Mohammad H. Tamdgidi’s and Anna D. Beckwith’s University Teaching Corner: Course Syllabi and Published Student Papers
Mohammad H. Tamdgidi’s Student Publications in Human Architecture: Journal of the Sociology of Self-Knowledge
Volume IX • Issue 2 • Spring 2011
Penning the Sociological Imagination: Writing about My Struggles with Writing
Thanh D. Pham, University of Massachusetts Boston
The Race Against Oneself: Opening Up to Overachievement Using A Sociological Imagination
Iris M. Rivas, University of Massachusetts Boston
What Drives A Teenager to Depression?: An Insider’s Sociological Look into Its Causes
Melissa Mejia, University of Massachusetts Boston
Half Empty or Half Full?: Sociological Self-Explorations of An Aspiring Realist
Ryan J. Canillas, University of Massachusetts Boston
Beyond A Lifetime of Comparison: A Sociological Self-Exploration of Body Image Obsession
Michaela Volpe, University of Massachusetts Boston
An Exploration of the X-Rated World and Its Related Consequences
Rose Bautista, University of Massachusetts Boston
“Getting Stupid to Avoid”: My and Society’s Avoidance Problem with Driving While Drunk
Jennifer Cervantes , University of Massachusetts Boston
Shattering A Looking Glass Self: Building An Applied Sociological Imagination
Melanie Maxham, University of Massachusetts Boston
Volume IX • Issue 1 • Winter 2011
Five Doors, Three Cameras, and A Dead Bolt: How Fear of Crime Is Filling Our Prisons and Consuming Personal Liberty
Alison Michelle Ireland, University of Massachusetts Boston
Congratulating Conscious Choice: Exploring Society and the Self through Marriage and Divorce
Julianne M. Siegfriedt, University of Massachusetts Boston
Growing Up A Third Culture Kid: A Sociological Self-Exploration
K. R., University of Massachusetts Boston
Myth of the Life Plan: A Search for Happiness
Linda M. Lazcano, University of Massachusetts Boston
Drawing Attention to A Public Deficit: Sociological Self-Reflections on Growing up with ADD
Ellen Maher, University of Massachusetts Boston
The Present Father: Applying Sociological Theory from A Father’s Standpoint
Edmund J. Melia, University of Massachusetts Boston
Volume VII • Issue 3 • Summer 2009
Surviving “Acceptable” Victimization
Penelope Roode, University of Massachusetts Boston
‘Keep It In the Family’: Casting Sociological Lights on the Secrets of My Life
Belle Summer, University of Massachusetts Boston
Understanding Fear Using My Sociological Imagination
E. M. Walsh, University of Massachusetts Boston
Dying to Live: Exploring the Fear of an Unlived Life Using the Sociological Imagination
Ann Marie Moler, University of Massachusetts Boston
Measures of Personal Success and Failure: A Self-Assessment, Applying the Sociological Imagination
Minxing Zheng, University of Massachusetts Boston
ΑΝΞΕΝΟΣ: An Outsider’s Sociology of Self
Andrew Messing, University of Massachusetts Boston
“Money Does Not Buy Happiness”: Using the Sociological Imagination to Move Beyond Stressful Lives
Jillian Pelletier, University of Massachusetts Boston
Volume VI • Issue 2 • Spring 2008
Beyond “Simply Understanding”: Sociologically Reimagining and Reconstructing the Meaning of My Education
Kathleen R. O’Brien, University of Massachusetts Boston
4.0: Self-Doubt, the Fear of Failure, and the Power of Symbols
Nicole Jones, University of Massachusetts Boston
The Body/Mind Split in Pursuit of Beauty: Understanding Eating Disorders Through Sociological Writing
Nicole, University of Massachusetts Boston
Choosing My Major and Career: A Sociological Inquiry
Jacquelyn Knoblock, University of Massachusetts Boston
A Futile Struggle?: Power and Conformity in High School and the Society at Large
Eric Reed, University of Massachusetts Boston
What Do I Want to Be?: A Sociological Exploration in Choosing a Career
Joel Bartlett, University of Massachusetts Boston
Volume V • Issue 2 • Spring 2007
Looking Inside Out: A Sociology of Knowledge and Ignorance of Geekness
Johnny Yu, University of Massachusetts Boston
Parallel Dualisms: Understanding America’s Apathy for the Homeless through the Sociological Imagination
Colin Allen, University of Massachusetts Boston
Lifting the Fog: Finding Freedom in Light of the Sociological Imagination
Keyon Smith, University of Massachusetts Boston
The Broken Path: Juvenile Violence and Delinquency in Light of Sociological Theories
Sylvia Khromina, University of Massachusetts Boston
Why Do I Not Like Me?: Sociological Self-Reflections on Weight Issues and the American Culture
C. G., University of Massachusetts Boston
Longing to Be Thin: Why I Wait Until Tomorrow to Change My Habits
Caitlin Boyle, University of Massachusetts Boston
The Boston Irish Male: A Self Study
Anonymous, University of Massachusetts Boston
A Family of Neglect and “Dysfunction”: Personal Blames or Structural Constraints?
L. Z., University of Massachusetts Boston
Exiting the Self-Destructive Highway: A Sociological Path Back to A Future Career
Paul Connor, University of Massachusetts Boston
Volume IV • Issues 1&2 • Fall 2005 / Spring 2006
In Digestion: Processing Self in a Cycle of Consumption
Jennifer Maniates, University of Massachusetts Boston
Accepting Myself: Negotiating Self-Esteem and Conformity in Light of Sociological Theories
Sheerin Hosseini, University of Massachusetts Boston
An Unusual Immigration Tale: Why I Am Miserable in the Land of Opportunity
T. Portal, University of Massachusetts Boston
Transracial Adoption and Sociological Theory: Understanding My Identity
Elena VanderMolen, University of Massachusetts Boston
Why Am I Watching This?
Kristen Slavin, University of Massachusetts Boston
To Be or Not to Be…Thin: Sociological Reflections on the Price I Paid to Fit In
Kristin White, University of Massachusetts Boston
My Father, My Self: Employing a Sociological Imagination to Transcend the Imaginary in Both Self and Society
Sean Conroy, University of Massachusetts Boston
Coaching Myself Beyond Self-doubt: The Significance of the Subconscious Mind in the Sociological Imagination
Christine Berry, University of Massachusetts Boston
Sociology of My Anger: A Single Mother’s Struggles to Survive in A Patriarchal World
Jennifer Pike, University of Massachusetts Boston
“Why Am I So Fat?”: A Study of the Interrelationship Between Poor Body Image and Social Anxiety
Jessica Haley, University of Massachusetts Boston
Altruism or Guilt: Applying My Sociological Imagination to Choosing a Helping Profession
Elizabeth McCauley, University of Massachusetts Boston
Not Just a Wave, But Part of the Ocean: Examining My Small Town Roots
Jennie Porter, University of Massachusetts Boston
Volume III • Issues 1&2 • Spring 2004 / Fall 2005
The “Difference” A Red Face Makes: A Critical Sociology of Bullying in Capitalist Society
Deborah D’Isabel, University of Massachusetts Boston
The Tension of Opposites: Issues of Ethnicity, Class, and Gender in My Identity Formation
Claudia Contreras, University of Massachusetts Boston
My Choice of a Lifetime: “Finding True Love” in a Sociological Imagination
Katherine Heller, University of Massachusetts Boston
Beyond Bifurcation: Femininity and Professional Success in a Changing World
Rebecca Tink, University of Massachusetts Boston
A Different Voice, A Different Autobiography: Letting My Authentic Voice Speak
Caitlin Farren, University of Massachusetts Boston
The Overdose of Shame: A Sociological and Historical Self-Exploration
Haing Kao, University of Massachusetts Boston
My Life So Far: A “Work” in Progress
Harold Muriaty, University of Massachusetts Boston
Intersections of My Lesbian, Feminist, and Activist Identities: Problems and Strategies in Everyday Impression Management
Rachel A. DeFilippis, University of Massachusetts Boston
Volume II • Issue 2 • Fall 2003/Spring 2004
The Complexity of Naive Acceptance of Socially Manipulated Beliefs
Ayan Ahmed, University of Massachusetts Boston
Alice in the Gendered Sports-Fan Wonderland: A Sociological Inquiry
Elizabeth J. Schumacher, University of Massachusetts Boston
Will I Marry Her?
Chris DaPonte, University of Massachusetts Boston
The Effect of Immigrant Experiences on the Bifurcation of Women’s Consciousness
Guadalupe Paz, University of Massachusetts Boston
Who are “I”?: A Sociology of My Traditional, Modern, and Postmodern Selves
Marie Neuner, University of Massachusetts Boston
My Life’s Tapestry: Casting Theoretical Lights on the Social Threads That Tie Me Down
D. M. Rafferty, University of Massachusetts Boston
From Alienation to Exploration: Breaking Free from the Iron Cages of My Life
Annie Roper, University of Massachusetts Boston
Body Image: A Clouded Reality
M. D., University of Massachusetts Boston
Obsessed with Impression Management: A Critical Sociology of Body Image in Capitalist Society
Michelle B. Jacobs, University of Massachusetts Boston
The Roots of Procrastination: A Sociological Inquiry into Why I Wait Until Tomorrow
Jennifer M. Kosmas, University of Massachusetts Boston
Honesty, Trust, and Love—In That Order: A Sociology of My Emotional Kaleidoscope
Lynne K. Marlette, University of Massachusetts Boston
Questioning Motherhood: A Sociological Awakening
Keilah Billings, University of Massachusetts Boston
Volume II • Issue 1 • Spring 2003
Why I Smoke: Sociology of a Deadly Habit
Emily Margulies, SUNY College at Oneonta
The Drinking Matrix: A Symbolic Self Interaction
Neo Morpheus, SUNY College at Oneonta
Theoretical Reflections on Peer Judgments
M. Goltry, SUNY College at Oneonta
It’s Worth Living in the World
James McHugh, SUNY College at Oneonta
My Image Struggles in Capitalist Society
Anna Schlosser, SUNY College at Oneonta
“It’s Not My Fault”: Overcoming Social Anxiety through Sociological Imagination
Charles, SUNY College at Oneonta
Treading Water: Self-Reflections on Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Megan Murray, SUNY College at Oneonta
Sociology of Shyness: A Self Introduction
Colin Campbell, SUNY College at Oneonta
“Let Me Introduce Myself”: My Struggles with Shyness and Conformity
Sherry Wilson, SUNY College at Oneonta
Religion in an Individualistic Society
Jillian E. Sloan, SUNY College at Oneonta
A Precarious Balance: Views of a Working Mother Walking the Tightrope
Jennifer S. Dutcher, SUNY College at Oneonta
Links in the Chain: Untangling Dysfunctional Family Ties
Ira Omid, SUNY College at Oneonta
Volume I • Issue 2 • Fall 2002
From Anti-man to Anti-patriarchy
Emily Margulies, SUNY College at Oneonta
Conspicuous Conflict
L. M. Damian, SUNY College at Oneonta
Repairing the Soul: Matching Inner with Outer Beauty
Kristy Canfield, SUNY College at Oneonta
Defying the Sweatshop, Sociologically Speaking
Steve Sacco, SUNY College at Oneonta
Struggles and Predicaments of Low-Income Families and Children
Jennifer VanFleet, SUNY College at Oneonta
Honor Thy Father and Mother
Nancy Chapin, SUNY College at Oneonta
My Translucent Father
Katie J. Dubaj, SUNY College at Oneonta
Mom and Dad’s Waltz: A Dance of Love and Sacrifice
Rena Dangerfield, Binghamton University
Volume I • Issue 1 • Spring 2002
The Capitalist Cuckoo’s Nest
R.F.A., SUNY College at Oneonta
I only Thought I Knew It All: Society and the Individual
Samara Cohen, Binghamton University
Why Is P Afraid to Love a Woman?
Peter Dai, SUNY College at Oneonta
Teacher Recruitment and Retention: Personal Conflicts, Social Dilemmas
P. E. Gracey III, SUNY College at Oneonta
“Alien Nation”
P. Heim, Binghamton University
Good Mother/Daughter Hunting: A Process of Self-Healing
L. Mlecz, SUNY College at Oneonta
For the Love of Our Many Lives
S. R., Binghamton University
Banana or Bridge? How Capitalism Impacts My Racial Identity
YuhTyng Tsuei, Binghamton University
My Asian-American Experience
William Wang, Binghamton University
Welfare Beyond Teaching: Caring for Children and Their Parents
Jan Michele Chilion, SUNY College at Oneonta
The Disabled Welfare Program: The Welfare System and the Disabled
Erin Syron, SUNY College at Oneonta
Inadequate Programs Assisting Mothers in Poverty
Jessica Udice, SUNY College at Oneonta
Children: The Unheard Society
Aaron Witkowski, SUNY College at Oneonta
Anna D. Beckwith’s Student Publications in Human Architecture: Journal of the Sociology of Self-Knowledge
Volume IX • Issue 2 • Spring 2011
A Girl Amongst Men: A Sociological Analysis of My Identity Formation and the Creation of My Personal Feminine Ideal
Ann Barnes, University of Massachusetts Boston
Volume VIII • Issue 1 • Spring 2010
The Miseducation of Ms. M
Melanie Robinson, University of Massachusetts Boston
Culturelessness and Culture Shock: An American-Asian Experience
Tara Cianfrocca, University of Massachusetts Boston
From Construction to Social Work: Finding Value in Helping Others
Albert Marks, University of Massachusetts Boston
My Work Utopia: Pursuing A Satisfactory Work Life Amid an Alienating World
Irene Hartford, University of Massachusetts Boston
The Loss of a Culture with an Accent: A Sociological Reflection on My Assimilation into the American Culture
Dora Joseph, University of Massachusetts Boston
Volume VII • Issue 3 • Summer 2009
Working to Thrive, Not Just Survive: My Work History in a Sociological Imagination
Christine Quinn, University of Massachusetts Boston
Volume VI • Issue 2 • Spring 2008
Gender and Violence: A Reflective Sociology of How Gender Ideologies and Practices Contribute to Gender Based Violence
Jacquelyn Knoblock, University of Massachusetts Boston
The Snail’s Pace of Racial Progress in America: Sociological Insights from a Participant Observer
Henry Mubiru, University of Massachusetts Boston
No Longer Adding to the Problem: Changing Society’s Raciallized Structure from Within
David Couras, University of Massachusetts Boston
Money Whitens But Doesn’t Erase: A Reflective Sociology of Racism from the Middle of the American “Melting Pot”
Dima Kurin, University of Massachusetts Boston
A Lifetime of Labor: A Sociological Imagination of Work as Life
Stacey Melchin, University of Massachusetts Boston
Finding My Work Utopia: Examining My Work Experiences and Position in Society
Laura Zuzevich, University of Massachusetts Boston
“Patching” My Life: Sociological Lessons for a Joyful Work
Michelle Tanney, University of Massachusetts Boston
Life is Change: “My Adolescent State of Mind”
Lora Aurise, University of Massachusetts Boston
Sociological Reflections on My Work Experience
Brian Ahl, University of Massachusetts Boston
Volume V • Issue 2 • Spring 2007
Love and Marriage: Through the Lens of Sociological Theories
Ana Carolina Fowler, Tufts University
The Quinceñera Rising: Self-Discoveries on the Heels of City and Rural Town
Krystle Santana, University of Massachusetts Boston
A Family of Neglect and “Dysfunction”: Personal Blames or Structural Constraints?
L. Z., University of Massachusetts Boston
Volume IV • Issues 1&2 • Fall 2005 / Spring 2006
Rules of the Game: Finding My Place in a Racialized World
James Barrett, University of Massachusetts Boston
From Laundry to Social Justice to Counseling: Redefining Work as Synonymous to Life
Caitlin Farren, University of Massachusetts Boston
To Be or Not to Be…Thin: Sociological Reflections on the Price I Paid to Fit In
Kristin White, University of Massachusetts Boston
Growing Up African-American, Christian, and Female: The Dichotomies of My Life
Kemba Gray, University of Massachusetts Boston
Making a Home, Building a Family: Traditions, Boundaries, and Virtues
Verena-Cathérine Niederhöfer, University of Massachusetts Boston
Volume III • Issues 1&2 • Spring 2004 / Fall 2005
Socialization of Transnationally Adopted Korean Americans: A Self Analysis
Lee Kang Woon, University of Massachusetts Boston
“Housing Project” In Comparative Perspective: Opportunity or Stigma?
N.I.B., University of Massachusetts Boston
Religion, Gender, and Patriarchy: Awakening to My Self-Conscious Resocialization
Sharon Brown, University of Massachusetts Boston
Beyond the “Goods Life”: Mass Consumerism, Conflict, and the Latchkey-Kid
Jennifer Lambert, University of Massachusetts Boston
Hooped Dreams: Internal Growth, External Stagnation, and One Man’s Search for Work
Anonymous, University of Massachusetts Boston
Volume II • Issue 2 • Fall 2003/Spring 2004
“Asian”: Just A Simple Word
Kuong C. Ly, University of Massachusetts Boston
To purchase softcover or hardcover copies of the journal issues in which the above student papers appeared visit here; copies may also be purchased at Amazon, Barnes&Nobles, or other online bookstores.
And the ultimate course homework and objective for today is—asking, of course, what Khayyam really meant by “Wine”:
If you bring together a loaf of bread of wheat,
And lots of pure Wine beside a leg of lamb’s meat,
With a tulip-faced sitting in garden’s corner,
It would be every king’s envy—Oh, what a treat!
— Omar Khayyam , circa 11th century A.D. (© Tamdgidi Translation)