UC Berkeley Professor, Author to Present at A&M-Commerce

The Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at A&M-Commerce is proud to sponsor a guest lecture by Dr. Arlie Russell Hochschild on September 19 in Ferguson Auditorium at 11 a.m.

Hochschild hails from UC Berkeley where she is professor emerita in the Department of Sociology. According to her bio, her most recent research focuses on the rise of the American right, which is also the focus of her latest book, Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right (The New Press, September 2016). Based on intensive interviews of Tea Party enthusiasts in Louisiana, conducted over the last five years and focusing on emotions, Hochschild tries to scale an “empathy wall” to learn how to see, think and feel as they do.

The publication, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, will be the focus of her September 19 lecture. Hochschild is esteemed in her field and has twice been invited to speak to Democratic Members of Congress. She has authored nine books concerning the emotional aspect of work, family and market culture, and her work appears in 17 different languages. Hochschild's research interests include family, market culture, global patterns of care work, and social psychology with focus on the relationship between culture, politics and emotion.

Dr. William Kuracina, dean of the College of Humanities, Social Sciences and Arts at A&M-Commerce emphasized the value of the opportunity to learn from Hochschild.

“Because a university alumnus, Ted Crim, contacted Dr. Hochschild, we have been presented with the unique opportunity to bring a world-class scholar to campus,” Kuracina said. “Especially significant is the fact that the university's sociology students will have the opportunity during Dr. Hochschild's visit to interact in a meaningful manner; it really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our students.”

More event details can be found on the university community calendar.