UWM Sociology Associate Professor Tim O’Brien and his co-author Oren Pizmony-Levy received the Section on Sociological Practice and Public Sociology’s Publication Award for Significant Contributions to Applied and Public Sociology! Congratulations to Tim, fantastic work!
About the paper:
O’Brien, T. L., & Pizmony-Levy, O. (2016). Going public, gaining credibility: student perceptions of publicly engaged scholars. Sociological Perspectives, 59(2), 246-269.
The article assesses and ultimately refutes an assertion that some sociologists have made regarding public sociology and, more broadly, social engagement: That scholars’ credibility is reduced when scholars are engaged in public debates. Instead, the article shows that students’ views of publicly engaged scholars are more positive than students’ views of less engaged scholars. In other words, in the eyes of students, professors’ credibility increases when professors are engaged in and publicly committed to social issues. This finding is important; it shows that scholars can be involved and not only keep their credibility but actually increase it.
About the award:
Sociological Practice and Public Sociology Section’s Public Sociology Publication Award
The American Sociological Association (ASA) Section on Sociological Practice and Public Sociology Publication Award recognizes significant contributions to applied and public sociology. The award will alternate between scholarly publications and other publicly available writings. In odd years, the award is given to an article published in a scholarly journal in the preceding three years that focuses on an applied sociological concern. In even years, the award is given for a white paper, policy report, or essay published in the preceding three years as a book chapter or official report informed by a sociological perspective.