Winter/Spring 2009	Sociology Update
From the Department Chair, Chikako Usui 2008 was a lively year for the Sociology department! Our monthly Pizza Events provided opportunities for students and faculty to present their work-in-progress. I want to thank those who attended and those who made the events special. The department has again been recognized university-wide for its excellence in teaching and research. George McCall, professor emeritus of sociology, received the C. Brice Ratchford Award for his contribution to advancing the land-grant mission through extension and international education programs. This award is given in recognition of Dr. C. Brice Ratchford, president emeritus of the University of Missouri and dean of Cooperative Extension. Robert Keel, teaching professor of sociology, was awarded the Non-Tenure Track Faculty Award from the College of Arts and Sciences. Clifton Glore, sociology graduate student, was awarded a Community Building Fellowship for 2008-09 by the Community Partnership Project of the University of Missouri Extension and UMSL, which is directed by Kay Gasen and is funded by the prestigious U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Outreach Partnership grant. Clifton works in Old North St. Louis to build a stronger, healthier community. Michael Gibson, sociology major in the Pierre Laclede Honors College at UMSL, presented a paper at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology. Kelley Harris (Sociology MA, 2007) enjoys her teaching at Saint Louis University and writes how her students make critical thinking a liberating experience in everyday life. Keep us in mind as events occur in your life, or just to say hello. We always enjoy hearing from alumni, emeriti, and friends.					Inside this issue: Dr. George McCall receives C. Brice Ratchford Award Undergraduate Research: Michael Gibson Sociology Graduates Certificate in Disaster and Risk Management Faculty Publications Alumni News: Kelley Harris Robert Keel delivers Keynote Speech UMSL Reaccredited
Dr. George McCall receives C. Brice Ratchford Award George McCall, professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, is the 2008 recipient of the C. Brice Ratchford Memorial Fellowship Award from the University of Missouri System. Gary Forsee, president of the UM System, presented the award to McCall on June 5, 2008 in Columbia, MO. The annual award is given to a faculty member who advances the University of Missouri Extension's land-grant mission and personifies the creativity, vision and leadership exhibited by the late C. Brice Ratchford, president emeritus of the University of Missouri and dean of Cooperative Extension. “I am highly honored,” McCall said. “I spent a lot of time with Brice Ratchford when I first came to the university. His personal reputation and outstanding work is truly remarkable and has left an everlasting impact on both this university and its scholars. It's a great honor to be connected to any award that carries his name.” Following President Ratchford’s leadership efforts in devising the innovative exchange program with the University of the Western Cape, McCall was the University of Missouri’s second faculty member to visit South Africa in January 1989. While there he taught a course on community conflict intervention to UWC faculty. McCall earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa and his master's and doctoral degrees from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He joined UMSL as Professor of Sociology in 1972. He served as department chair several times throughout his tenure. Though he retired in 2002, McCall continues to teach as an adjunct professor.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Undergraduate Research Mike Gibson, an UMSL honors college student and sociology major, presented a paper at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology on November 14, 2008. His paper, entitled “Working for CHAMP after Hours: The Role of Volunteers in a Prison-Based Service Dog Training Program,” examined the role of volunteer that prisoners hold in the program. The session was organized by Jody Miller, professor of criminology and criminal justice and included two other student presenters from UMSL, Anne Lornson and Vena Stevens. Gibson’s research found that, as far as the hierarchy of the institution and the specific program within it, volunteers are ranked last within the CHAMP program. They become ostracized, even amongst other prisoners.  They are under-appreciated and sometimes wholly disregarded (as compared to other roles such as primary or secondary trainers). His research findings received much attention from CHAMP Assistance Dogs, Inc., the program being analyzed. When asked about his experience, Mike said “I was a little intimidated when my findings were challenged, but my defense with support from Dr. Miller made the CHAMP program think to reevaluate certain facets of the program. This was an excellent experience for me. I felt honored that my research had an impact on the program.” Congratulations Mike on the job well done!				Sociology Graduates, Summer and Fall 2008 Master of Arts Bachelor of Arts Elizabeth Gavin Christina Alcozer Bachelor of Science Katherine Davis Katrina Allen Sarah Evens Kelly Benoist Susan Fox Tommie-Jo Gonzales Brandi Williams Matthew Marchand Mercedes Wurm Andrea Thompson
Sociology Department Offers New Certificate in Disaster and Risk Management Students interested in exploring social aspects of disasters and catastrophes can officially enroll in the undergraduate certificate program in Disaster and Risk Management at UMSL. This program offers a multi-disciplinary course of study focusing on the key challenge of developing resilience against disaster -- preventing, preparing for, and responding to disasters and catastrophes. It brings together a range of disciplines to provide students with theoretical and practical insights into managing risks posed by natural, accidental, and intentional threats confronting urban communities. The certificate program is designed to strengthen student careers by offering a fundamental social science understanding of the nature of disasters and organizational issues inherent in the management and planning for catastrophes, such as the protection of health care infrastructure. It emphasizes social, psychological, organizational, legal, and political relationships brought to bear on the socio-technical systems designed to prevent, prepare for, or respond to disasters and catastrophes. It provides educational and practical opportunities for students planning careers in public safety, counterterrorism, community and research planning, public policy making, emergency management, leadership in the public sector, and the mass media. Undergraduate students earn a certificate in Disaster and Risk Management by completing 18 hours with a GPA of 2.0 or better from the following courses:
BUS ADM 3798: Transportation Security, Safety, and Disaster Preparedness COMM 3150: Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Communication ECON 4160: Geospatial Analysis in the Social Sciences (GIS) MEDIA 4040: Disaster and Media Management POLSCI 3200: Constitutional Law PSYCH/WGS 2232: Psychology of Victims or SOCIOL 3250: Sociology of Victimization SOCIOL 4414: Social Perspectives on Catastrophes and Homeland Security Policies SOCIOL 4450: Disaster and the Law			Participating Departments and Colleges: College of Arts & Sciences/Continuing Education Sociology (Coordinating department) Communication Economics Political Science Psychology Department (Center for Trauma Recovery) College of Business Administration Center for Transportation Studies College of Fine Arts & Communication Theater, Dance, and Media Studies
Faculty Publications Teresa Guess “Two generations of Sutherland’s white-collar war crime data and beyond” (with John Galliher). Crime, Law, and Social Change 51 (2009): 163-174. Nancy Shields “The Effects of Parental Age and Sibling Configurations on Family Environment and Academic Achievement of Children” (with Christine Hanneke). Applied Social Science 2 (2008): 13-35. “Examining the Evidence from Small Scale Societies and Early Prehistory: Implications of Violence in Early Prehistory for Modern Theories of Violence” (with Grant McCall). Aggression and Violent Behavior 13 (2008): 1-9. “The Effects of Community Violence on Children in Cape Town, South Africa” (with Kathy Nadasen and Lois Pierce). Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect 32 (2008): 589-601. Chikako Usui “Child Day Care Policy in Japan: An Examination of the Program and Its Impacts” (with Howard Palley). Journal of Comparative Social Welfare 24(2) (2008): 165-178. “Japan’s Demographic Changes, Social Implications, and Business Opportunities.” In The Silver Market Phenomenon: Business Opportunities in an Era of Demographic Change, edited by Florian Kohlbacher and Cornelius Herstatt, 71-82. Springer, 2008. “Aging Society and the Transformation of Work in the Post-Fordist Economy.” In The Demographic Challenge: A Handbook about Japan, edited by F. Coulmas, H. Conrad, A. Schad-Seifert and G. Vogt, 163-78. The Netherlands: Brill, 2008. “Population Aging and the Growth of Silver Industries in Japan” 2008 AJBS Papers Proceedings. Association of Japanese Business Studies. “Chikako Usui, expert in gerontology: We can live to be 125” Corrire della Sera (National daily newspaper in Italy) October 22, 2008, p. 9 (interview article). . George J. McCall “Symbolic Interaction: Core Concepts and Principles” (with J.L. Simmons). In Within the Social World: Essays in Social Psychology, edited by Jeffrey Chin and Cardell Jacobson, 137-48. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2008.
Alumni News Teaching at Saint Louis University – Sociology in Everyday Life by Kelley K. Harris A student came up to me after class the other day and handed me a section of a newspaper. He said, “I write for the sports section of SLU’s paper. This time I wrote about the upcoming Olympics from a symbolic interactionist perspective and thought you might be interested in it.” The student handed me his column and I assured him I’d read it soon. What the student probably couldn’t tell from our interaction was just HOW excited I was to read it! Here was a student thinking sociologically outside of class, putting it on paper for others to read and be influenced, and then thinking enough of me as a teacher to give me a copy. I read it as soon as I got home. The student’s commentary was good, showcasing his sociological imagination unbeknownst to all those sports fans reading his article. He discussed the meanings people attach to words and events: how meanings are impacted by individuals’ statuses and how those change over time; how current and historical events impact our interpretations of reality; and how people categorize life into meaningful categories. He actually alluded to a number of phenomenological ideas, which I later confirmed was without exposure to that area of theory. Students like him and situations like this make being a teacher worth it. Makes it worth all the blank stares, delayed responses to questions, lackluster discussions, and just a general apathy (it seems) towards academia. There are those listening. There are those thinking about what we discussed in class today. There are those seeing sociology in the real world. Critically thinking is a reality! So this one event made my entire semester. Sure, there are other students who offer good comments, questions, or suggestions in class or write a good response for a short essay on a test -- especially at Saint Louis University where a surprisingly large percentage of students complete quality work on time (most of the time). But this not only showed an ability to accurately apply subject matter; this showed genuine interest in the subject. This is why I became a teacher. I look forward to this happening to my students (and me) again…and again…and again. Editor’s note: Kelley Harris completed her MA in sociology at UMSL in August 2007 and has taught at Saint Louis University’s Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice since Fall 2007. Congratulations, Kelley!
Robert Keel delivers a Keynote Speech on Technology at UMKC Robert Keel, Teaching Professor of Sociology, delivered a keynote speech to a group of UMKC faculty at its first Instructional Technology Faculty Development Conference on January 7, 2009.  His presentation, entitled "Tinkering with Technology (in the Classroom)," laid down the framework for the conference focusing on the joys and the pains of teaching with technology. He also provided an overview for developing and teaching online/blended classes and touched on student perceptions and acceptance of technology in the classroom. He shared various examples of how technologies like MyGateway, wikis, and Wimba Live Classroom increase student engagement and satisfaction with their education and provide students a flexible and accessible learning environment. The online version of his presentation is available at: http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/tinkering_with_technology_09/tinkering_with_technology_umkc_09.htm. Keel joined the Department of Sociology as Lecturer in 1994, was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2006, and then to Teaching Professor in 2007. Keel received the College of Arts and Sciences’ Outstanding Lecturer of the Year Award for 1997-98, the Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence - Academic Non-Regular for 1998-99, and the College of Arts and Sciences’ Non-Tenure Track Faculty of the Year Award in 2007-08.
UMSL Reaccredited The University of Missouri-St. Louis has received continued reaccreditation for the next ten years by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association. The HLC Team made a site visit on November 10-13, 2008. Every university in the U.S. must go through a reaccreditation process every 10 years, and the North Central Association is one of six regional institutional accreditors in the U.S. and accredits membership to educational institutions in the North Central region (Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming). The HLC evaluates an entire educational organization including its governance and administration, financial stability, student learning, student services, and institutional effectiveness. UMSL has received reaccredidation without additional reports or reviews; according to Chancellor George, this success places UMSL among the top 5% of the universities in the country. Most universities have the reaccredidation teams come back for more reports or evaluations.
		Sociology Update, Winter/Spring 2009 Department Chair: Chikako Usui Managing Editor: Amanda Porterfield Come visit us on the web! http://www.umsl.edu/divisions/artscience/sociology University Missouri-St. Louis Department of Sociology-707 Tower One University Blvd St. Louis, MO 63121-4400 (314) 516-6366 e-mail: porterfielda@umsl.edu

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