W. W. NORTON & COMPANY

The Norton Sociology Speakers Series

Join Norton’s sociology authors for instructor workshops, student lectures, and Q&As throughout the academic year.

Featured Events

WATCH ON DEMAND
“Student Loans, Families, and the Unequal Transition to Adulthood”

Hosted by Arielle Kuperberg (University of North Carolina-Greensboro) and Joan Maya Manzelis (Rutgers University-Camden)

The date of this workshop has passed

Student loans and families are strongly intertwined, helping to shape and reproduce inequalities in young adulthood. Family backgrounds, resources, and support influence whether students take on loans for college; after graduation, loans affect romantic relationships, marriage and childbearing rates. Students and graduates have complex feelings about accepting help from their families, which can shape their sense of adulthood.

Hear Families as They Really Are authors Arielle Kuperberg (University of North Carolina-Greensboro) and Joan Maya Manzelis (Rutgers University-Camden) for an interactive discussion on their ongoing study on loans and young adulthood.

WATCH ON DEMAND
“See Norton's Introduction to Sociology Resources in Action”

Hosted by Julie Sindel, Sociology Specialist

The date of this workshop has passed

Join Sociology specialist, Julie Sindel, for a dynamic 30-minute overview of Norton's award-winning online learning tools for introduction to sociology. Julie will walk instructors through the following and show how they can be easily-assigned or used to meet your course goals.

• The new, assignable Norton Illumine Ebook which engages students by chunking the material

• InQuizitive, Norton's easy-to-use adaptive learning tool

• Everyday Sociology blog quizzes, based on the popular Everyday Sociology Blog

• How the resources integrate with Learning Management Systems

The learning tools above are customized for each of our intro texts, so you and your students will see the same language, images, and graphs in our online learning tools that you see in the books.

WATCH ON DEMAND
“Sexual orientation, sex, and gender identity in family life”

Hosted by Philip Cohen

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In the last two decades, our understanding of sexual orientation, sex, and gender identity in families has radically altered. And the same goes for the language and terms we use today. This has opened up a generational gap between many teachers and learners, and exposed weaknesses in our best and most respected sources of data on families. In this webinar, Philip Cohen reviews some of these changes, and describes what we do and don't know about our new realities, to help today's teachers and students understand the landscape of modern families.

WATCH ON DEMAND
“Using ChatGPT to improve engagement in your intro to sociology course”

Hosted by David Woodring

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Learn how ChatGPT can help you build or refine lectures and create authentic assignments. In this workshop, sociology instructor David Woodring shows us how he used AI technology in his intro to sociology course to create engaging and authentic assignments and led to better outcomes for his students.

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Archived Events

“Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity” Hosted by Sander van der Linden

In this lecture for students and instructors, hear from Cambridge University Professor Sander van der Linden as he explains why our brains are so vulnerable to misinformation and how we can protect ourselves.

“Birth cohorts and social change: The problem with generational labels” Hosted by Philip Cohen

Social change happens in a lot of ways. In the life course of individuals, however, when a given change takes place it can make a profound difference—and reverberate through the rest of your life. Social scientists call the group of people born around the same time a "birth cohort," but in the popular culture they're sometimes called "generations," and given endearing labels, like "Millennial" and "Generation Z"—and those are not social science categories. In this talk I'll explore how social change in the family happens, what it means for the experience of birth cohorts, and why the current "generation" labels are misleading, ultimately doing more harm than good. Related to The Family, Third Edition.

“Undergraduate Women Forging Friendships during the Pre-Vaccine Pandemic” Hosted by Lisa Wade

In the 2020/21 academic year, Tulane University committed to bringing students back on campus, but the Covid-19 pandemic threatened to radically shift undergraduate social life. Based on 300 hours of qualitative in-depth interviews, Wade's talk will highlight a series of stories that illustrate how women made friends in the midst of COVID-19 and how the need for friendship influenced their pandemic-related decision-making. Related to Gender, Third Edition.

“Star Power: #MeToo and the Celebrity Victim/Survivor” Hosted by Kerry Ferris

Celebrity media, including social media, is advertising—for the star’s newest project, or just for their “brand”—and is usually used to burnish and enhance a star’s image. In 2017, celebrities (mostly but not entirely female) helped drive the #MeToo movement by highlighting their status as victims of sexual harassment and assault. Framing celebrities as victims requires inverting many of the assumptions celebrity media and celebrities themselves encourage fans to hold about them.

In this online lecture and Q&A, Kerry Ferris, coauthor of The Real World, will examine how celebrity social media narratives create a celebrity-as-victim identity while also maintaining the celebrity privilege required to boost survivor stories and steer a social movement dedicated to justice for survivors of sexual harassment and assault. Related to The Real World, Eighth Edition.

“Statistics Don’t Exactly Lie but they Do Tell Stories” Hosted by Deborah Stone

In a world where many people claim the right to their own facts, statistics have taken on new importance as "hard data". But as Professor Deborah Stone and her pal the Cookie Monster will show, even the simplest forms of counting require people to make judgment calls and to rely on cultural assumptions. Numbers, in other words, contain hidden stories. Related to Counting.

"Sociology and Everyday Life: Applying Sociology to Current Events and Your Everyday Experiences" Hosted by Karen Sternheimer, November 2021

During the event, Dr. Sternheimer highlights how sociology can help us make sense of the world around us, from the most hot-button current events we see in the news, to the most relatable everyday experiences. Related to Everyday Sociology Reader, Second Edition.

"Stories from Corona College: Student Life Amidst COVID-19" Hosted by Lisa Wade, October 2021

In this talk, Lisa Wade discusses her recent research into how the pandemic affected student social life at Tulane University during the 2020-21 academic year. Related to Terrible Magnificent Sociology, First Edition and American Hookup: the New Culture of Sex on Campus.

"What Can I Do with a Sociology Degree?" Hosted by Jeff Chin, September 2021

This webinar features a brief presentation on the benefits that a study of sociology provides to students as they think about joining the workforce. Related to Essentials of Sociology, Eighth Edition.

"Biology and the Gender Binary: The Surprising New Science of Sex Difference" Hosted by Lisa Wade, April 2021

This webinar examines recent research on the influences of society on our biology, and how we can use these findings to reduce social inequalities of all kinds. Related to Gender: Ideas, Interactions, Institutions.

"What Do People Do All Day? Rising Inequality, Changing Work Patterns, and Family Life" Hosted by Dalton Conley, March 2021

In this talk, Dalton Conley discusses trends in work, inequality, and family life both before and after the pandemic. Related to You May Ask Yourself.

"The Pandemic and the Family" Hosted by Philip Cohen, February 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is having dramatic effects on family life, and some of them will be long-lasting. In this talk, Philip Cohen, author of The Family: Diversity, Inequality, and Social Change, explores what we know about, and what we can expect from, families in this crisis.

"Damned Lies and Coronavirus Statistics" Hosted by Joel Best, October 2020

In this lecture and Q&A, Joel Best examines the role statistics play in constructing the pandemic—an ongoing social problem. Related to Social Problems.

"American Hookup" Hosted by Lisa Wade, April 2020

Author and sociologist Lisa Wade discusses the new culture of sex on campus, and poses questions about how we might see hookup culture change in the wake of the pandemic. Related to Gender: Ideas, Interactions, Institutions and American Hookup.

"Coping with COVID across the Generations: Are Millennials Really Struggling Most?" Hosted by Deborah Carr, October 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major global health crisis, which has altered our daily lives and well-being in dramatic ways. In this lecture and Q&A, Dr. Carr discusses the reasons why some generations are coping better with COVID than others, and why generations are not monolithic in their responses to the pandemic. She highlights the data and methods we need to answer this question, and shows how macrosocial factors like the economy, politics, and social media affect how people are coping with stressors like social isolation and economic downturns. Related to Essentials of Sociology.

"Sexual Citizens: Public Health and the Social Roots of Campus Sexual Assault" Hosted by Shamus Khan and Jennifer S. Hirsch, September 2020

In this moment, public health is on everyone’s minds. In this talk, Shamus Khan and Jennifer Hirsch discuss what it would it look like to apply a public health perspective to one of the most misunderstood problems of college life: campus sexual assault. Related to Sexual Citizens.

“Getting Started with Norton Sociology's Digital Resources” Hosted by The Norton Sociology Team

Looking for simple ways you can incorporate digital resources into your intro course? Join Norton sociology team members Julie Sindel and Julia Hall for an introduction to the resources that will help your students understand, and apply, sociological concepts and come to class better prepared for discussion and exams.

“Teaching with Terrible Magnificent Sociology” Hosted by Kelsy Burke

Thinking about switching to Terrible Magnificent Sociology? Get tips on updating your syllabus with expert instructor Professor Kelsy Burke.

“Introduction to Sociology Digital Resources” Hosted by The Norton Sociology Team, December 2021

In this 30-minute webinar, Norton Sociology team members Janise Turso and Julia Hall show you simple ways you can incorporate digital resources into your course. Related to Terrible Magnificent Sociology and The Real World, Eighth Edition.

"Getting Started with Digital Resources for Introduction to Sociology Courses" Hosted by The Norton Sociology Team, April 2021

Want to see the simple ways you can incorporate digital resources into your course next term? This 30-minute webinar will go over the Norton resources for intro courses that you can assign directly from your learning management system. Related to Essentials of Sociology and Introduction to Sociology.

"Using Current Events and Research to Engage Intro Students" Hosted by Deborah Carr, March 2021

In this 30-minute presentation, Deborah Carr, co-author of Essentials of Sociology and Introduction to Sociology, discusses how she thinks about using current research in a way that is both accessible and helps illuminate complex sociological concepts.

"Teaching Sociology of the Family: Online Resources, Tips, and Strategies" Hosted by Philip Cohen and Bethaney Ferguson, November 2020

Looking for more ways to help students understand the story behind the numbers in your online or hybrid sociology of the family course? Join Philip Cohen (author of The Family: Diversity, Inequality, and Social Change) and Bethaney Ferguson (sociology instructor at Cape Fear Community College) for a workshop on strategies for teaching sociology of the family in an online or hybrid course environment.

"Assigning Online Data Workshops in Your Remote Intro Course" Hosted by Michael Ramirez, April 2020

Dr. Michael Ramirez, Associate Professor of Sociology at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, on the benefits of incorporating small-scale research assignments (Data Workshops) in your introduction to sociology course. Related to The Real World.

"Teaching Introduction to Sociology Online" Hosted by Bethaney Ferguson, March 2020

Tips and best practices for moving your face-to-face intro to sociology course online. Related to The Real World.

"Using Online Adaptive Quizzing in Your Online Race and Ethnicity Course" Hosted by Megan McNamara, April 2020

Sociology instructor Megan McNamara (UC Santa Cruz, West Valley College, Foothill College) on how she uses InQuizitive with her Race and Ethnicity students, why it helps them engage with the history of race, and how it changed the way she structures her course. Related to Race in America.

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Image Credits: (Line and Dots) iStockPhoto.com/Ani_Ka; (Chin Photo) Jeff Chin; (Cohen Photo) Philip Cohen; (Khan Photo) Andres Oyuela; (Wade Photo) Babs Evangelista; (Carr Photo) Mark McKittrick; (Ferris Photo) Kerry Ferris; (Best Photo) Kathy Atkinson; (Sternheimer Photo) Karen Sternheimer; (Burke Photo) Dana Damewood; (Ramirez Photo) Michael Ramirez, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons