TEACHING
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“Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold.”
~ Leo Tolstoy
Teaching Interests and Pedagogy
Teaching is my passion and my activism as I seek to make the classroom a place to confront assumptions, dissect power, and hopefully change one's mind. In all courses I place an emphasis on the interactions between structure and agency or oppression and resistance as students tend to place too much weight on either seemingly insurmountable binding forces or the apparent super power of humans to overcome any and all adversity. By emphasizing both sides, I stress that society is an interplay between the individual and social structures, and in this manner, students can reconcile their actions (or lack thereof) with consequences for their society. I aim for classes to be a mix of lecture, discussion, group and individual projects, and to have an experiential learning component when possible.
The scholarship of teaching and learning is also an integral part of my research framework as much of my writing is on the pedagogy of race and ethnicity. My approach to teaching an introductory race and ethnicity course can be seen through the organization and features of my co-edited volume, with Milton Vickerman (University of Virginia), Race and Ethnicity (Cognella). The article "More Than a Knapsack: The White Supremacy Flower as a New Model for Teaching Racism" is already being employed in the classroom by many professors; it also has been a featured teaching resource on the ASA website and is being used in workshops on racism in North Carolina. The basis of this article can also be viewed through the related TEDx talk, "Understanding Our Roots: White Supremacy is More Than the KKK." I am currently writing a new pedagogy book that systematically reviews and explains 13 major theories of racism, this book will be valuable to undergraduate and graduate students alike (under contract with SAGE).
Check out a recent article on using infographics in the classroom, featured in The Sociological Cinema blog and in the SSSP Teaching Social Problems Division newsletter. If you're looking for the appendix mentioned in this article, you can download it here.
Current Position
Assistant Professor of Sociology, Manhattanville College
Professional Pedagogy Positions
Pedagogy Editor, Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
Race and Ethnicity Editor, TRAILS
Former Chair, SSSP Teaching Social Problems Division
Training & Awards
Education Freedom Award, NAACP, Coastal Carolina University chapter, 2015
Liberal Arts and Sciences Small Teaching Grant, College of Charleston, 2013
Sage/Pine Forge Teaching Innovations & Professional Development Award, 2010
American Sociological Association The Best Teachers We Can Be: Learning Scholarly Teaching Conference, 2010
North Central Sociological Association/Midwest Sociological Society Future Faculty Certificate, 2010
UVa Lantern Society Recognition for Teaching & Service, 2008
Teaching is my passion and my activism as I seek to make the classroom a place to confront assumptions, dissect power, and hopefully change one's mind. In all courses I place an emphasis on the interactions between structure and agency or oppression and resistance as students tend to place too much weight on either seemingly insurmountable binding forces or the apparent super power of humans to overcome any and all adversity. By emphasizing both sides, I stress that society is an interplay between the individual and social structures, and in this manner, students can reconcile their actions (or lack thereof) with consequences for their society. I aim for classes to be a mix of lecture, discussion, group and individual projects, and to have an experiential learning component when possible.
The scholarship of teaching and learning is also an integral part of my research framework as much of my writing is on the pedagogy of race and ethnicity. My approach to teaching an introductory race and ethnicity course can be seen through the organization and features of my co-edited volume, with Milton Vickerman (University of Virginia), Race and Ethnicity (Cognella). The article "More Than a Knapsack: The White Supremacy Flower as a New Model for Teaching Racism" is already being employed in the classroom by many professors; it also has been a featured teaching resource on the ASA website and is being used in workshops on racism in North Carolina. The basis of this article can also be viewed through the related TEDx talk, "Understanding Our Roots: White Supremacy is More Than the KKK." I am currently writing a new pedagogy book that systematically reviews and explains 13 major theories of racism, this book will be valuable to undergraduate and graduate students alike (under contract with SAGE).
Check out a recent article on using infographics in the classroom, featured in The Sociological Cinema blog and in the SSSP Teaching Social Problems Division newsletter. If you're looking for the appendix mentioned in this article, you can download it here.
Current Position
Assistant Professor of Sociology, Manhattanville College
Professional Pedagogy Positions
Pedagogy Editor, Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
Race and Ethnicity Editor, TRAILS
Former Chair, SSSP Teaching Social Problems Division
Training & Awards
Education Freedom Award, NAACP, Coastal Carolina University chapter, 2015
Liberal Arts and Sciences Small Teaching Grant, College of Charleston, 2013
Sage/Pine Forge Teaching Innovations & Professional Development Award, 2010
American Sociological Association The Best Teachers We Can Be: Learning Scholarly Teaching Conference, 2010
North Central Sociological Association/Midwest Sociological Society Future Faculty Certificate, 2010
UVa Lantern Society Recognition for Teaching & Service, 2008
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"Vickerman and Strmic-Pawl provide a well-rounded collection of works that address the history of racial inequality and its continued significance in the 21st century. Rather than segmenting the experiences of different racial groups, the history and experiences of all groups are interwoven to highlight the deep-rooted inequality between whites and non-whites. Noteworthy excerpts include those on racial formations, anti-immigrant rhetoric, race in popular culture, and the future of race relations. An excellent reader to stir up thoughts and conversations in a critical undergraduate course on race and ethnic relations."
Bhoomi K. Thakore, Elmhurst College "Vickerman and Strmic-Pawl’s text is a must-have for classroom instructors wrestling with the challenges of teaching contemporary ethnoracial dynamics. Their selected readings are some of the most important, and challenging, writings in the field of the sociology of race and ethnicity. Yet, by providing clear summations at the beginning, and critical questions at the end, the authors strike a perfect balance. Providing contemporary stories and events at the end of each section enables students to better understand how race and ethnicity continue to matter in the shaping of their daily lives. This text serves as an important guide for students and instructors as they seek to discover the dynamic encounters between their personal biographies and larger, social forces that shape the everyday unfolding of race and ethnicity." James M. Thomas, assistant professor of sociology, University of Mississippi, author of Are Racists Crazy? (NYU Press, 2016) |
Race and Ethnicity: Constancy in Change uses both classic readings and new research on contemporary racial inequality to create a logical progression through the primary issues of race and ethnicity. The nine sections discuss the history of race and racism, define major concepts, and analyze how and why inequality persists. In addition to the readings, the anthology features introductions that frame each section’s readings, key terms with which students should be familiar, learning objectives for each section, and Reflect and Consider inquiries designed for each reading. Each section ends with a Highlight that showcases a contemporary racial trend in the news. The sections are also supplemented by Read, Listen, Watch, Interact! features, which supply easily accessible links to complementary readings, audio stories, videos, and interactive websites. The book concludes with Investigate Further, a list of readings for those who wish to delve deeper into a particular topic. Race and Ethnicity enables students to grasp the fundamentals of race and racism and encourages them to engage in conversations about them. Ideal for sociology programs, the anthology is well-suited to courses on race and ethnicity. |
Sample of Courses Taught
Systems of Inequality
Course Description: An overview of the theories, structures, and statistics of inequality with a focus toward race,
class, and gender. The course also looks at policy creation and implementation as well as
contemporary inequality in various institutions.
Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes:
• Grasp foundational theories of inequality
• Know basic inequality data
• Analyze patterns of power
• Understand how class, race, and gender act as fundamental lines of stratification
• Assess how both (on micro, meso, and macro levels) advantages and disadvantages affect
group and individual mobility
• Evaluate the roles of structure and agency (oppression and resistance)
• Debate contemporary issues on inequality
Race & Ethnicity
Course Description: Racial and ethnic conflict and change in an historical context. Emphasis on the United States, but a comparative, global perspective will be developed. Specific topics include: racial and ethnic ideologies and public policy; race and class relations; ethnic mobility and the assimilation process; social scientific controversies in racial and ethnic studies; and strategies for change.
Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes:
• Detail how race is socially constructed
• Explain how and why racial categories change and how different races are formed in relation to one another
• Analyze, compare and contrast race, ethnicity, and nationality
• Analyze, compare and contrast race and class
• Know the main historical dates/eras of plantation slavery, reconstruction, immigration restriction and reform, and civil rights initiatives
• Grasp how race has and continues to be an organizing principle of society
• Understand the complexity of identities (plural!) and intersectional analysis
• Outline theories of racism
• Describe and analyze micro and macro prejudice and discrimination.
• Know some basic facts and figures regarding current racial inequality
• Feel comfortable having a conversation about race!
Race and Housing
Course Description: This course will look at the intersections of housing and race, specifically the ways in which access to safe and affordable housing is shaped by racism. Sociological approaches will be bridged with critical race theory to evaluate the contemporary state of housing conditions.
Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes
• Grasp foundational theories of housing inequality
• Know basic housing inequality data
• Analyze patterns of power
• Assess how housing shapes people’s access to other critical resources such as employment, education, transportation, and health
• Employ critical race theory to evaluate the relationship between residence and race
• Reflect on your position in society, particular in relationship to race and housing
Systems of Inequality
Course Description: An overview of the theories, structures, and statistics of inequality with a focus toward race,
class, and gender. The course also looks at policy creation and implementation as well as
contemporary inequality in various institutions.
Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes:
• Grasp foundational theories of inequality
• Know basic inequality data
• Analyze patterns of power
• Understand how class, race, and gender act as fundamental lines of stratification
• Assess how both (on micro, meso, and macro levels) advantages and disadvantages affect
group and individual mobility
• Evaluate the roles of structure and agency (oppression and resistance)
• Debate contemporary issues on inequality
Race & Ethnicity
Course Description: Racial and ethnic conflict and change in an historical context. Emphasis on the United States, but a comparative, global perspective will be developed. Specific topics include: racial and ethnic ideologies and public policy; race and class relations; ethnic mobility and the assimilation process; social scientific controversies in racial and ethnic studies; and strategies for change.
Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes:
• Detail how race is socially constructed
• Explain how and why racial categories change and how different races are formed in relation to one another
• Analyze, compare and contrast race, ethnicity, and nationality
• Analyze, compare and contrast race and class
• Know the main historical dates/eras of plantation slavery, reconstruction, immigration restriction and reform, and civil rights initiatives
• Grasp how race has and continues to be an organizing principle of society
• Understand the complexity of identities (plural!) and intersectional analysis
• Outline theories of racism
• Describe and analyze micro and macro prejudice and discrimination.
• Know some basic facts and figures regarding current racial inequality
• Feel comfortable having a conversation about race!
Race and Housing
Course Description: This course will look at the intersections of housing and race, specifically the ways in which access to safe and affordable housing is shaped by racism. Sociological approaches will be bridged with critical race theory to evaluate the contemporary state of housing conditions.
Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes
• Grasp foundational theories of housing inequality
• Know basic housing inequality data
• Analyze patterns of power
• Assess how housing shapes people’s access to other critical resources such as employment, education, transportation, and health
• Employ critical race theory to evaluate the relationship between residence and race
• Reflect on your position in society, particular in relationship to race and housing
