About Soc Symposium
Author: Sophia
When people think of undergraduate work in sociology, the first thought that comes to mind is research. However, in addition to research, many of the students in the Sociology Department at the University of Washington learn and apply sociology in various ways. They do this through internships, study abroad, volunteer work, practica, and school work, and research is only a part of the way students perceive sociology in their environment and the world.
To expose undergraduate students’ sociological work, the Sociology Student Association (SSA) and the Sociology Department are organizing the first annual Sociology Undergraduate Symposium. The event will take place on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 in the HUB West Ballroom from 3:30PM to 6:30PM. This year, 17 students will be presenting their work—seven presentations and six posters on diverse topics, such as religion and education. For example, one student will be making a presentation on blame attribution, religiosity, and abortion attitudes, examining the potential causes of differing abortion attitudes. Students from the practicum in law with the ACLU will also create a poster on their experiences and research on the marijuana project, which studies racial disparities in marijuana-related arrests after the passing of I-75 in Seattle. This gives students the opportunity to not only present their work in the form of a poster or presentation and gain experience for graduate school and their career, but also allows them to network with their fellow undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty and see what others are doing in the department. Overall, this will foster community in the Sociology Department and raise the awareness of undergraduate sociological work.
The SSA and the Sociology Department hope that this is beginning of a new tradition that will evolve to be capstone project and Sociology degree requirement. Look out for this event next year!
If you have any questions, please Sophia Chang, the SSA President, at sophia.a.chang@gmail.com. For more information on the program and the projects that will be present at the Sociology Undergraduate Symposium, check out the pages listed under “About Soc Symposium” in the left margin.