Motivation to Teach Social Action:
I plan to have students ground their campaigns in their own areas of research. Our graduate students work on topics as varied as agriculture, cultural resource management, environmental stewardship, disability, and reproduction, among others, all of which provide strong foundations for designing action-oriented projects. This approach ensures that students see clear connections between their scholarly expertise and the potential for real-world impact. For those who are still developing their research focus, there will also be opportunities to collaborate with Food Finders Food Bank, either on initiatives tied directly to the food bank or on broader food access challenges in the community. In both cases, students will be able to design campaigns that are both academically meaningful and socially impactful.
Course Description:
This course is designed to train graduate students to apply and communicate anthropological knowledge in ways that matter beyond academia. Its purpose is to prepare students as public intellectuals who can collaborate with stakeholders to present information, develop solutions, and implement meaningful change. Incorporating the Social Action framework would elevate the course by moving students from thinking about how their research can inform action to actively designing and carrying out a campaign as part of the class. This approach would not only strengthen their understanding of public engagement, but also give them first-hand experience in translating expertise into impact. My goal is to create a course where students learn through practice, engaging directly with communities and stakeholders to bridge the gap between knowledge and action.
Taught By:
Sarah Renkert
Assistant Professor of Practice
Anthropology
Purdue University
Read profile here.