Page Sociology Matters

Sociology Matters

Inside This Issue: Faculty Research in Guatemala Student & Faculty travel to Albany Park, IL., Detroit, MI., Mexico and Ireland. Is an Online Course Right for You?

Contents:

- From the Chair &

NEIU University Day 1

- MSS Conference 2

- News From the Classroom 3,10

- Global Studies 4, 5, & 6

-Sociology Dept. & Club Events 7,8

- Internship Seminar 9 - Graduates & Grad Events 10

Edited / Designed by:

Jon Antol

From The Chair:

Spring, Summer

2010

Vol. 7

Hot summer in the city, but

―engagement‖ is the common theme

for our Sociology faculty and students.

I hope our newsletter begins to convey

some of the exciting work taking place

inside and outside of our department.

Increasingly our Sociology majors and

minors are heeding the NEIU slogan

to ―Learn in the City and Lead in the

World.‖

Student and faculty travels this

spring semester include Tiffany

Doan‘s study abroad trip to Limerick,

Ireland (p.5). While four of our sociol-

ogy students, who were enrolled in the

WSP Course: International Human

Rights and Women traveled with fac-

ulty member Christina Gomez to Gua-

najuato, Mexico for an extended

spring break. They were privileged to

work with the grassroots feminist

organization, Las Libres, whose work

promotes women‘s rights in Guana-

juato (p.4). This June (22-26). Wynne

Turkington traveled with Teachers for

Social Justice to the U.S. Social

Forum in Detroit, Michigan (p.5).

When not traveling, our stu-

dents and faculty were busy at-

tending Sociology Club events

and presenting their research in

our department‘s Brown Bag Se-

ries (p.8), at the Midwest Socio-

logical Society (MSS) meetings in

downtown Chicago (p.2), and at

NEIU‘s 18th Annual Student Re-

search and Creative Symposium

(p.7). The MSS meetings will be

held next spring in St. Louis, and I

hope as many of you as possible

will attend.

Once again 26 of our senior

majors secured internships in or-

ganizations that ranged from

youth advocacy programs and an

array of non-profits to dental and

law offices. What these interns

shared was a determination to

apply their sociological skills and

knowledge to their internship

setting, a desire to better under-

stand how organizations work and

don‘t work, and the aspiration to obtain

transferrable professional and civic skills

(p.9). Also seven of our NEIU alumnae

visited the seminar to graciously share mo-

tivating words about the paths they have

undertaken since graduation.

This summer and fall I will be on educa-

tional leave, so Brett Stockdill will be our

Acting Chair. Also this fall, Aneta Galary

will be on sabbatical leave, and both Olivia

Perlow and Cristen Jenkins will be on ma-

ternity leave. Monica Edwards secured a

tenure track position at Harper College and

Marilyn Carlander is retiring, so they are

both teaching their last NEIU courses-they

both will be missed! We will be joined in

the fall by one new full-time instructor ,

Sonia Oliva (p.3), and several new part time

-faculty.

We look forward to your upcoming partici-

pation in our Sociology Club events, and I

know that you can count on some exciting

fall courses!

—Susan Stall

s-stall1@neiu.edu

Free Speech Symposium: NEIU University Day 3/4/10

Sociology majors Jorge Ortiz

and Cassandra Cantu, and Sociol-

ogy graduate, Chis Poulos pre-

sented on the organizing efforts of

the Coalition United for Free

Speech (CUFFS) at NEIU‘s Univer-

sity Day this past spring. It could

be argued that this year‘s University

Day topic: Free Speech, was a re-

sult of the forum which CUFFS

held in spring, 2009. At that forum

CUFFS recommended the passage

of a free speech policy in a demo-

cratic and transparent manner. On

March 3rd, Dr Sharon Hahs was in

attendance to hear the concerns and

recommendations of the panelists

and of the dozens of students, fac-

ulty and staff who were in atten-

dance. The results of this panel,

and others held throughout the day,

remain to be seen. NEIU‘s current

policy only allows full first amend-

ment rights in the Village Square—

this represents 1% of all indoor

space at NEIU.

Further analysis can be found at:

www.neiucuffs.blogspot.com

Michael Armato at Right

From Left To Right: Michael Armato, Jorge Ortiz, Cassandra

Cantú , Chris Poulos

Jorge Ortiz and Cassandra Cantú

Sociology Matters Page 2

could convince the MSS to meet

here every year…

-Catherine Siebel

The day I went to present at the

MSS, I was extremely nervous,

but I knew that I was prepared to

talk about my research with confi-

dence. As my table filled up and

my moderator showed up, he

shortened the presentation time. I

panicked a bit, but because I had

practiced my presentation so

much, I knew what the most im-

portant aspects were of my re-

search and I went through it with-

out a hitch. I was provided

Midwest Sociological Society (MSS) Chicago, Il.:March 31-April 3

A significantly large number

of students and faculty attended,

presented research and even

worked at this year‘s MSS Con-

ference held in the downtown

Marriott Hotel in Chicago. Each

year this conference affords the

opportunity for students to meet

other Sociology faculty and

students from across the Mid-

west. The array of research top-

ics that Sociologists engage in

(see Siebel contribution below)

is always of interest to all who

attend. Another group of our

NEIU Sociology students will

be traveling to St. Louis next

March 24-27, 2011 to attend the next MSS Conference. Why

don‘t you join us?

- Susan Stall NEIU Presenters

Michael Armato ―Wolves in Sheep‘s Clothing:Men‘s Enlightened Sexism and Hege-monic Masculinity in Academia‖

Cassandra Cantú “Zero Tolerance? Masculine Solidarity and Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence in the U.S. Military‖ and

―NEIU Sociology Club in Action‖ (Poster Session)

Georgiann Davis ―Voices from the Field: Conflicting Views of the Linguistic Shift

from ‗Intersexuality‘ to ‗Disorders of Sex Development‘‖

Aneta E. Galary ―Manufacturing Consent Revisited‖

David A. Kozin ―We‘re Laughing and We‘re Dancing and It‘s Fun: CHIC-A-GO-GO‖

Christina Gomez & Luvia Valentin ―Undocumented Students and The DREAM Act:

The Price of Citizenship‖ Olivia Perlow ―Patriotism Among African Americans: Before and After

the Election of President Barack Obama‖

Student & Faculty Experiences of the MSS Conference I often struggle with trying to

find interesting paper assignments

for my students, and the Socio-

logical Analysis class is no excep-

tion. Fortune smiled upon me last

spring when the Midwest Socio-

logical Society Meetings were

being held just down the street-a

perfect opportunity to introduce

students to a wide variety of so-

ciological topics, as well as the ins

and outs of a professional meet-

ing. Their assignment was this:

Attend the meeting, listen to at

least 12 paper presentations and

use these experiences to write a 6-

10 page paper on the topic, ―What

makes sociology unique?‖ This

assignment proved to be tremen-

dously successful; the diverse

nature of the meetings meant that

everyone found sessions that

matched their interests. By the

time it was all over I had 22 fan-

tastic papers with insights about

sociology‘s unique theoretical,

methodological and substantive

contributions; two students con-

sidered changing their sociology

minors to majors and one student

who had contributed so much to a

discussion about a film that one

of the session participants gave her a free book! Now if only I

with excellent feedback for the

research project, from other pre-

senters and attendees. Presenting

at the symposium was a rewarding

experience and although I spent

the prior month nervous about it, I

would do it again in a heart beat.

-Cassandra Cantú

I was excited to be at the MSS

in Chicago in April with Sociol-

ogy professors and students from

all across the country; one profes-

sor even traveled to Chicago from

Korea! I got the opportunity to

work the registration booth and

attend several sessions in which

NEIU Sociology professors and

some of our students presented

their research. The sessions I sat

in on were thought provoking and

the research was fascinating.

Attending this conference moti-

vated me to want to go on to

graduate school because I got to

meet so many people with diverse

backgrounds who are passionate

about Sociology. This really got

me geared up!

-Lauren Jarrell

Clockwise from left: Michael Armato, Evelyn Gonzalez, Christina Go-

mez,Emililo Caban, Brett Stockdill, James Ponto, Aneta Galary, Andrew

Kourvetaris, Cassandra Cantú and Susan Stall

Catherine Siebel “Pronatalism, Religiosity, and Infertility: Exploring Women‘s Decision to Adopt‖

Brett Stockdill ―Sociological Factors Affecting Domestic Violence in Quetzaltenango,

Guatemala‖

Martha Thompson ―How to Make the Media Our Voice: Getting Sociology into the News‖

Sociology Majors Cassandra Cantú and

James Ponto stand in front of the poster

featuring NEIU’S Sociology Club.

Left to Right: Brett Stockdill,

Christina Gomez, Cassandra Cantú

Left to Right: Eric Kreutz, James

Ponto, Milton Hall

Page 3 Sociology Matters News From the Classroom

Online courses are being

offered across college cam-

puses. They offer a tremen-

dous amount of flexibility to

students that are on a tight

schedule with work, family,

etc., but at the same time,

they also come with some

challenges.

Our department offered

its very first online course

last summer and it was such

a huge success that it was

offered again this summer.

While statistics is a challeng-

ing course for all parties in-

volved regardless of the set-

ting, I can say that our online

stats course is a success.

Drawing from my own

experience teaching the

course as well as student

feedback, let‘s explore the

advantages and challenges of

an online course. Advantages:

1. Time and Geographic

Flexibility - Online courses

offer unprecedented flexi-

bility. You can complete

the required assignments

whenever and wherever

you want.

2. Written Lectures - Since

you won‘t have the tradi-

tional face-to-lecture, most

instructors of online

courses offer you written

lecture notes that you need

to read in addition to any

assigned materials. 3. Pajamas! - Would you

rather head right to cam-

pus, or would you rather

head home and change

into something comfort-

able while working on

course materials?

(continued on p.10)

NEIU Welcomes Sonia Oliva As A Full-Time Instructor This Fall This fall, Northeastern

Illinois University is pleased to

welcome Sonia Oliva as a Full-

Time instructor in our Sociology

Department. Sonia is a graduate

of the University of Illinois-

Chicago with a B.A. in Latin

American and Latino

Studies, as well as an M.A. in

Sociology. She is currently

working on her PhD, which she

plans to have completed by this

August,2010. Before joining the

faculty of NEIU, Sonia previ-

ously taught at UIC, teaching

such courses as Race and Eth-

nicity and the Sociology of

Latinos, two areas of study she

finds particularly interesting

A great deal of research for her

dissertation on Black and Latino

Race Relations involved field-

work within the Chicago Public

School system. She spent one

year doing fieldwork and obser-

vation, where she was often

mistaken for a student. ―The

teachers and Security frequently

questioned and stopped me,‖

Sonia shared, speaking of her

experience.

In her classroom style, Sonia

prefers a more unified style

where students and the instruc-

tor both actively take part in the

learning experience, as well as

challenge it. She expects stu-

dents to ― take risks and re-

sponsibility when it comes to

learning.‖

In fall Sonia Oliva will be

teaching:

SOC 102 : Introduction to

Sociology

SOC 316: Race and Ethnic

Relations

SOC 343: Sociological Prac-

tice & Social Action Seminar

Urban Sociology Investigates Albany Park Every time I teach my Urban

Sociology class over the summer, I

take advantage of the 3.5-hour class

period and take my class on a field

trip to a community in Chicago.

The field trip complements students‘

burgeoning knowledge by providing

concrete examples of economic

disinvestment, ethnic enclave, glob-

alization, gentrification, and an array

of other sociological concepts and

issues we discuss in class. This

year, my students and I went on a

walking tour of Albany Park, guided

primarily by me, but also with the

assistance of two students in the

class who live in the area. I chose to

visit Albany Park because it is

largely a working-class community com-

prised of myriad ethnic groups. For example,

Albany Park is home to significant numbers

of Mexican, Guatemalan, Ecuadorian, Fili-

pino, Indian, Vietnamese, Iraqi, Jordanian,

and Syrian immigrants, making it one of the

most—if not the most—diverse community

areas in Chicago. There are also many Korean

businesses in the community, a remnant of the

once-large Korean population in the area. Kore-

ans have largely since moved out to areas north,

including North Park, where NEIU is located.

Our field trip took us down Kedzie Avenue

through the heart of Chicago‘s Arab business

district at Lawrence Avenue. We left Kedzie at

various times to walk through the residential

areas, including a stop at a local community

garden and ―Big Red,‖ a tenement building that

was the site of Dwight Conquergood‘s 1980s

ethnography. We then crossed west across the

southern border of the community along Mon-

trose Avenue, where the significant influence of

the Central and South American immigrant

groups is quite visible. We turned north, walk-

ing up Pulaski, and cut into the residential

neighborhoods. Paying attention to the hous-

ing, businesses, and other development in the

area suggests that there is some evidence of

gentrification, but the heart of the community

remains its many working class immigrant

groups. The final stop along our route was

inside Eugene Field Park at the Laura Wiley

Theatre, where Albany Park Theatre Project, a

youth ensemble theatre group, develops and

performs plays based on ethnographic research

they conduct with Albany Park residents. De-

spite its close proximity to campus, most of the

students in my class had never been to the area,

much less walked around for a few hours view-

ing it through a sociological lens. It is hard to

walk through Albany Park and not be impressed

with the community‘s distinctiveness.

-Michael Armato

Note: Upcoming conference on Albany

Park-See p.8

L to R– Michael Armato, Ashley Sayad, Marisol Mom-bela, Tan Chen. Briana Aviles, Latasha Williams,

Brenda Flores, Randall Smith, Jody Alhm, Katelyn

Mucci, Eddie Mendoza, Lauren Jarrell

Sonia Oliva

Is An Online Course Right For You?

Sociology Matters Page 4

Sociology in Guanajuato, Mexico: Spring Break 2010

Las Libres. El grito.

Women‘s rights in Mexico.

Economic and political

Conditions. These were some of

the topics encountered by stu-

dents (James Ponto, Cassandra

Cantu, Yashika Harrell, Jason

Kupich, Toni Scott and Monica

Geber) from Women‘s Studies,

Sociology and Justice Studies

who went on a trip to Guana-

juato and Leon, Mexico during

Spring Break 2010. Led by Pro-

fessors Nancy Matthews (Justice

Studies & Women‘s Studies)

and Christina Gomez (Sociology

& LLAS), the group had a mar-

velous time learning about

Mexican history, politics and

culture and partici-

pating with the

grassroots feminist

organization Las

Libres that pro-

motes women‘s

rights in Guana-

juato.

Working with

Las Libres was

a high point of the

trip. After an

orientation in their

office in

Guanajuato, we

travelled to a small rural com-

munity to participate in their

work. Students on the trip were

charged with planning games to

play with the children of the

community to model egalitarian

relationships and respectful

interactions, and peaceful ways

of handling conflict. Among

other accomplishments, a bunch

of kids in Guanajuato now know

how to dance the Chicago Slide!

Meanwhile, the mothers of the

community participated in a

workshop on body awareness

led by Las Libres foun-

der ,Veronica Cruz Sanchez.

We toured several important

sites related to Mexican Inde-

pendence, including the town of

Dolores Hidalgo, where el grito,

or the call for independence first

arose 200 years ago. We re-

ceived informative lectures from

several faculty at the University

of Guanajuato and attended

cultural events. And yes we ate

a lot of delicious food! One

student is rumored to have

gotten a tattoo reading ―street

meat‖ in celebration of the fabu-

lous tacos to be eaten on the

streets of Guanajuato!

- Christina Gomez

During spring break I traveled

to Mexico with nine other NEIU

students and two wonderful

professors. This trip was an

awesome experience. I was able

to learn more about Mexico's

culture: its food, festivities,

architecture, and of course, the

Mexican people. I especially

enjoyed getting to know the

other people who I traveled

with. I felt connected, safe, and

was excited to expand my

friendship list. I'm one of those

students that is always on the go

and have rarely been available

to do things with other students

at the university. This trip

showed me that it is possible to

establish a closeness with other

students at Northeastern Illinois

University, but it's up to us to

take advantage of these opportu-

nities. I truly encourage Sociol-

ogy students that may be on the

fence about signing up for a

study trip--JUST DO IT!

-Yashika Harrell

No Mercy

There is a daughter lost in the desert that warms Juarez with its blanket of primordial sand, where the earth is still wet with tears shed by warriors from a complicated past. It is

here that we will all drown in the tears that spill from the eyes of the girls who are forced to be

silent as they wait in vain for release or for some mercy in this filthy present. But, there is no mercy in this littered town. Dirty barrettes and old patent leather shoes peek through the ground

like ancient bones. These things have fallen from the bodies of the girls who were stolen,

plucked from the living

Shields are invisible and useless here. The innocent have no tangible weapons. And beneath the sand lay the pieces of broken dreams. There is little capacity for love

where demons persist, creeping into the light of day after spending the night stomping

on these beautiful darlings. Ruthless without instigation, they cause war within these bouncing souls. Forced to take this ride, the angels linger beneath a sky where rainbows

have been smeared, the one delight after a relentless storm. There is a daughter lost in the

desert. She is smaller but not any lesser than those who brutalize.

She prays, but even a soul more solid than her slayers can‘t fight through thirst, through

hunger, through the choking fatigue that precedes death. The fires remain. She crosses herself,

relating for the first time to Jesus. She releases an imagined rosary, lets it slip from her finger bead to bead. It is the scent of

rosewood she misses. Whispering a prayer causes deep thirst. As she drinks her tears she imagines she is little again, then just a

fetus, then nothing but a possibility. She hears her mother sing, her voice rocks her into a permanent sleep. Her mother pleads,

from a distance, with no one in particular. Mi hija.Mi hija.Mi hija.. The end so loud and so quiet.

-Poet Jamyn M.

Craft

Graduate 2007

New Course Offered This Fall

SOC 365 - Sociology of Globalization

TR 4:14-5:30 PM

This fall, the Sociology

Department is introducing a

new course to the curricu-

lum. Sociology of Globaliza-

tion offers students a socio-

logical approach to the in-

vestigation of globalization

and it‘s effects on politics,

culture, and other aspects of

society.

Page 5 Sociology Matters

Greetings From The US Social Forum-Detroit, Michigan

Back Row Center: Wynne Turkington

Sociology in Limerick, Ireland: Tiffany Doan I just returned from my spring semester abroad in Ireland and it greatly expanded my understanding of the world. I am not sure what I was

expecting before I left the United States, but I do know that the reality I encountered did not match my imagination. Ireland is the most beautiful

place I have ever seen. From the shimmering leaves of ivy that grow on the trees to the hype of Dublin‘s metropolitan area, Ireland has complexity

and layers that are worth the travel to evaluate and experience.

Life in Ireland is different than the United States in a couple of key ways. First, their life moves slowly. People do not live to work; they work

to live. Second, a global conscience is present and social responsibility is expected. By the term global conscience I mean, an indepth awareness

and appreciation of world events. It is because of my experiences abroad that I am now able to apply a sociological perceptive at a global level. The

advantages and tools that I gained from my experiences in Ireland included an expansion in my understanding of cultural differences and an in-

creased preparation for living in a global society.

During my semester in Ireland many opportunities were available to travel more extensively. Travel is considered a higher priority than in the

United States and is more affordable throughout Europe. In the short amount of time I studied abroad I was able to ―holiday‖ in France, Germany,

Poland, Norway, Scotland, England, Belgium, the Netherlands, and of course throughout Ireland. If you have a chance to go, go!

-Tiffany Doan, Graduate 2010

At Center: Tiffany Doan

Hello, I wanted to

drop a few lines about

my experience at the U.S.

Social Forum, which just

took place June 22-26th in

Detroit, Michigan. The

U.S. Social Forum is part

of the World Social Fo-

rum, which originally

began in Brazil. The

Detroit U.S. Social Fo-

rum was the 2nd forum to

take place in the U.S--the

first was in Atlanta. The

purpose of this forum is

to bring various activists

from around the world

together to share their

work, learn from others,

network, and to plan for large scale future ac-

tions.

There were over 1,000 workshops, and

over 50 People‘s Movement Assemblies

(PMAs). PMAs focus on broad topics such as

Immigration or Education and bring leaders

from the various individual workshops who

spoke on these issues together to connect, learn

from one another, brainstorm, and strategize for

future actions. Detroit was intentionally se-

lected as a forum location because the city and

state of Michigan continue to confront such

devastating unemployment and economic crisis,

but also because the city‘s activist community

has historically been well respected for

their work in the movement.

I went to the U.S. Social Forum with the group,

Teachers for Social Justice, which is one of the

educational activist groups I have worked with

over the last year. I helped to plan and facilitate

their workshop entitled, ―Another Education is

Possible,‖ where we focused on the privatiza-

tion of public education throughout the United

States and what this means for children, fami-

lies, communities, and for the country as a

whole. We connected the privatization of our

schools to Neo-Liberal policies. We also spoke

about our resistance to this movement, as did

our sister organizations in Milwaukee, Philadel-

phia, and in the Northern CA. Bay area. Finally,

the 300 + people who attended this workshop

collectively brainstormed and presented their

ideas about what a quality education in the

United States should look like.

Over 20,000 people from all walks of life

attended this U.S. Social Forum. In addition to

the numerous workshops and PMAs, there were

a number of cultural events, including: art, po-

etry, and musical happenings. In fact, there

was an art room where attendees could create

social justice art work; this room was open to

anyone at any time. Some of the best aspects of

the forum for me were the long conversations I

had with the people I drove to Detroit with, and

the folks that I stayed with during the forum.

The other workshop that I attended, was

the ―Zapatista‘s Other Campaign Breaking

Down Borders: Live Cross-Border Dialogue

with Mexico‖ given by the group Movement for

Justice in El Barrio, from New York City. This

workshop focused on their two campaigns, one

that worked around the issue of displacement of

the immigrant community in New York due to

gentrification, and the other focused on how

this displacement is connected to the U.S. in the

first place.

-Wynne Turkington

If you would like further information on

the US Social Forum, visit :

www.USSF2010.org

Sociology Matters Page 6

Nuevos Horizontes: The Struggle Against Violencia Intrafamiliar in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

On a Monday morning, dozens of

people pass through the reception area

of Asociación Hogar Nuevos Horizon-

tes (New Horizons Association

Home). Female staff workers go to

and from their offices. Women of all

ages, both indigenous and ladina

(mixed Spanish and indigenous ances-

try) arrive to report incidents of do-

mestic violence (violencia intrafamil-

iar as it is called in Guatemala) and

receive services. Some are alone.

Some come with children—toddlers,

older children and teenagers. Occa-

sionally a man accompanies a sister, a

daughter, or a friend. Mothers arrive

with their adult daughters. Women

share stories and offer each other sup-

port as they sit waiting in the plastic

chairs. On the wall, posters, some in

both Spanish and Quiché (one of the 22

indigenous languages spoken in Guate-

mala) denounce gender violence, pro-

mote gender justice, and list resources

for women, children and adolescents. A

support group for survivors of domestic

violence meets in an adjacent room. At

11am everyone, including me, is served

a hot chuchito (small tamal).

In the fall of 2009, I volunteered for

two months at the Nuevos Horizontes

daycare center and also conducted 14

interviews with staff and volunteers.

The central mission of Nuevos Horizon-

tes is the vindication of the human rights

of women, children and adolescents.

This mission is crystallized in their

struggle against violencia intrafamiliar.

The Nuevos Horizontes staff members

challenge the common perception of

domestic violence as merely an individ-

ual or interpersonal problem, instead

framing it as a social problem. They

challenge the entrenched inequalities

that fuel gender violence: the subordina-

tion of women in a patriarchal culture;

gender discrimination in the family,

education, employment and politics;

systemic poverty and racism that am-

plify violence against poor women,

indigenous women and women of

African descent. Interview respon-

dent Carla (pseudonym) explains,

―The reality of being a woman, the

reality of being indigenous, the reality

of being poor are three very, very in-

tense aggravating factors that women

have here… To be indigenous, illiter-

ate and poor, we are talking about not

only the challenge of violence but

how it relates to a whole set of other

social problems.‖ According to Vio-

leta, these contemporary conditions

must be contextualized within a his-

tory of state violence including the

Spanish conquest and more recently

the 36 year civil war that left over

200,000 people dead and, ―a legacy of

violence, inequality and poverty.‖

Nuevos Horizontes has been a pio-

neer in challenging the negative physi-

cal, emotional and social impact of vio-

lencia intrafamiliar. They established

the first shelter in Guatemala in 1989

and have grown steadily ever since.

With 25 paid staff members and a num-

ber of foreign volunteers, the organiza-

tion provides atención integral—

integrated service—in the following

areas. The Legal Area assists women in

filing charges, acquiring child support,

accompanies women to court, and raises

awareness among judges and other court

workers. The Medical Area provides

basic health care for survivors and their

children including prenatal care, HIV

tests, and screening for cervical and

breast cancer. The Psychological Area

offers crisis intervention and therapy

(individual, family and group) to survi-

vors and their children. The Shelter

provides hundreds of women and their

children not only safe housing, but food,

clothing, employment assistance; legal,

medical, and psychological; childcare

and schooling for the children. The Job

Training and Guidance Center assists

women in gaining job skills and long-

term employment including working at

a laundry cooperative run by survivors.

The Daycare Center provides quality

day care for working women for a nomi-

nal fee. The Community Education and

Organization Area plans and imple-

ments workshops in churches, commu-

nity centers, schools and other locations

focusing on domestic violence, sexual

and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS,

sexual diversity and women‘s human

rights; they also work in coalition with

other groups to organize mass educa-

tional campaigns culminating in

marches and rallies for the human rights

of women.

While the bulk of the women are

from are from the department of Quet-

zaltenango, women come from all over

the country as well as other Central

American countries, Mexico, Spain, and

the United States. Along with other

organizations, Nuevos Horizontes is part

of a larger social movement for gender

justice in Guatemala. Valeria had a

powerful message: ―If there are good

hearted people outside our borders that

want our world to change and wish that

Guatemala will one day be free of vio-

lence, especially violence against

women, we would appreciate this sup-

port. But it is also important to tell

them that here in Guatemala there are

women engaged in struggle.‖

-Dr. Brett Stockdill

Associate Professor and

Acting Chair (Summer/Fall 2010)

Page 7 Sociology Matters

Café Society– Spring 2010

Sociology Club Events: Spring ‘10

Bake Sale

Sociology Club activists Victoria

Ochoa and Toni Scott volunteered

at our Spring Bake Sale

Sociology Dept. & Club Events: Spring 2010

18th Annual Student Research and Creative Symposium

Panelists pictured (From Left To Right)

David Kozin ―We‘re Laughing and We‘re Dancing and It‘s Fun:Chic-

a-go-go‖ (Faculty Sponsor: Susan Stall)

Lauren Jarrell ―For the Love of Music: Kids Getting by in the Mod-

ern Day DIY Scene‖ (Faculty Sponsor: Susan Stall)

Jorge Ortiz ―Social Alienation of Mexican-American Youth‖ (Faculty

Sponsor: Brett Stockdill)

Toni K. Scott ―Research on Retaining Latino Students: Experience of

a First-Year Program‖ (Faculty Sponsor: Christina Gomez)

Norman M Davis ―Uncovering Cultural Relevance in African Ameri-

can Music: Louis Armstrong and Edward Kennedy (Duke) Ellington‖

(Faculty Sponsor: Lance Williams, Kim Sanborn)

Mike Armato took the lead

in organizing our spring Café

Society discussion on Immi-

gration Reform. Students and

faculty met to discuss what

ideal immigration legislation

might look like.

Clockwise at Symposium Luncheon: Susan Stall, Toni Scott,

David Kozin and Lauren Jarrell.

Grad School Panel

From Left to

Right:

Georgiann

Davis, Olivia

Perlow and

Jorge Ortiz

Sociology Matters Page 8

Brown Bag Series - 2010

Chicago Youth Initiating Change (CYIC) At NEIU - April 22nd, 2010

On April 22nd, members of the of Chicago Youth Initiating Change (CYIC) came to Northeastern to discuss their efforts to

build a movement for student rights. CYIC is a grassroots youth organization that works to ensure that every school is designed to

provide students with a relevant and challenging education. The youth spoke with students and faculty about creating a Student Bill

of Rights to serve as a platform to challenge educational injustices and build student power. To help develop this document they dis-

tributed and analyzed 3,000 surveys, facilitated workshops, and hosted conferences across the city. They are currently collaborating

with a national coalition of youth organizers to indentify common concerns and create strategies for education change.

-Cristen Jenkins

Sociology Major, Jorge Ortiz,

presented findings from his

McNair Research Project exam-

ining the sociological dynamics

of alienation among Mexican

American youth activists and non

-activists.

Sociology Major, Cassandra

Cantú , discussed her compara-

tive research on the levels of

sexual violence within the differ-

ent branches of the military.

Sociology and Women‘s Studies instructor, Monica Edwards, shared

some of the data from her dissertation research on the portrayal of

sexualities in the media.

Centers of Globalization presents

Globalization

in Our Own Backyard —Albany Park—

April 14-16, 2011

Northeastern Illinois University & North Park University

The Centers of Globalization conference series provides a stimu-

lating forum for diverse, multi-cultural leaders in education, busi-

ness, and the arts to share their work and experiences at the intersec-

tion of culture and global change.

Conference Theme: This Year‘s Conference theme highlights the

global and cultural changes in Albany Park, Chicago.

The Conference event is free and open to the public. We welcome

all guests.

For further information, contact Dr. Andrew Kourvetaris,

a-kourvetaris@ neiu.edu

Cristen Jenkins introduces the Panelists. Asucena Lopez Alvaro Ortega

Page 9 Sociology Matters

Internship Capstone Seminar-NEIU Sociology Graduates-SOC 342

Barbara M. Becker –

Depression and Bipolar Support

Alliance, Programs Coordinator

Intern

Ana L. Bermudez - Rogers Park

Business Alliance, Clark Street

Festival Vendor Coordinator

Erin M. Botti - Albany Park

Neighborhood Council, Youth

Mentor

Angelique D. Caramelli -

Today‘s Dentistry, Dental Assis-

tant/Front Desk Assistant

Ari Davidson - Northwestern

Mutual, Marketing Intern

Jeison Diaz -Dept. of Interna-

tional Admissions, College of

Lake County, International Stu-

dents Recruitment Coordinator

Kristy L. Donley - Arc Bridges,

Dynamic Trainee

Evelyn Gonzalez - Proyecto

Pa‘Lante--NEIU, Project Assis-

tant

Milton W. Hall -

Youth Advocate Program, Youth

Advocate Intern

Lauren C. Jarrel - Children‘s

Home and Aid Society, Foster

Care Permanency Assistant

David A. Kozin - WZRD Radio,

NEIU, Station Manager/DJ/

Promoter/Podcaster/Organizer

David Lisnek -

TechLoss Consulting & Restora-

tion, Sales Manager

Sean McNulty - Thresholds, Case

Manager Intern

Tania M. Miller - Catholic Chari-

ties, Case Worker in Emergency

Assistance Program

Christopher M. Mills - The Hu-

manitarian Service Project, Com-

munications and Community Rela-

tions Intern

Jorge Ortiz - Latino Union of

Chicago, Worker Rights Intern

James A. Ponto - Kelvyn Park

High School, LSNA, Freshman

Student Mentor

Midred I. Salguero - Edward

Rothschild, Attorney at Law, Law

Office Intern

Delia Saucedo - Mujeres Latinas

en Accion, Domestic Violence

Advocate

Nancy C. Sherman - PACTT

Learning Center, Interdepartmen-

tal Coordinator

Katherine A. Special - The Center

for Advocacy & Ethics in Healthcare,

Intern in Community Healthcare

Ethics

Diana Torres - Sociology Depart-

ment NEIU, Teaching Assistant

Wynne M. Turkington -

Organization of the NorthEast, Edu-

cation Organizer

Adrianna Villa - Pablo Casals

Elementary School, Teacher’s

Aide

Michael Weisensee -

Addison Police Department, Po-

lice Intern

Justin M. Zellinger - Bernard

Horwich Jewish Community

Center, Coordinator of Sports

and Leagues

Once again 25 of our graduating Sociology Majors successfully applied their sociological lens in a vast array of internship placements. Within

the seminar, Dr. Lorn Coleman, Director of Career Services, presented an extremely useful workshop on resume writing. While seven of our sociol-

ogy alumnae shared their wisdom and experience about how to make the most out of your internship experience, and what you can do with a sociol-

ogy degree.

Dr. Lorn Coleman, Director, NEIU Career Services.

Forrest Robinson, 2008 Pursuing M.A. in Management Sciences

Georgiann Davis, 2004 Completing PhD in Sociology, UIC

Olga Steele, Tree House

Luvia Valentin, 2007 Proyecto Pa’lante

Anastasia Aviles, 2009 Chicago Children’s Museum

Beth Sholtis,2007 Completing MA in Urban Policy Planning, UIC

Casey Baxley,2006 Gear-Up, Christopher House

SOC 342 Spring Internships

Sociology Matters Page 10

Congratulations Sociology Graduates of Spring ‘10

Shafela M. Beyekan

Cassandra L. Cantú

Angelique D. Caramelli

Kelly Chavez

Marisol Claudio

Ari. B Davidson

Kristy L. Donley

Evelyn Gonzalez

Michael L. Horton

Jennifer A. Kelly

Jason R. Kupisch

David Lisnek

Ebony A. McClain

Sean J. McNulty

Christopher M. Mills

Jorge Ortiz

James A. Ponto

Edgar Saavedra

Mildred I. Salguero

Marnie B. Schneider

Alternative Graduation-Spring 2010-Friday May 7th

Several of our Sociology

Majors and many of our faculty

participated in this spring‘s

second annual Alternative

Graduation. This festive event is

organized to honor our student

activists and was held Friday

afternoon before NEIU‘s formal

graduation event. Students once

again creatively decorated

sashes which they wore during

this event and also at the larger

NEIU graduation. In addition to

the Sociology students honored

at this event, two of our emeritus

faculty were honored with new

awards that were given in their

names: the Martha Thompson

Outstanding Women‘s Studies

Faculty Award and the BarBara

Scott Women‘s Studies Distin-

guished Student Award.

- Susan Stall

Left to Right: Mike Armato, Susan Stall, Cassan-

dra Cantú , Nancy Matthews, Christina Gomez,

Andrew Kourvetaris, and BarBara Scott.

Left to Right: Laurie Fuller, Wynne Turkington,

Dureen Wheeler

On left: Jorge Ortiz creatively decorating his

graduation sash.

Online Course (Continued From Page 3) Challenges:

1. Self Discipline - If you are the kind of

student that waits to the last minute to

get work done, than an online course

is probably not for you.

2. Lack of Face-to-Face Interaction.–

Interaction with an instructor or fellow

student is limited to online communi-

cation. If you are a student who tends

to be an auditory learner this challenge

might be unmanageable.

The best thing to do if you are inter-

ested in taking an online course is ask oth-

ers that have taken an online course about

their experience. Also, speak to the in-

structor that is scheduled to teach such a

course. Just like traditional courses, online

classes vary quite a bit from instructor to

instructor.

If you have any questions that you think I

can answer, send me an email at:

georgianndavis@gmail.com

-Georgiann Davis