The Community Engaged Scholars and Teachers Community supports scholars and practicing sociologists engaged in or interested in community engaged scholarship and teaching by providing opportunities for community, networking, support, and discussion.
Who we are: This is a community to support scholars and practicing sociologists engaged in or interested in community engaged scholarship and teaching (CEST). CEST is defined broadly as sociological research/inquiry that involves sociology-community partnerships. This group will provide networking, support, and discussion about community engaged research and teaching.
Community-engaged scholarship and teaching describes collaboration between scholars and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources. This occurs through partnership and reciprocity of academic and professional knowledge and resources with those of the public sector to benefit community-driven efforts that address social justice issues and contribute to the public good.
This Community is based not on the topic of study, but on the practice of community engagement in scholarship and teaching. While some subfields of sociology (e.g. urban sociology), types of sociologists (e.g. practicing sociologists), and types of methodologies (e.g. participatory action research) are more likely to engage in or be associated with CEST, community engagement can span all of sociology. It is also often interdisciplinary and simultaneously exists both within and outside of academia. Sociologists in any subdiscipline, using any methodology and/or theoretical orientation, might engage in CEST as part of their profession, research agenda, or teaching practice. This is a space for us to all come together to connect over the ethical, methodological, and civic orientation of community engaged scholarship and teaching.
What is an ASA Community? Communities are a new development within ASA. Their goal is to connect sociologists based on “common professional backgrounds or common identities.” These differ from sections, which connect sociologists based on topical areas of study. Communities also have no fee to join.
What activities does the Community for CEST engage in? The goal of all activities of this section is to build community among those practicing or interested in community engaged sociology. They will also allow new scholars/teachers, and scholars/teachers new to CEST, to find community and mentorship. These activities will revolve around forums that build a collective identity and professional growth and will include networking, mentorship, professional development activities, and Annual Meeting-related events.
Is this community different from the ASA Section on Sociological Practice and Public Sociology (SPPS)? Yes! This community is specifically focused on the ethical and methodological orientation of community engagement within the sociological pursuits of research and teaching. As stated by SPPS, the purpose of their section is more broadly “to further public discussion of sociological issues, and to promote the use of sociology to inform public policy.” It is not necessary to utilize community engagement when seeking to inform public action, nor does CEST always have goals to inform public policy. CEST also has a commitment to mutually beneficial partnerships between scholars/students and community groups with whom they work, with an explicit orientation towards social justice. These features are not always (but may be) part of sociology in practice settings and public sociology.
While it is likely that there will be some overlap among people interested in being members of both groups–and you are encouraged to be members of both–this community is specifically geared toward facilitating scholar-community collaborations in scholarship and learning.
Community Leaders
Carol Glasser, Chair
Nancy Plankey-Videla, Secretary/Treasurer
Elizabeth Borland, Co-Organizer
Corey Dologon, Co-Organizer
Theresa Hice-Fromille, Co-Organizer
Looking for community?
You can join the Community while joining ASA or renewing your membership. You can also add the Community to your existing ASA membership from your ASA Member Portal. While it is free to join a Community, you do have an option to make a voluntary donation to the Community. By joining the Community, you will have access to the Community’s listserv. Through the listserv, you can receive notifications about the latest Community happenings and make connections with others in the Community.
