UW-Superior Social Inquiry Department's News and Events

Call for papers for Social Inquiry Conference

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 17:43:08 +0000

Social Inquiry is sponsoring a conference Tuesday, March 12, 2013. Students at all levels of study are invited to submit papers on any topic of relevance to social inquiry. All majors or minors are welcome to submit papers.

Position papers, essays, research projects, and other works--both finished and in-progress--are eligible. Submission deadline is Friday, February 22, 2013.

Submission instructions and cover sheets are available by link, from any Social Inquiry faculty member, and from Janet Blair in Swenson 3061.

If you have further questions about the conference or submission of papers, please contact Sarah LaChance Adams or Deborah Augsburger.

Dr. Sarah LaChance Adams is co-editor of new anthology

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 20:28:30 +0000

Dr. Sarah LaChance Adams, assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, is co-editor of the anthology "Coming to Life: Philosophies of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood," released November 2012.

Publisher Fordham University Press cites the book as "a superlative collection of essays that does what too few scholarly works have dared: it takes seriously the philosophical significance of women's lived experience."

LaChance Adams and co-editor Caroline Lindquist assembled the work of 16 authors, ranging from established feminists to innovative new scholars, to reflect on the experience of pregnancy, childbirth and mothering, and on the beliefs, customs and political institutions by which those experiences are informed.

Coming to Life: Philosophies of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood

Election night coverage at UW-Superior

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 17:06:35 +0000

On election night, more than 25 students and faculty members gathered in the Public Affairs Lab (Swenson Hall 3069) to watch the 2012 election results.

Dr. Alisa Von Hagel and students in two of her classes -- First Year Seminar, The FreakShow: American Campaigns and Elections, and Political Science 361, Campaigns and Elections -- have been actively involved in educating fellow students about the political process over the past eight weeks.

They taught fellow students about the issues in the upcoming elections and the value of civic engagement. By setting up tables in the Yellowjacket Union and Swenson Hall they provided students with information about how to register to vote, how to locate their polling stations, and directions to websites where they could learn more about issues and the political positions of various candidates.

This event was sponsored by the Political Science Association and it was part of the election year initiatives from the political science program.

Constitution Day events

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:42:32 +0000

Amnesty International will be hosting a table in YU from noon to 1 p.m. with examples of just how important our Constitution is in protecting us from arbitrary abuse of power by governments. This website is about their tabling subject:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-08-20/Police-Riot/57169382/1

Political Science Student Association and the Political Science students will be staffing a table in YU from noon to 2 p.m. handing out pocket Constitutions and information about the upcoming election.

Pre-Law Society will be staffing a table in YU from noon to 2 p.m. promoting seminars they will be sponsoring.Stop over to our Jim Dan Hill Library and check out the Educational Display on the Constitution! Check out some facts about our Constitution! http://www.constitutionday.com

View the PDF Flyer of this event.

LaChance Adams edits anthology

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 18:56:01 +0000

Coming to Life: Philosophies of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Mothering, a new title in Fordham University Press' Perspectives in Continental Philosophy series, is available for pre-order. The book is edited by Dr Sarah LaChance Adams, an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, and Caroline R. Lundquist, a Ph.D. candidate in Philosophy at the University of Oregon. The book is scheduled for publication September 1, 2012.

Amazon.com says of the book, "Coming to Life does what too few scholarly works have dared to attempt: It takes seriously the philosophical significance of women's lived experience. Every woman, regardless of her own reproductive story, is touched by the beliefs and norms governing discourses about pregnancy, childbirth, and mothering."

LaChance Adams received her PhD from the University of Oregon. She teaches philosophy and women's studies courses at UW-Superior.

The 432-page paperback volume is listed at $29.36. Pre-ordering is available at Amazon.com, http://www.amazon.com/Coming-Life-Philosophies-Perspectives-Continental/dp/082324461X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339177346&sr=8-1

Dr. Sarah LaChance Adams receives Mount Holyoke Alumnae Association Fellowship

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 18:40:46 +0000

Dr. Sarah LaChance Adams has been awarded the Mary E. Woolley Alumnae Fellowship, an annual keystone award given by the Alumnae Association of Mount Holyoke College, to assist in completing her book on maternal ambivalence and filicide "The Ethics of Ambivalence: Mad Mothers, Bad Mothers and What a Good Mother Would do."

LaChance Adams is an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. She teaches courses in philosophy and women's studies.

LaChance Adams graduated magna cum laude with high honors from Mount Holyoke in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in Critical Social Thought. Her thesis was titled, "The Convention on the Rights of the Child: Turning Subjects into Citizens."

In her fellowship-supported project, she poses the question, "What makes the difference between mothers who kill and those who do not?"

LaChance Adams' goal was to "bring a deeper and more productive understanding of the problems of maternal ambivalence and filicide." She writes in her application "...The appropriate response to the problem of maternal filicide is not simply to blame the mother. Part of my goal is to help theorists and practitioners realize that an ethical model that favors individual moral responsibility is counterproductive. The problem of maternal filicide is a social problem that requires a collective solution."

LaChance Adams holds a masters degree in psychology from Seattle University. She earned a second masters degree and a doctorate degree, both in philosophy, from the University of Oregon.

Research grants and fellowships earned while at the University of Oregon include the John L. and Naomi M. Luvaas Fellowship, the Oregon Humanities Center Graduate Fellowship, the Betty Foster McCue Fellowship, the Center for the Study of Women in Society Graduate Student Research Grant, and the Charles A. Reed Fellowship. LaChance Adams received The Dan Kimble First Year Teaching Award in 2005 and the Paideia Prize for Excellence in Teaching in 2007.

In addition, "Coming to Life: Philosophies of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Mothering," an anthology LaChance Adams co-edited with Caroline Lundquist and published by Fordham University Press, is available for pre-order.

The Mike Jaros Fund for Peace established

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:36:27 +0000

The University of Wisconsin-Superior is proud to announce creation of the Mike Jaros Fund for Peace.

Mike superbly represented Minnesota House of Representatives District 7B for more than 35 years. The purpose of this fund is to recognize and honor Jaros’ contribution to the Northland community.

Mike Jaros’ family came to the United States from the former Yugoslavia (northwestern section of today’s Bosnia). Over the years, Mike has been very concerned about the situation in Bosnia.

In the summer of 2005, he returned to Bosnia to teach English to University students in Sarajevo. Also, for the past three years, Mike has been teaching Serbo-Croatian language in community.

Mike has been a great friend of the UW-Superior War and Peace in Bosnia Study Abroad program. Last year he offered language instruction to students who went abroad. We worked with Mike to set up the Mike Jaros Fund for Peace to financially help the students who participate in this program.

In order to make your tax-deductable contribution, please complete the online gift form on our secure server and click the Confirm button at the bottom to submit your information.

If you prefer to make a credit card gift by telephone, call toll free 888-893-8593 between 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Central Time. The UW-Superior Foundation accepts Mastercard, Visa, Discover and American Express. Please make sure you specify that you intend to contribute to the Mike Jaros Fund for Peace.

If you have any questions and or concerns, please contact Haji Dokhanchi at kdokhanc@uwsuper.edu or (715) 394 8484.

Social studies student to attend leadership program for women

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:39:35 +0000

Christina Cassano hopes to take her interest in political science to a new level in June when she takes part in a program aimed at encouraging Wisconsin women to take broader roles in policymaking and leadership.

Cassano, a Broad Field Social Studies major at UW-Superior, is among 25 college students in Wisconsin to be accepted to the 7th annual National Education for Women's Leadership Wisconsin program at Mount Mary College in Milwaukee. The program's goal isto educate, empower and encourage young women to take on public policy leadership roles and help develop the next generation of leaders.

"I have always been interested in political science in that I am interested in what is happening around me," said Cassano, who is from Superior. "However, until recently I have never been really active regarding any of my beliefs. I am hoping that the NEW Leadership Wisconsin program is not only going to help me learn how to become more active in a productive way, but also help me form deeper connections."

"As a future Social Studies teacher I think it is imperative that I have a better understanding of how our system works and to show by example that people, women especially, can make a difference," she added.

NEW Leadership Wisconsin is part of a national network of programs created by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. The purpose of the program is to create an understanding of the role public policy plays in peoples' lives and careers, and to take the mystery out of running for office or other leadership positions.

Participants are given an opportunity to meet outstanding leaders in public policy and politics and learn public leadership skills through an innovative curriculum. The program also presents information about current issues and supports women as they practice issue analysis, leadership skills, public speaking and advocacy skills that can be applied in a variety of settings and for multiple purposes.

Cassano was nominated for the program by Dr. Alisa Von Hagel, assistant professor of political science at UW-Superior

"I felt Christina would very much benefit from the program," Von Hagel said. "She's a very engaged student in and out of the classroom, so I think she'll have lot to not only share but also to learn from other people in the program."

Von Hagel said she hopes to recommend more students for the program in the future.

Dr. Joel Sipress earns national recognition for article urging new approach to teaching history

Thu, 10 May 2012 19:16:05 +0000

For more than a decade, Dr. Joel Sipress has encouraged students in his introductory history courses to avoid memorizing long lists of facts and to instead question, examine and argue about history -- in other words, to look at history the way historians look at it.

Now, the professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Superior is sharing national honors for a recent journal article that examines the way history is taught and argues for a better approach.

Sipress and co-author Dr. David Voelker of UW-Green Bay recently were named winners of the 2012 Maryellen Weimer Scholarly Work on Teaching and Learning Award for their article, "The End of the History Survey Course: The Rise and Fall of the Coverage Model" that appeared in the March 2011 issue of the Journal of American History.

The Journal of American History is the leading journal of American historians. The award is sponsored by Magna Publications, publishers of a journal titled The Teaching Professor.

Reviewing the 'coverage model'

In their article, Sipress and Voelker examined "the coverage model" of teaching basic U.S. history.

Under the coverage model, generations of history professors have worked under the assumption that "you can't think about history until you first know the facts," Sipress said. So professors have laid facts, concepts and themes before their students through lectures and readings, and it's been the students' responsibility to master this information and reproduce it on tests and other course assignments.

Meanwhile, critical thinking about history has been reserved for students in advanced courses and for professional historians.

A century of dissatisfaction

The coverage model came into use about 100 years ago, and many educators and historians have been dissatisfied with the approach ever since. Sipress and Voelker argue that it's time to put the coverage model to rest.

"We want to have students do at the introductory level what historians do, which is argue about the past," Sipress said. "Pose important questions, consider different answers to those questions, and weigh the validity of those answers on the basis of historical evidence."

Sipress said he's used the newer approach for more than a decade in the introductory history courses that he has taught.

Other approach helps students

Using the approach that he and Voelker are suggesting not only helps students to "develop critical thinking and writing skills but also to have a better knowledge of what happened in the past because they've been asked to think about the past and to apply their knowledge," Sipress said.

Sipress joined the UW-Superior faculty in 1994. He and Voelker developed their ideas by participating in activities through the University of Wisconsin System's Office of Professional and Instructional Development, which encourages university faculty to reflect on teaching and learning. The pair came to similar conclusions about teaching history and began collaborating on work that led to their recent article.

Others share their conclusions

Sipress said he and Voelker are among a growing number of history professors around the country who are coming to similar conclusions.

"The main message of our work is that an undergraduate education should really ask students to think in the way people in these academic fields think," he said. "And learning to think in these ways is really the most important value of an undergraduate degree."

Sociology major to represent UW-Superior at statewide research showcase

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:44:12 +0000

University of Wisconsin-Superior students involved in computer science, psychology, writing, art, and transportation and logistics management will showcase their undergraduate research projects March 7 at the State Capitol in Madison.

"Posters in the Rotunda: A Celebration of Undergraduate Research," brings students and faculty from University of Wisconsin System campuses to the Capitol Rotunda to share their undergraduate research projects with elected officials, government representatives, and the public.

Among those representing UW-Superior is Angela Castellini of Duluth, who's majoring in psychology and sociology. She will present, "The Role of Perfectionism and Romanticized Beliefs in Romantic Relationship Satisfaction and Adjustment."

"My research examined how personality traits and social influence can shape our perception of, and behaviors in, romantic relationships," she said. "More specifically, I assessed how higher levels of perfectionism and romanticized beliefs influenced romantic relationship satisfaction and adjustment in individuals who were in a dating relationship."

Her faculty advisor is Dr. Shevaun Stocker, assistant professor of psychology.

No Human Being is Illegal

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:45:12 +0000

Free and open to the public

March 15, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Yellowjacket Union Great Room C

Immigration enforcement and expulsion strategies have currently been the most hotly contested aspects of the immigration debate. Think here, for example, of Arizona's notorious immigration bill SB 1070, President Obama's deportation of over 1 million undocumented immigrants, and the continued push to further militarize the U.S. border.

In this paper, I argue that when philosophers have weighed in on the immigration debate they have overlooked the importance of these strategies. This oversight is significant because, as I will further argue, a serious commitment to human rights precludes the deployment of many of these strategies.

The upshot of my overall argument is that immigrants, even those who are currently undocumented, have non-negotiable rights that even a legitimate and self-determined state is not free to infringe upon.

New political science and philosophy faculty seek to engage students

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:04:08 +0000

By Elizabeth Reichert
University Relations student writer

Some people find talking politics or waxing philosophical an interesting pastime, but for three new faculty members in the Social Inquiry Department at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, it's an occupation and joy. Dr. Sarah LaChance Adams, Dr. Daniela Mansbach, and Dr. Alisa Von Hagel are bringing with them courses, goals, and hopes to continue strengthening the department's academic programs and the student body.

Dr. Sarah LaChance Adams

Dr. Sarah LaChance Adams is an associate professor of philosophy. She holds a doctorate degree from the University of Oregon and previously taught there. She teaches classes in philosophy and women's studies, including Contemporary Moral Problems; Enlightenment, Freedom; and Introduction to Women's/Gender Studies.

"I'm very excited to be coming here," LaChance Adams said. "I like in smaller institutions there's a chance to really get to know students."

Seeing opportunities for expansion and increased involvement, LaChance Adams' hopes for her department to offer additional philosophy courses and to broaden its group of philosophy students.

"To offer philosophy classes that are relevant to people's majors in other areas, to really relate to people's actual lives - philosophy has the potential to reach people in that way," LaChance Adams said.

She has already seen her hope of expanded course offerings begin to come true through some of the classes that she has brought to UW-Superior, including "Teaching of Social Justice" and "Philosophy of Children." However, she would like to see more.

She also wants students to view the department as a "place where they feel intellectually challenged, respected for their own thoughts, and stimulated to see the world in a new light," she said. "I would like to develop a robust group of philosophically engaged students, whatever form that takes."

Dr. Daniela Mansbach

Dr. Daniela Mansbach is an assistant professor of political science who teaches courses in political science and women's studies, including Feminist Theory and Action and Theories of Human Rights. She holds a doctorate degree in political science from The New School for Social Research and taught in New York before coming to UW-Superior.

Mansbach wants her students to be successful in their coursework and personal development. This desire matches well with UW-Superior, which attracted her to the university.

"I liked how the teacher-oriented situation focuses a lot on students' openness to critical thinking," she said. "I like seeing the students feel more comfortable with material and not only understanding material but having the ability to say something and write [about it]."

Mansbach's passion for her interests within her field of study carries into her teaching.

"I want to develop political theory concretely, to make people less afraid of the word 'theory,' and to have students understand theory as a basic practice," she said.

Because Mansbach cares about her students' personal development, she especially wants to develop their political selves.

"Students think they don't know enough, so they feel they can't have opinion," she said. "I want them to not just get knowledge but feel they can have an opinion without all the books and to understand political commitment."

Dr. Alisa Von Hagel

Dr. Alisa Von Hagel is an associate professor of political science and teaches both political science and women's studies courses. These include Women and Politics, Contemporary Issues: American Politics, and Congress and the Presidency. She holds a doctorate degree from Northern Illinois University and previously taught at the university level.

Von Hagel found appeal in UW-Superior's stress on diversity.

"I think the position was perfectly suited to my interests. They emphasized inclusivity and diversity which really attracted me," Von Hagel said. "It definitely lived up to those expectations of a diverse classroom."

She has enjoyed her students' involvement in the class and in the coursework. "They're very engaged, bringing in local and current events. It's great that students are so informed," she said. "The fact that they're willing to bring that into the classroom is wonderful."

Von Hagel wants to see student involvement increase. "I think it's important, even if people aren't political science majors, to get involved, to volunteer for political campaigns, to volunteer in local organizations - to build a culture that is involved," she said.

Along with increased involvement, Von Hagel wants students to know that she and her colleagues are open and accessible.

"I want to work with students to work around aspects of their lives in a meaningful way, to get them involved in lots of different efforts as much as possible," she said. "I want students to view me and our program as a group of faculty members that you can talk to about career plans or look to for courses or planning for grad school; as sources of information they can come to for advice."

Dr. Alisa Von Hagel joins UW-Superior's political science faculty

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:44:17 +0000

Dr. Alisa Carolyn Von Hagel
Assistant Professor of Political Science

Education: Doctorate degree in 2011 from Northern Illinois University. Areas of study include American government, women and politics, biomedical policy, and international relations.

Experience: Teaching at the university level

Interesting Fact: Received the Graduate Teacher of the Year Award in 2010 from NIU's Department of Political Science.

Q. What are you anticipating most about your job at UW-Superior?

A. "I am most looking forward to working at a university that embodies the true liberal arts experience. The facilities, resources, and programs available to teachers and students reflect the university's commitment to engaged and experiential learning, and I am eager to work with the many programs on campus to facilitate this component of a liberal arts education at UW-Superior."

Q. What's your favorite topic to teach?

A. "My favorite topic to teach is women in politics, and specifically the impact of gender on governmental processes and institutions. Exposing students to the realities of political power and the impact of identity provides real-world application of the theoretical approaches that often seem irrelevant to their political experiences."

Q. What message do you have for your students?

A. "The experiences from one's college years can be the greatest years of a persons' life, leading to more than just a degree and a job. To have the greatest experience possible, students should use all of the on- and off-campus resources available, enjoy campus events and activities, and make every effort to connect with their teachers and fellow students. A complete educational experience begins in the classroom, but requires engagement in experiential learning at the university-level as well as within the larger community."

Dr. Daniela Mansbach joins political science faculty

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:40:50 +0000

Dr. Daniela Mansbach
Assistant Professor of Political Science

Education: Doctorate degree in political science in 2011 from The New School for Social Research. Major field of political theory. Research and teaching interests: political theory, gender politics and feminist theory, theories of human rights, Israel and middle east, politics of resistance.

Experience: Teaching and research

Interesting Fact: Focused on the Checkpoint Watch movement in Israel in her master's thesis and her doctoral dissertation.

Q. What are you anticipating most about your job at UW-Superior?

A. "I am excited about developing the concentration in political theory at UW-Superior. This concentration is a great opportunity to teach courses that combine theory -- mainly critical, feminist and post-colonial theory -- with current political and social events. Combining theory with practice creates interesting courses, which provide students with theoretical background for analysis of complex phenomena, as well as better understanding of the world we currently live in."

Dr. Sarah LaChance Adams joins Social Inquiry Department

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:33:08 +0000

Dr. Sarah LaChance Adams
Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Education: Doctorate degree in 2011 from the University of Oregon. Specializations include 20th Century continental philosophy, ethics, feminist philosophy, philosophical psychology

Experience: Teaching and research.

Interesting Fact: Holds masters degrees in both philosophy and psychology

Q. What are you anticipating most about your job at UW-Superior?

A. "I am most anticipating having the opportunity to get to know my students well. I have been teaching at a university of 20,000+ students (University of Oregon), where I only rarely ran into a student again after having them in a class. However, my undergraduate education was at a small liberal arts college, and this is my preferred model as both teacher and student."

Q. What's your favorite topic to teach?

A. "My favorite topic to teach is introduction to philosophy. It is thrilling to open students' minds to something that, at first, appears so obscure. I like demonstrating to them they already ARE philosophers and that they can converse with the most ancient and obscure of texts."

Q. What message do you have for your students?

A. "Can't wait to meet you!"