Sandra Weissinger | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (original) (raw)
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Books by Sandra Weissinger
There is a reason why people claim great respect for officers of the law: the job, by description... more There is a reason why people claim great respect for officers of the law: the job, by description, is hard—if not deadly. It takes a certain kind of person to accept the consequences of the job— seeing the very worst situations, on a regular basis, and knowing that one’s life is on the line every hour of every day. Working in law enforcement is emotionally and psychologically draining. It affects these public servants both on and off the job. Said plainly, shaking an officers’ hand when you see them or posting a sign in the front yard that reads “Support the Badge” is lip service. Even going as far as to donate money to a crowdsourcing fundraising site does little to support the long-term professional development needs of officers. These are surface level signs of solidarity, and do little in terms of showing respect for the job and those who do it. For those who want to do more, this text provides reasons and a rationale for doing better by these public servants. Showing respect does not mean that one agrees with whatever another person or institution claims to be the “right” way. Showing respect and admiration means that we charge individuals to live up to their fullest potentials and integrate innovation wherever possible. In the case of policing in the era of Black Lives Matters, policing as usual simply is not an option any longer. It is disrespectful, to both the officers and those who are being policed, to rest on the laurels of past policing tactics. As we enter a time period in which police interactions are recorded (dash cams or body cams, for example) and new populations are being targeted (Latinx people), there is much to learn about what is working and what is not.
Violence Against Black Bodies argues that black deaths at the hands of police are just one form o... more Violence Against Black Bodies argues that black deaths at the hands of police are just one form of violence that black and brown people face daily in the western world. rough the voices of scholars from different academic disciplines, this book gives readers an opportunity to put the cases together and see that violent deaths in police custody are just one tentacle of the racial order—a hierarchy which is designed to produce trauma and discrimination according to one’s perceived race-ethnicity.
Book Chapters by Sandra Weissinger
Beginning a Career in Academia: A Guide for Graduate Students of Color, Jan 2015
Cases on Critical and Qualitative Perspectives in Online Higher Education, Jan 2014
After Hurricane Katrina, numerous studies and policy reports addressed the plight of higher educa... more After Hurricane Katrina, numerous studies and policy reports addressed the plight of higher education in New Orleans and McClue, Esmail, and Shepard serve as examples. Of importance to this chapter are those works that focus on the well-being and renewal strategies of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the city and, in particular, the role that technology plays in addressing the needs of displaced students and strengthening online degree generating programs. This chapter investigates the work of one particular HBCU-North-South-that, post Katrina, had great hopes of building online classes and programs of study. The goal, as articulated by school officials just after Katrina, was twofold: to attract the former student population and to develop a permanent, disaster-ready alternative to traditional on-the-ground classes. Data demonstrate that work to build and maintain online classes has been fragmented, declining significantly by 2008 and benefiting students in a select few programs.
Chapter 36 in Race, Class, & Gender: An Anthology, 8th Edition
Edited Journal Issues by Sandra Weissinger
Papers by Sandra Weissinger
The differences between Black churches of today have much to do with the varied effects discrimin... more The differences between Black churches of today have much to do with the varied effects discrimination plays on the lives of those who serves as these institutions leaders. There is not a Black church; rather there are several Black churches which at times market drastically different messages coneeming empowerment because of the privileges of leaders and adherents. A sociology that does not account for biograpby, socialization, and context does little to expand our knowledge about the lived experiences of those affected by these institutions. This ethnographic account speaks to the rich diversity of Black churches today, highlighting the plight of those at a storefront, bouncing church in a heavily populated urban city. Accounts from this church serve to highlight the diverse ways in which Black churches take form due to the effects of poverty. More than race or place, I argue that the background and socialization of clergy also are belpful in predicting Black church variations.
This article demonstrates how biography shapes the experiences and testimonies of the women who p... more This article demonstrates how biography shapes the experiences and testimonies of the women who participated in the Dukes v. Wal-Mart class action lawsuit. Using content analysis of 110 legal declarations, this study addresses three themes observed within court documents: gender discrimination, race relations between employees, and class differences among plaintiffs. The results confirm that women who participated in the ongoing class action lawsuit experienced varying forms of abuse and empowerment due to their positions as raced, classed, and gendered employees. The employees were forced to waste resources navigating relationships to power—energy which could have been used to improve themselves and empower those in their immediate communities. Therefore, the experiences of these women, as representatives of larger social groups, are telling of the nature of work for the millions of women that work for Wal-Mart stores and elsewhere.
Book Reviews by Sandra Weissinger
Lagniappe (Extra) by Sandra Weissinger
Throughout the Month of March CreativeMornings St. Louis will be honoring Women’s History Month b... more Throughout the Month of March CreativeMornings St. Louis will be honoring Women’s History Month by spotlighting four courageous women who are making history through doing creative things in our community!
Our first Spotlight falls on Dr. Sandra E. Weissinger, Sociology Professor, from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Please read her story and tell us how you have displayed acts of courage!
Sandra E. Weissinger is a professor of Sociology. She teaches and writes about the hard stuff - issues of oppression, resistance, and resiliency. And she’s not afraid to pinpoint our roles, as individuals, in practices that hurt and disempower others. Her recent books look at the broken policing system in the United States (Law Enforcement in the Age of Black Lives Matters: Policing Black and Brown Bodies) and the myriad ways “good” people and institutions continue to engage in anti-Black racism (Violence Against Black Bodies: An Intersectional Analysis of how Black Lives Continue to Matter). In a society that constantly participates in group level denial (a type of cowardice), rationalizing social injustices away, Weissinger’s work is both brave and necessary. She reminds us that our collective well-being relies upon our individual agency and desire to heal the dangerous injustices caused by prejudice and discrimination. These injustices can be covert or bold. They occur at the individual level or are at the root of social institutions. Regardless of form or perpetrator, it is courage to do this work and equip others to be thoughtfully engaged too. And courageously Weissinger acts, holding workshops and public lectures in the Saint Louis area.
There is a reason why people claim great respect for officers of the law: the job, by description... more There is a reason why people claim great respect for officers of the law: the job, by description, is hard—if not deadly. It takes a certain kind of person to accept the consequences of the job— seeing the very worst situations, on a regular basis, and knowing that one’s life is on the line every hour of every day. Working in law enforcement is emotionally and psychologically draining. It affects these public servants both on and off the job. Said plainly, shaking an officers’ hand when you see them or posting a sign in the front yard that reads “Support the Badge” is lip service. Even going as far as to donate money to a crowdsourcing fundraising site does little to support the long-term professional development needs of officers. These are surface level signs of solidarity, and do little in terms of showing respect for the job and those who do it. For those who want to do more, this text provides reasons and a rationale for doing better by these public servants. Showing respect does not mean that one agrees with whatever another person or institution claims to be the “right” way. Showing respect and admiration means that we charge individuals to live up to their fullest potentials and integrate innovation wherever possible. In the case of policing in the era of Black Lives Matters, policing as usual simply is not an option any longer. It is disrespectful, to both the officers and those who are being policed, to rest on the laurels of past policing tactics. As we enter a time period in which police interactions are recorded (dash cams or body cams, for example) and new populations are being targeted (Latinx people), there is much to learn about what is working and what is not.
Violence Against Black Bodies argues that black deaths at the hands of police are just one form o... more Violence Against Black Bodies argues that black deaths at the hands of police are just one form of violence that black and brown people face daily in the western world. rough the voices of scholars from different academic disciplines, this book gives readers an opportunity to put the cases together and see that violent deaths in police custody are just one tentacle of the racial order—a hierarchy which is designed to produce trauma and discrimination according to one’s perceived race-ethnicity.
Beginning a Career in Academia: A Guide for Graduate Students of Color, Jan 2015
Cases on Critical and Qualitative Perspectives in Online Higher Education, Jan 2014
After Hurricane Katrina, numerous studies and policy reports addressed the plight of higher educa... more After Hurricane Katrina, numerous studies and policy reports addressed the plight of higher education in New Orleans and McClue, Esmail, and Shepard serve as examples. Of importance to this chapter are those works that focus on the well-being and renewal strategies of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the city and, in particular, the role that technology plays in addressing the needs of displaced students and strengthening online degree generating programs. This chapter investigates the work of one particular HBCU-North-South-that, post Katrina, had great hopes of building online classes and programs of study. The goal, as articulated by school officials just after Katrina, was twofold: to attract the former student population and to develop a permanent, disaster-ready alternative to traditional on-the-ground classes. Data demonstrate that work to build and maintain online classes has been fragmented, declining significantly by 2008 and benefiting students in a select few programs.
Chapter 36 in Race, Class, & Gender: An Anthology, 8th Edition
The differences between Black churches of today have much to do with the varied effects discrimin... more The differences between Black churches of today have much to do with the varied effects discrimination plays on the lives of those who serves as these institutions leaders. There is not a Black church; rather there are several Black churches which at times market drastically different messages coneeming empowerment because of the privileges of leaders and adherents. A sociology that does not account for biograpby, socialization, and context does little to expand our knowledge about the lived experiences of those affected by these institutions. This ethnographic account speaks to the rich diversity of Black churches today, highlighting the plight of those at a storefront, bouncing church in a heavily populated urban city. Accounts from this church serve to highlight the diverse ways in which Black churches take form due to the effects of poverty. More than race or place, I argue that the background and socialization of clergy also are belpful in predicting Black church variations.
This article demonstrates how biography shapes the experiences and testimonies of the women who p... more This article demonstrates how biography shapes the experiences and testimonies of the women who participated in the Dukes v. Wal-Mart class action lawsuit. Using content analysis of 110 legal declarations, this study addresses three themes observed within court documents: gender discrimination, race relations between employees, and class differences among plaintiffs. The results confirm that women who participated in the ongoing class action lawsuit experienced varying forms of abuse and empowerment due to their positions as raced, classed, and gendered employees. The employees were forced to waste resources navigating relationships to power—energy which could have been used to improve themselves and empower those in their immediate communities. Therefore, the experiences of these women, as representatives of larger social groups, are telling of the nature of work for the millions of women that work for Wal-Mart stores and elsewhere.
Throughout the Month of March CreativeMornings St. Louis will be honoring Women’s History Month b... more Throughout the Month of March CreativeMornings St. Louis will be honoring Women’s History Month by spotlighting four courageous women who are making history through doing creative things in our community!
Our first Spotlight falls on Dr. Sandra E. Weissinger, Sociology Professor, from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Please read her story and tell us how you have displayed acts of courage!
Sandra E. Weissinger is a professor of Sociology. She teaches and writes about the hard stuff - issues of oppression, resistance, and resiliency. And she’s not afraid to pinpoint our roles, as individuals, in practices that hurt and disempower others. Her recent books look at the broken policing system in the United States (Law Enforcement in the Age of Black Lives Matters: Policing Black and Brown Bodies) and the myriad ways “good” people and institutions continue to engage in anti-Black racism (Violence Against Black Bodies: An Intersectional Analysis of how Black Lives Continue to Matter). In a society that constantly participates in group level denial (a type of cowardice), rationalizing social injustices away, Weissinger’s work is both brave and necessary. She reminds us that our collective well-being relies upon our individual agency and desire to heal the dangerous injustices caused by prejudice and discrimination. These injustices can be covert or bold. They occur at the individual level or are at the root of social institutions. Regardless of form or perpetrator, it is courage to do this work and equip others to be thoughtfully engaged too. And courageously Weissinger acts, holding workshops and public lectures in the Saint Louis area.
More than physical assaults, violence can take the form of dilapidated neighborhoods, gentrificat... more More than physical assaults, violence can take the form of dilapidated neighborhoods, gentrification efforts, economic strangleholds, caste like education systems and other institutionally based inequalities which inspire human waste and covert suicides.