Activities

The Center for Study of Working Class Life pursues its purposes through a number of activities. Some have already begun. Others are yet to come as our work develops and new sources of support come into play. The calendar shows the record so far.

Internal network of seminars and colloquia: featuring the work of Stony Brook faculty associated with the Center.
Invited seminar series: featuring the work of people from various universities and research centers, and other specialists in the field.
Funded research: as a place for focused attention to issues of class, the Center helps associated faculty obtain grants for research on a wide variety of related topics.
Post-doctoral and visiting scholar appointments: to bring scholars to Stony Brook for more extended periods.
Conferences: focusing on specific aspects of class to attract scholars from around the world and generate papers making a serious contribution to the field.
Pedagogy: the Center encourages development of techniques that improve our ability to teach about class. We try to identify sources and types of resistance and confusion that arise and develop ways of overcoming these obstacles to learning.
Graduate student support and training: through involvement with faculty associated with the Center, and engagement with Center activities, graduate students will be exposed to the methods and issues involved in this branch of study. We seek graduate student support through funded research.
With support from the Dean of the Graduate School, the Center has initiated the Stony Brook Dissertation Lecture Series on Issues of Class, which brings to Stony Brook advanced graduate students or new PhD recipients whose work can be presented to an interdisciplinary audience and be models for our own graduate students.
Undergraduate research: undergraduates taking courses whose subject matter involves aspects of class are encouraged to write papers as part of Stony Brook’s commitment to undergraduate involvement in research.
Public affairs: the Center hopes to undertake a series of activities to bring its work to the wider public, both academic and lay. Among these would be: 1) a working paper series; 2) a public distinguished lecture series; 3) curriculum development for K-12; 4) co-production of radio segments; 5) co-production of video and television materials.