However, my reading project has had some surprising impact on my teaching of sociology. I have completely rethought some of my underlying philosophy about humans and their environment. These new ideas are passed on through teaching social problems and environmental sociology, and through writing. Back to top . I've always been a sociologist, long before I knew that the discipline existed.
Sociologists are by training subversives.
We are taught to see beyond the surfaces of social life and ask uncomfortable questions. It is no accident that sociology has never really been able to find a secure position within the halls of power. Sociologists too often see and report things that those in power would rather have left unnoticed. This primarily happens through teaching , but also through writing . B.A. Sociology, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, 1973.