of the global slave trade. The Student Abolitionist Movement raises awareness of human trafficking through documentary screenings, discussions, guest lectures, and workshops and raises money for local and international non-profits with abolitionist goals through their biannual Back-handing Slavery Ultimate Frisbee Tournament. Fair Trade Initiatives are also supported by SAM which hosts an annual Holiday Fair Trade Market. Additionally, SAM members were given the opportunity to host the First Kentucky Conference on Human Trafficking in Spring 2012 on Georgetowns campus which achieved great success.

STUDENT WOMEN AND GENDER SOCIETY

The Student Women and Gender Society (SWAGS) is a group on Georgetown College's campus that studies the social construction of gender and raises awareness concerning its social, cultural, and political implications. The purpose of the organization is to empower the people in our communities, as well as all members of Georgetown College, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. Last spring, SWAGS hosted a documentary screening of Miss Representation, an expos of media portrayal of women, especially women involved in politics, which was followed by a lively discussion. The group also invited the campus community to participate in the Clothesline Project, which led up to an amazing turnout of over 100 students, faculty, and administration at SWAGS Take Back the Night event. Take Back the Night consisted of a rally and speech by former SWAGS advisor Dr. Erin Tarver, followed by a march in downtown Georgetown and a candlelight vigil to honor victims of sexual violence. In the near future, SWAGS members are designing a sexual violence education program to present to students entering Georgetown College.

No social advance rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of dedicated individuals. Martin Luther King, Jr. REAL UTOPIAS WITH ERIK OLIN WRIGHT
Sociology students and faculty met and conversed with American Sociological Association President Erik Olin Wright this past spring after attending his lecture on Real Utopias at Berea College. Wright inspired the crowd with a simple message, which he restated in his blog: In the ideal world I imagine there probably is some place for a bit of capitalism, some role for capitalism. No socioeconomic structure is ever purely one kind of economic system. American capitalism has public libraries, which distribute books in decidedly non-capitalist ways. So I suspect that there would be a niche for capitalism even in a radically democratic egalitarian society.

FUTURE PLANS
SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER
The Sociology Department Newsletter is published by: The Sociology Department of Georgetown College
The Sociology Department is looking forward with an eye for justice and a green thumb! As part of our sustainable community development emphasis, our environment and sustainability course has completed the preliminary steps to implement a demonstration garden behind the Sociology House. Along with research on the symbolic and social effects of resource-intensive landscaping, we have conducted research on climatology, native plants, and both the benefits and challenges to sustainable landscaping. We have proposed a Demonstration Garden that will serve as a model for sustainable landscaping and provide an outdoor classroom space. We will be completing Stage One, perennial perimeter plantings. This includes hardwood native trees to support the health of our urban forests and perennial wildflowers and bushes to promote water filtration and mitigate runoff from the parking lots adjacent to the Sociology House. Stage Two will include the planting of native grasses and the installation of benches and water barrels to collect rainwater. Several grants have been identified and proposals will be submitted in an effort to secure ample funding. Stage Two will begin in late Spring 2013 and will be completed during Fall 2013. Stage Three will include permeable walkways, arbors, and expanded native plantings. Stage Three is expected to begin late Spring 2014.

400 East College Street Georgetown, KY 40324

Contact Information Phone and Fax: (502) 863-7968 Email: tigersociology@gmail.com

Designed by: Caliesha Comley

As the department works to make service learning an integral part of its curriculum, Dr. Holcomb-Kreiner and Ms. Shannon Cribbs, director of the Center for Civic Engagement, are in the exploratory stages of planning a trip for globalization and development students to participate in an international build with Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity builds simple, decent homes in an effort to eliminate poverty housing in the United States and worldwide. Partnering with Habitat would give students the opportunity to apply their sociological imagination to a significant social problem and see firsthand the results of social engagement. It would also facilitate international understanding and bring to life the principles discussed in our globalization and development course. Costs for participation in a Global Village build vary, but those costs do include in-country transportation, food, accommodations and travel medical insurance. Travel to the country is not included. The range for currently arranged trips is $1200 to $2500 per person for two weeks. We are tentatively setting the date for Spring 2014 to allow for sufficient fundraising.

YOUR HELP WILL MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE

Remember when you attended Georgetown College and wished there was more you could achieve but the finances werent always available? While the Sociology Department is growing and making a significant impact on students lives, our needs remain the same as when you were here. And, we want to improve. You chose to make a difference when you selected Sociology as your principle area of study. Continue to make that difference by supporting your alma mater and its students who, like you, also want to make a positive difference with their lives. We would appreciate your help. You may make a tax-deductible gift in any amount by mail, phone or online at www.georgetowncollege.edu/giving. When making a gift online, please specify Sociology under Designation on form. We thank you again for your continued support.

CONTACT THE SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Dr. Eric M. Carter Department Head Email: Eric_Carter

Dr. Sarah E. Cribbs Assistant Professor Email: Sarah_Cribbs

Dr. Stephanie HolcombKreiner Visiting Assistant Professor Email: Stephanie_Holcomb -Kreiner

SOCIOLOGY CLUB OFFERS THANKS

Alumni and friends of the Sociology Department, My name is Cristian Nez and I am proud to say that I am President of the Sociology Club. The rebirth of the club took place in the spring of 2012 thanks to a significant wealth of energy in the sociology department and among sociology students. The mission of the Sociology Club is to create an atmosphere for students to discuss sociological topics, to educate and empower the student body to take action on social justice issues, and to become immersed in the community through service and outreach activities. In view of this mission, the sociology club has had a very exciting semester! Every Wednesday night sociology students are welcome to indulge in snack, great company, and talk about the subject matter they are currently studying or do homework. In partnership with other organizations on campus concerned with social justice, we hosted a workshop to inform students on how sociology can help explain issues like human rights,

*all email addresses end in @georgetowncollege.edu

gender inequality, and sustainability! In the immediate future we hope to get Georgetown alumnus and current director of the Highlander Center, Pam McMichael, to come and talk with students about the Highlander Center and her experiences there. Sociology Club, of course, would not have been able to plan or accomplish any of these things had it not been for the outstanding alumni who have laid the foundation for current sociology students. On behalf of the Sociology Club I would like to thank you very much for your support and contributions over the years.

Please Share What We Are About With Prospective Students

Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, communities, and societies, and how people interact in these contexts. Since human behavior is shaped by social factors, the subject matter of sociology ranges from the family to education; from crime to religion; from the divisions of race, social class, and gender to the shared beliefs of a common culture; and from environment and sustainability to the sociology of sports. Few fields have such a broad scope and relevance for research, theory, service, and the application of knowledge. The Sociology Department emphasizes engaged pedagogy, critical thinking, theoretical and methodological understanding, service learning, and the application of theory to practice. Sociology majors have the opportunity to be involved in research and sustainable community development as well as local community service projects. Since many sociology majors continue their education in graduate school, the department seeks to prepare them for success at the graduate level. Others often utilize their sociology degree for work in community development, human and community services, the business world, and a wide variety of careers that involve problem-solving and gathering, organizing and analyzing information (i.e., data). The department sponsors the local chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Sociology Honors Society. 2012-2013 College CatalogPage 197

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GEORGETOWN COLLEGE SOCIOLOGY

ALUMNI QUESTIONNAIRE
Please fill out and return to us at below address or email to tigersociology@gmail.com.

Combining our departments small size with intellectual diversity, commitment to community engagement and service learning, a generous studentfaculty ratio, and strong tradition of commitment to students, our current department seeks to provide students with the skills and values needed to understand complex social systems and to participate in empowerment and reform that can create a more just, equitable, and sustainable world.

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Please tell us what you are doing now, along with anything else you would like to share with the department.

Mailing Address: Department of Sociology Georgetown College 400 East College Street Georgetown, KY 40324

Georgetown College Department of Sociology 400 East College Street Georgetown, KY 40324
Phone and Fax: 502-863-7968 E-mail: tigersociology@gmail.com