WVU Department of Sociology and Anthropology

"Daniel Brewster’s favorite classroom in the world is an empty pool in Esteli, Nicaragua. He studies a photo from that day and tries not to tear up. In the image, it’s a warm night. The students are in shorts and short sleeves. There’s a backdrop of lush, tropical greenery. The pool is dry save for a few puddles, and the light from the buildings around them is dim. Everyone looks bone tired. Not just from whatever labor or traveling they’d done, but from the experience itself. The experience of fully breaking out of the comfortable enclave of campus and into a very different reality. Still, every student is intently listening. Perhaps more so than in any other class they’d ever attended."

Read more about Professor Daniel Brewster and his work with the WVU Medical and Dental Brigades!

WVU Magazine | Good Medicine Student teams travel underserved areas in the western hemisphere to bring healthcare, sanitation and nutrition, all the while learning about the world and themselves.

Please join us Saturday, June 29th as we celebrate the life of Dr. Ron Althouse. This memorial service will be held at the Erickson Alumni Center at 1:00 p.m. A reception will follow at 2:00 p.m.

Lee Thorpe Jr., a Sociology Ph.D. candidate, will be defending his dissertation "Sexual Identity and Homophily: The Powerful Role of Sexual Identity on Romantic Partner Selection" on Tuesday, July 9th, 2024 at 9:00 AM via Zoom.

Dissertation Defense: Lee Thorpe Jr. Lee Thorpe Jr., a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, will defend his dissertation "Sexual Identity and Homophily: The Powerful Role of Sexual Identity on Romantic Partner Selection" on Tuesday, July 9th, 2024 at 9:00 AM via Zoom. Dissertation advisor: Katie Corcoran.

📢 Have you heard the news? 🎉

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology will be moving to the newly renovated Field Hall on August 5th! 🏫✨ Field Hall is located behind Chitwood Hall and across the street from Ming Hsieh and Oglebay Halls.

We can't wait to see you all in the Fall 2024 semester! 🍂

A memorial service for Dr. Ron Althouse is being planned for 1:00 p.m., Saturday, June 29, 2024, at the Erickson Alumni Center with a reception to follow from 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Dr. Chris Scheitle explains research and social dilemmas for religious scientists among peers.

How religious scientists balance work and faith Researchers find ways to interweave faith and science, from discussing Ramadan fasts with colleagues to applying religious parables to lab work.

This spring semester, Dr. Daniel Renfrew's senior Anthropology capstone students engaged in collaborative and publicly engaged ethnographic research on the aftermath of last year's East Palestine, Ohio train derailment and toxic disaster. Three group projects examined the following themes: "Unseen Risk and Structural Vulnerability in Fenceline Communities"; "Toxic Uncertainty, Contested Illness, and Community Mobilization"; and "Regulatory Capture, Knowledge Gaps, and Citizen Science." We have published their research findings, plus photos, videos, and other supplementary material, on our West Virginia Environment and Society Lab webpage. Please check out these exciting new projects!

WVESL Our Lab

Congratulations, Bryan!

Bryan Hill will graduate with degrees in Anthropology and History. In the summer of 2022, Bryan completed an archaeological field school in Peru, and during the summer of 2023 he completed an immersive Spanish language and culture program in Spain. Bryan is a first generation college student interested in pursuing a career in archaeology. He will attend the University of West Florida for a fully funded MA program in archaeology.

It is with deep sadness that the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Department of Sociology and Anthropology mourns the passing of Dr. Ronald C. Althouse, Professor Emeritus and former chair.

Dr. Althouse joined the department as an Assistant Professor in 1966 and became a full professor in 1989. He served as Department Chair from 1989 to 2001 and Director of the WVU Survey Research Center from 1990 to 2007. Dr. Althouse retired officially in 2012 but continued his research for many more years.

Dr. Althouse’s research and publications have focused on worker’s risk and health, statewide health care delivery, rural health systems and sociology of sport. His NIOSH published study of occupational stress among underground coal miners remains a key research monograph on psycho-social aspects of miners work relations and conditions in the United States. His publications include “Work, Safety and Life Styles Among Southern Appalachian Coal Miners: The Men of Standard Mines,” Office of Research and Development, West Virginia University; “Referrals: A Guidebook for Community Health Clinics (with E. Bosanac),” Office of Health Services Research, Community Medicine, West Virginia University; “A Performance Based Approach to improve Skills, Safety and Training in the Mining Industry (with M. L. Klishis, R. L. Grayson and G. M. Lies),” U. S. Department of Interior; “Racism in College Athletics: The African-American Athlete’s Experience (with D. Brooks),” Fitness Information Technology Press, and many more.

Dr. Althouse taught numerous courses over the years including Complex Organizations, Work and Work Places, and Survey Research Methods. He is perhaps best known for teaching his favorite course, Sociological Theory. As a required course, this no doubt brings back memories for many of our alumni.

Memorial services are being planned for a later date.

Anthropology student Bethanny Prascik was named one of West Virginia University's 2024 Outstanding Seniors. The Outstanding Senior award recognizes students for their contributions and achievements in scholarship, leadership and service.

Congratulations, Bethanny!

WVU Today | Top WVU seniors named, eight honored with 2024 Order of Augusta Eight members of the West Virginia University Class of 2024 who have made remarkable achievements across academic disciplines while using the power of purpose to serve others and foster innovation for a sustainable future are among the talented student leaders honored with the Order of Augusta, the....

Over spring break, Daniel Brewster and Genesis Snyder, two of our Teaching Instructors, led a group of 59 students on a brigade across rural Honduras. Brewster has advised the WVU Global Medical and Dental Brigades for fourteen years and Snyder was brigading with the group for a third time.

The group collaborated with Honduran medical and dental professionals in three different communities, serving approximately 900 patients in clinic. The group spent four days helping to facilitate medical and dental clinics in Escobas Amarillas, Araulí, and Jutiapa, Honduras. In the clinics the students and faculty work with local professionals to manage triage, consultation, optometry, pharmacy, OGBYN, and educational charlas for the patients.

They also spent three days working on public health projects in El Naranjal, Honduras. These projects allowed the faculty and students to work with ten families to build new sanitation stations adjacent to the family homes. The stations include bathroom, shower, and laundry space. While working in small groups in the family, the faculty and students really lean on each other to achieve their goals and objectives.

The group visited a fifth local community, Catarranas, for a more cultural experience. The small town is home to more than fifty vibrant murals depicting themes of light, peace, and the roots of Honduras. The students and faculty were able to enjoy the local art, grab some local food, and spend some time shopping in local shops.

The students are members of the Global Medical or Global Dental Brigades’ organizations on campus. They complete a Sociology of Health and Medicine course offered by Professor Brewster that has a particular focus connecting rural Honduras and Appalachia. They meet weekly in preparation for their brigade where the students are also taught skills necessary to do the work in the country but also are introduced to a sociological examination of the issues they may encounter. While in the country, they have nightly reflections together with all faculty and students as they consider their experiences using both a sociological and anthropological lens.

The group has for the last decade brigaded in Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Ghana, respectively. Next year they are considering a brigade to Guatemala during the Spring semester and to Ghana in early summer.

Two of Dr. Amy Hirshman's students recently presented posters at the WVU Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium on April 20th.

Freshman Madison Hapak, who is double majoring in Anthropology and Advertising and Public Relations, worked with Dr. Hirshman on their project “Comparative Analysis of Ceramic Artifacts From Protohistoric-Period Tzintzuntzan, Mexico”. Madison and Dr. Hirshman color-compared two categories of ceramics from the site of Tzintzuntzan, Michoacan, Mexico.

Senior and Geology major Genevieve Kemper has worked with Dr. Hirshman for two semesters. Their poster was entitled "Comparing Two Methodologies for identifying Ceramic Paste Textures: A Pilot Study."

Students in Dr. Jim Nolan's Criminology course, Police Culture and Socialization, read and discussed two influential books in the field of policing, "Tangled Up in Blue" by Rosa Brooks and "An Inconvenient Cop" by Edwin Raymond. Both of these award-winning books provides a peak inside two major city police departments, Metropolitan Police in Washington, DC and New York City. Students shared their insights from these books and their analysis of urban police data from the FBI in low-cost high-quality presentations like the ones pictured.

Students in Dr. Jim Nolan's Capstone, Reimagining American Policing, participated in neighborhood surveys in Baltimore as part of a NSF-funded research initiative in partnership with Morgan State University. They also read "Murdertown USA: Homicide, Structural Violence and Activism in Wilmington" and other key readings relating to American policing. In addition, they learned to access and analyze city-level police data revealing the limits of the "law enforcement" approach to American policing. Students then wrote analytical papers and presented their findings. Students pictured here discuss their proposals for police reform from all they read and experienced in the survey research and interviews.

Criminology senior Megan Fowler presented her research titled "Public Perceptions of the Changeability of Religion and the Consequences of those Perceptions" with Professor Chris Scheitle this past weekend at the WVU Undergraduate Research Symposium

Sydnee Tate, a Sophomore dual-majoring in Criminology and Political Science, has received the Herman and Kathryn Moses Scholarship for her employment in a job designed to provide meaningful experiences and opportunities for growth in the Division of Student Life.

Congratulations, Sydnee!

E-News | WVU students awarded Herman and Kathryn Moses Scholarship Eight students who are employed in jobs designed to provide meaningful experiences and opportunities for growth in the Division of Student Life are the recipients of the Herman and Kathryn Moses Scholarship Award.

Dr. Jim Nolan's latest article delves into American policing and law enforcement, exploring ways to prioritize positive community outcomes over contemporary police reform.

James J. Nolan: The police shouldn’t be in law enforcement What happens to a society when the most sacred beliefs underlying its institutions become unbelievable? This was the question philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche...

🎉 We were thrilled to see all the bright faces at Decide WVU! 🎓 Admitted students, it was fantastic meeting you and your families. Special shoutout to Dr. Jen Steele and Dr. Corey Colyer for their invaluable insights into the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Here's to the exciting journey ahead! 🌟 📚

The WVU Department of Sociology and Anthropology is thrilled to be celebrating Graduate Student Appreciate Week! Our graduate students make incredible contributions to West Virginia University and are an integral part of our academic community. We are immensely grateful for their hard work, passion, and innovation! 💛💙

See WVU's schedule of fun events, activities, and giveaways throughout GSAW week ➡️ https://graduateeducation.wvu.edu/news-and-events/graduate-student-appreciation-week?fbclid=IwAR3__p3XySJG2PDm7JNjTvGI8ExEP1bbRHBr6gr72gTw-5Dh-ssQbvD_JII_aem_AcBp3mntYdJX0qwBP8O-Zj9f6MoQjQ-fgCodGNnYwIlS3buFoE92tUBsMK4Cg1skB5mV2zzkLjv0ILHuCtNpf6V4

Dr. Jim Nolan's article delves into the recent ACLU of Delaware lawsuit against the city of Wilmington to address patterns and practices of unconstitutional policing by the Wilmington Police Department (WPD), highlighting the root causes of aggressive policing practices and racial bias within law enforcement.

Wilmington officials ignore the structural roots of police violence and discrimination We know about the social, economic, and environmental roots of crime and violence. However, the law enforcement mandate ignores all of this. Instead, it sets in motion a game with a scorecard that focuses on arrests, citations, stops, searches and seizures as measures of success.

Dr. Walter DeKeseredy, Dr. Jim Nolan, and Dr. Brittany Hayes have just published their article "People with Disabilities and Violent Victimization in the Heartland: Results from the First Phase of the West Virginia Community Quality of Life Survey" in The International Journal of Rural Criminology.

Relying on original exploratory data generated by the first phase of the West Virginia Community Quality of Life Survey (WVCQLS), population estimates of four types of violent victimization are presented: stalking, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and hate and bias assaults. The results show that a large number of rural West Virginia residents with disabilities experience these forms of victimization.

People With Disabilities and Violent Victimization in the Heartland: Results from the First Phase of the West Virginia Community Quality of Life Survey | International Journal of Rural Criminology People With Disabilities and Violent Victimization in the Heartland: Results from the First Phase of the West Virginia Community Quality of Life Survey Authors Brittany E. Hayes School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0114-7122 Walter S. DeKeseredy West Virgi...

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology awards the Ron Althouse Scholarship to a rising senior (a student completing their junior year and who will have senior standing in Fall 2024).

The scholarship is open to students in any of our department’s three majors – Anthropology, Criminology, and Sociology – with a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or greater. This year's winner will be awarded $1700 for the 2024-25 Academic Year. The funds will be available in Fall 2024. If you still meet the eligibility criteria and wish to be considered for this scholarship, please submit the following information using the link below.

The application form will ask you to:

1. Provide your name, major(s), minor(s), and current cumulative GPA

2. Upload a copy of your current resume

3. Submit a short statement (limited to 5,000 characters including spaces, approximately 700 words) relating your studies in your major (Anthropology, Criminology, or Sociology) to your future goals.

Submissions must be received by the end of the day on Wednesday, March 27th, to be considered. Please contact Dr. Colyer with questions ([email protected]).

Please use the link to apply.

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Dr. Rachael Woldoff's new book, Digital Nomads: In Search of Freedom, Community, and Meaningful Work in the New Economy, offers a detailed, dynamic, and vivid ethnographic portrait of digital nomads, a new and growing group of mostly younger professionals seeking satisfaction in work and life

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Nomads-Search-Meaningful-Economy/dp/0190931787

If you missed the Canadian Sociological Association (CSA) Violence and Society Research Cluster's webinar on Dr. Walter DeKeseredy's book, Skating on Thin Ice: Professional Hockey, R**e Culture, & Violence Against Women, be sure to check out the recording on YouTube!

Skating on Thin Ice: Professional Hockey, R**e Culture, & Violence Against Women Webinar The Canadian Sociological Association (CSA) Violence and Society Research Cluster hosted this webinar on March 20, 2024.Dr. Walter S. DeKeseredy presented on...

We at the WVU Department of Sociology and Anthropology would like to thank everyone who donated to and participated in the WVU Day of Giving. Your support is incredibly valuable to us and will play a vital role in strengthening our department and providing more opportunities and experiences for our students. With your generosity, we can enhance our academic programs, support student research endeavors, and facilitate meaningful community engagements. Thank you for your unwavering support and dedication to advancing education and research in Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology here at West Virginia University 💛💙

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