Social Science Symposium

2006 Schedule

Symposium History

Symposium Goals

Keynote Speakers

Acknowledgements

Tennessee Undergraduate
Social Science Symposium

Sponsored annually to promote professional development of undergraduate students in the Social Sciences in the Middle Tennessee region.

The 2006 Tennessee Undergraduate Social Science Symposium was held on November 15-16, 2006 with the theme "Resiliency and Social Change in the Wake of Disaster."

Final Program 2006 (PDF version)

Information on the 2007 symposium will be posted as soon as available.

The West Tennessee Undergraduate Sociological Symposium was organized in 1976 at Lambuth College in Jackson, Tennessee by Dr. Rodger Bates who was, at that time, chair of the sociology department. Under Rodger's able and zealous leadership, the Symposium grew to be one of the significant educational experiences for sociology students in this region. During the 16 years the Symposium was held on Lambuth's campus, students from Middle Tennessee State University joined students from other institutions in the area to share sociological information and to gain experience in the public presentation of ideas. Twice during Roger's tenure at Lambuth the program was recognized by the American Sociological Association as a model symposium.

In 1993, Dr. Bates moved to Dakota Wesleyan College and asked that MTSU assume sponsorship of the program. We were delighted to accept his invitation and honored that he felt Middle Tennessee would be a good home for this outstanding event.

The move to Middle Tennessee brought a name change -- The Tennessee Undergraduate Sociological Symposium. The name was changed again in 1996 to the Tennessee Undergraduate Social Science Symposium to reflect the involvement of a wide range of students from Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work, Geography, History, Womens' Studies, Psychology, Economics, English, Political Science and the Honors Program.

We believe that, over time, the Symposium will grow into one of the most exciting and important academic events of the year here at Middle Tennessee State University.

Intellectual Growth. The Symposium is modeled after a typical professional conference. Topical sections have been created and within these sections, students present their research papers to an audience. Each section is followed by an open discussion of the issues raised by the presenters. In years past, students have presented papers on sociological theory, research methods, deviant behavior, women's issues, the family, criminology and juvenile delinquency, urban and community studies, popular culture, demography, and a wide variety of social issues and social problems. The preparation of papers fosters a closer relationship between faculty and students as they work together to produce a quality paper and presentation.

Professional Experience. Whether a student is planning to go on to graduate school or enter the job market after graduation, the public presentation of ideas is a valuable skill, and one which can be acquired only through experience.

Social Development. The regional and interdisciplinary nature of the Symposium provides a rich opportunity for students from diverse academic backgrounds to meet, share ideas and compare approaches in addition to forming valuable friendships and social contacts.

While the students themselves are the centerpiece of the Symposium, we attempt to bring to our campus each year an outstanding scholar, teacher or author to serve as out keynote speaker. The first year of the Symposium at MTSU (1993), we were honored to have Dr. Roger Bates, the founder of the Lambuth Symposium as our featured speaker.

• 1994. Dr. Stanley Eitzen, noted author and lecturer from Colorado State University -- Reflexivity: Sociology and Autobiography
• 1995. Dr. Suzanne Kurth, Department of Sociology, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Is Sociology Feminist?
• 1996. Dr. Theda Perdue, an internationally recognized historian of the Cherokee Indians, Pocahantas Meets Columbus in the American South
• 1996. Dr. Stanford M. Lyman, a widely recognized scholar in the area of race and ethnic relations of Florida Atlantic University. The Lost Tribes of Israel and the Jewish-Indian Theory.
• 1997. Dr. David Harvey, acclaimed author of Potters Addition, University of Nevada at Reno. Class, Status, and Region: Writing a Populist History of a Heartland Slum.
• 1998. Ursula Duba, poet and author of Tales from A Child of the Enemy and noted Holocaust scholar. The Impenetrable Silence: Germany in the Post-war Era."
• 1999. Toye Heape, Executive Director of the Tennessee Commission on Indians Affairs.
• 2000. Dr. Patti Adler, leading authority on deviant behaviors. Integrating Ethnographic Methods and Analysis.
• 2001. Mr. Stan Capela, past President of the Society for Applied Sociology. Applied Sociology in the 21st Century: Thinking Out of the Box.
• 2002. Dr. Beth Conklin, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Religious Studies at Vanderbilt University. The Cannibal Controversies: Challenging Stereotypes in the Social Sciences.
• 2003. Dr. Rodney D. Coates, Professor of Sociology and Black World Studies, Director of the Black World Studies Program at University of Miami (Ohio). Media-Created Images of African-Americans.
• 2004. Dr. Andrew Austin, Professor of Sociology and Justice Studies, University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. Fossil Fuels, Climate Change and Foreign Policy in the 21st Century.
• 2005. Dr. Hugh Berryman, Consulting Forensic Anthropologist. Beyond CSI: Days in the Life of a Real Forensic Anthropologist.
• 2006. Dr. Pamela Jenkins, Professor of Sociology and Director of Women's Studies, University of New Orleans. Loss and Resiliency: Lessons From Katrina.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of several components of the university for the growth and success of the Symposium. First, we gratefully acknowledge the support of the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Dr. John McDaniel, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts has been very supportive of our efforts. His support has included significant financial assistance from the College. Past and present chairs of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology have been constant friends of the Symposium. In recent years, the Symposium has been partially funded by grants from the MTSU Ideas and Issues Committee, the MTSU Honors College, and the Distinguished Lecture Fund.

Additionally, we gratefully acknowledge the support of department chairs and faculty across campus. They have encouraged student participation, chaired student sections and made constructive suggestions as we attempt to make the Symposium better each year.

Finally, and most importantly, we acknowledge the efforts of our students and students from other institutions.

Professor Ben Austin introduces panel, 2004

Keynote lecture, 2005