February 2022 Major of the Month

Hometown: Clarkston, Michigan

Major/Minor: Double-major in Sociology and History

What inspired you to major in Sociology?

I am inspired to study sociology because I am interested in learning about the ways trauma, abuse, and exploitation are institutionalized throughout our world. I am interested in sociological analyses of power, politics, economics, and colonialism/imperialism. As a Queer, low-income, formerly houseless person, studying sociology is liberating as I am learning about the social, economic, and political structures which dominate all of our lives. Sociology deconstructs hegemonic understandings of the world and provides a roadmap for oppressed people to achieve empowerment and collective liberation.

What classes have you most enjoyed?

Soc 495: Critical Sociology with Professor George Steinmetz
Soc 250: Politics, Power, and Society with Professor Luciana de Souza Leão
Soc 220: Political Economy with Professor Jane Lynch

How has Sociology helped you to understand the pandemics the U.S. is currently facing: COVID-19 and/or systemic racism?

Comparative sociology allows us to analyze the many ways in which the US government failed to adequately respond to COVID-19 relative to other countries. The US's system of employer-based health insurance proved disastrous as millions of Americans lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic. The lack of robust social services and the government's unwillingness to enact widespread public safety measures to curb the pandemic's spread greatly prolonged the pandemic and led to staggering unnecessary death tolls. By sociologically analyzing our political, social, and economic structures we can better understand why the pandemic devastated the US more than any other country. In an economy reliant on the rhythmic extraction of wealth from the working class, public safety measures such as lockdowns which disrupt production and profit-generation contradict the interests of corporations and the wealthy. This contradiction translates to government policy, as the interests of business-owners and landlords are prioritized over the lives and well-being of working people. The removal of eviction moratoriums, child tax credits, and the loosening of mask mandates and other public safety measures send a clear message to America's working class: it's time to go back to work. Despite the recent upsurge in Omicron variant cases proving the pandemic is far from over, a call in our government to "return to the status quo" has prevailed, with the interests of corporations overtaking the needs of society's most vulnerable.

This lack of care for society's most vulnerable is built into America's system of policing and incarceration. The influences of settler-colonialism, white supremacy, heterosexism, and classism are deeply rooted within the carceral system. Born out of slave patrols, the American system of policing is structurally geared towards the occupation and subjugation of Black and Indigenous communities. Decades of segregation, redlining, and disinvestment from Black communities has created immense gaps in housing, healthcare, and educational outcomes for Black Americans. Using sociology, we can better understand how racism is not just an individual phenomena, but embedded deep within America's economic, social, and political systems. Combating white supremacy isn't just about changing individual attitudes, but dismantling systems of institutionalized racist violence and trauma and building institutions of care and radical love in their place.

Have you participated in undergraduate research, fieldwork, or an internship experience?

When I was a first-year I was a part of the Michigan Research and Discovery Scholars (MRADS) program, where I performed research in the UM School of Social Work and developed family-support resources for low-income fathers.

In the summer of 2020, I interned for the Michigan AFL-CIO. As their Lead Organizing Associate, I led a team of 23 interns and contacted local officials throughout the state and convinced them to partner with the Michigan AFL-CIO to improve labor laws in their municipalities

In my third-year, I was a Community Leadership Fellow with the Ginsberg Center. In this role, I worked with HOPE Village Revitalization to advance of sustainability programs within Hope Village, researching ways to acquire solar panels and improve existing infrastructure with the goal of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2030. I also researched and developed a project to rezone areas within the neighborhood for affordable housing developments and aggregated census data to locate areas in need of public investment.

As a Congress Watch intern for Public Citizen, a D.C.-based progressive advocacy group, I helped persuade voters to support progressive taxation policies and the For The People Act (S.1.) by writing articles and creating social media graphics to combat right-wing disinformation and shift public discourse leftward. I also performed extensive research, closely monitored news coverage of S.1. to shape our campaign messaging, and took part in strategy calls with the staff of Senator Bernie Sanders to discuss the best policies for tax justice.

What do you hope to do after graduating from the University of Michigan?

After graduation, I hope to use what I've learned from studying sociology and history to work as a union organizer in the labor movement. In a world plagued by rampant exploitation and systems of oppression, unions represent one of the best vehicles for helping workers fight back against the power of the owning class. Unions are key not only to addressing material inequality, but also to rebuilding a sense of social solidarity and radical love that has been undermined by a culture dominated by neoliberal capitalism. For working-class people such as myself, unions represent a powerful tool for empowerment and emancipation from exploitative conditions. They give oppressed people an avenue to exercise political power and create a better future for all.

Do you have advice for prospective Soc majors in this moment?

I highly recommend sociology as a choice of major! Studying sociology was one of the best decisions of my life and helped me understand how and why our society is structured in the way that it is. Sociology will help you challenge false hegemonic narratives and think critically about the systems of power which govern our society. Sociology not only helps us understand how our society is currently constructed, but equips us with the tools to radically transform the world into a more equitable and just place.