Kerry Greer is an Associate Professor of Teaching in the Department of Sociology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Born and raised in rural upstate New York, she attended university at the University of Portland (Oregon) earning a B.A. in Philosophy, an  M.S. in Sociology at Portland State University, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Indiana University. Kerry works to increase opportunities for experiential learning in her courses and in the department, support students transition into university, and works to develop tools and resources to help guide students into their future careers.

Supporting our Sociology Majors

Kerry’s primary focus at UBC is on undergraduate education. Her goal is to ensure that Sociology majors have the tools and skills they need to take their next step–whether that is going to graduate school, a professional program, or entering the labour market. In this capacity, Kerry has initiated several programs at UBC Sociology:

1. She oversees and supports the Undergraduate Peer Advising Program. Students provide help and guidance to one another to learn about the variety of opportunities available to them, and how to make the most of their time at UBC.
2. She coordinates and leads a monthly workshop, Applying to Graduate and Professional Programs. This monthly meeting de-mystifies the process of applying to graduate programs and provides support to students as they define their goals and complete their applications. All students are welcome to attend.
3. She is the Undergraduate Chair. Her goal is to support the learning and intellectual development of over 550 majors, and prepare them for their transition out of university.

In 2019W Kerry is looking forward to teaching the following courses:

1. SOCI 371 Classical Traditions in Theory (Term 1)
2. SOCI 100 Introduction to Sociology – Coordinated Arts Program (year long).
3. SOCI 301 Sociology of Development and Underdevelopment (Term 2)
4. SOCI 414 Feminist Theory (Term 2)

Journals:

Guppy, N., Greer, K.,Malette, N.¹and Frank, K. (2017), The Future Lives of Sociology Graduates. Canadian Review of Sociology/Revue canadienne de sociologie, 54: 237–252. doi:10.1111/cars.12147

Conference Proceedings:

d’Entremont, A., Kerry Greer& Lyon, K.A.¹2015. Gendered words in Canadian engineering recruitment documents.  Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association, 12, 1-7.

d’Entremont, Agnes, Kerry Greer, Katherine Lyon, Diana Demmers², and Kaitlyn Wamsteeker.²2016. “Imagery and Gender in Canadian Engineering Recruitment Documents,” Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association.

d’Entremont, Agnes, Kerry Greer,and Katherine Lyon. 2017. “Images of the Future: Gender and Portrayals of Faculty and Industry Members in Canadian Engineering School Recruitment Materials,” Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association.

Chapters:

d’Entremont, Agnes, Kerry Greerand Katherine Lyon.¹2015. “Creating an (Un)inviting Environment through Texts and Images: Representations of Gender in Engineering Recruitment Materials,” in WWEST’s Gender Diversity in STEM: A briefing on women in science an engineeringedited by Rebekah Parker, Jennifer Pelletier, and Elizabeth Croft. Blurb: San Francisco, California.

Current Courses:

Introduction to Sociology (Soci 100)
This year-long, 6-credit course is taught as a core course for the Coordinated Arts Program (CAP) Global Stream. Students spend time in lecture learning about key sociological concepts, with the goal of understanding the role of theory and methods in the social sciences. Students have the option of attending a weekly discussion section meeting where they will gain hands-on experience collecting and analyzing social science data and writing a full report, or can participate in the Trek Program. Students in the Trek Program spend 1-2 hours each week engaged in a community service learning project gaining a first-hand experience of many sociological concepts. Both options expand and deepen student understanding of course material and build their academic skill sets. This course is restricted to students enrolled in the CAP Global Stream First-Year program. This course meets on Mon/Wed/Fri 12-1 with additional discussion sections.

Development and Underdevelopment (Soci 301)
During term 2 I teach a 3-credit course on development and underdevelopment, or “How the global economy came to be and what are its social consequences?” This course covers three historical eras (colonial, national development, globalization) to show how political and economic systems have produced a contemporary era that is underscored by these historical legacies. We examine the contemporary social consequences of neoliberalism and identify promising strategies that citizen groups are using around the world to reclaim control over political and economic systems. This course meets on Mon/Wed/Fri 10-11

Community Based Participatory Research (Soci 495)
This new course offering will provide students with the opportunity to learn the foundations of Community Based Participatory Research (or CBPR). This approach to research centers on a critical analysis of the role of community, the positionally of the researcher, and the application and value of the knowledge that is created. Students will have the option of applying to the Arts Research Abroad program which will help fund a three month CBPR project abroad, or a local project. Both options include an additional 3-credits of coursework in May and completed upon the students return.

Previous Courses:

Social Theory (Soci 350 (previously), now Soci 370)
This year-long, 6-credit course is designed to develop students ability and comfort reading, writing, and talking about social theory. Students read a broad variety of social theorists, develop the ability to tie theoretical concepts to contemporary phenomena and practice expressing themselves verbally, in class, and in regular writing exercises. This course fully meets the theory course requirements for sociology majors. It meets from 9:30-11am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students enrolled in this course are expected to have completed six credits of 100-level sociology.

Principles and Practices of Community-Based Research (ASTU 360)
This 3-credit course serves as a capstone community-based course for students enrolled in the UBC-Science Po Dual Degree Program. Starting in 2017, this course will be completed over the academic year, meeting during five weeks of term one and eight weeks during term two. Students complete course work designed to introduce them to community-based research methods, develop a project in partnership with a community organization, execute the project and complete a report. The course builds on existing research skills while providing students with opportunities to deepen their understanding of how what they do at a university translates and relates to the communities that they live in. This course is only open to students enrolled in the Dual Degree program.

Urban Ethnographic Field School (Soci 480/ Anth 480)
This 6-week summer course offers students the opportunity to gain research experience conducting an ethnographic study of a Vancouver community organization. This 6-credit course is co-taught with faculty from Sociology and Anthropology and is held at the UBC Learning Exchange. A cohort of 28 students spend Monday-Thursday mornings in the classroom and spend their afternoons and weekends at an assigned community partner organization where they complete a project, while also writing an ethnography of the organization. Students develop their writing skills, research skills, and gain professional experience. This course is held during Summer term 1. For more information, click here.

Social Research Methods: Survey Research (Soci 380)
This 3-credit course focuses on training students in the practice and art of survey research. Students spend nine weeks learning how to design and develop a survey-based research project, culminating in their development of a paper and online version of their survey. Students are required to develop a project that addresses research questions related to UBC’s Sustainability Initiative. Students can expect to come away with skills that they can apply to a range of careers. Previous students have used their survey skills to secure grants to conduct small projects on campus (through the Partners in Practice program), while one student even started working as a contractor conducting online surveys for agencies and companies! Students are expected to have completed their research methods course (Soci 217) and ideally their statistics requirement.