Community-Based Learning
Daina Harvey, associate professor of sociology, far right, teaches a Community-Based Learning course called Food, Beer and the Environment. The class worked at the Community Harvest Project in Grafton, Massachusetts.
Community-based learning is an important part of many courses in sociology and anthropology, connecting academic learning with civic engagement. Through projects or placements in community organizations, students bring academic theory to life while meeting community needs.
Learn more about community-based learning at Holy Cross.
Examples
- Professor Daina Harvey's Cities and Environment students developed a cookbook to help clients not familiar with U.S. foodways utilize food at Catholic Charities' food pantry. The cookbook included recipes, the location of farmers' markets and other food pantries, and information about the emergency food system.
- Professor Susan Crawford Sullivan's Leadership and Social Change students develop a community organizing project on campus and/or with community partners. Past projects include instituting a Thanksgiving meal drive for Nativity School students, creating a “1000 Summer Youth Jobs” campaign, developing and leading a leadership class for sixth graders at a local elementary school, and more.
- Professor Renée Beard's Aging and Society students partnered with TimeSlips Creative Storytelling and St. Mary Health Care Center to put on weekly storytelling sessions with St. Mary residents experiencing memory loss. Students then created shadow puppet shows based on the stories they co-created with St. Mary residents. St. Mary held a screening of the shadow puppet shows for their residents at the end of the semester.
Honor Societies
Student scholarship is recognized by the department in terms of students’ appointment to membership in Alpha Kappa Delta, the national honor society in sociology, or Lambda Alpha, the national collegiate honors society for anthropology.
Both societies promote human welfare through the advancement of scientific knowledge that may be applied to the solution of social problems. And both societies sponsor annual student paper contests, support students to present their original work at regional and national conferences.
Senior Honors Theses 2024
Research
Anthropology honors student Katelyn Lyons ’18 presents her research at the annual Summer Research Symposium.
The department encourages innovative student research on important social issues, both in the United States and abroad. Working collaboratively with faculty, students can apply for research opportunities during the regular academic year and in the summer. Students also have opportunities to present their original work at the annual Academic Conference, and sometimes at the annual meeting of a professional organization such as the American Sociological Association or American Anthropological Association. These opportunities help to prepare interested students for advanced graduate study.
Greisch Summer Research Fellowships
Created in 2010 with a $150,000 gift from Richard J. Greisch ’72 P99, the Greisch Summer Research Fellowship in sociology gives the College’s most motivated students a chance to conduct scholarly research during the summer months under the close direction of faculty members.
Study Abroad
Sociology majors Grace Miller, '23 (right) and Ayanna Bloschichak, '23 (second from left) are pictured here with Jany Gonzalez, '22 (left) and Samantha Marzi, '23 (second from right) at the Cliffs of Moher while studying abroad in Ireland. Photo by Grace Miller.
Janelle Clancy ‘24, Location: Galway, Ireland
Last fall, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Galway, Ireland. While studying at the
University of Galway, I was able to take a variety of courses in sociology and related fields,
many of which examined topics specific to Irish society. One course, Marginalized Children’s
Groups in Ireland, explored varying categories of youth experiencing marginalization in some
way. I studied children living in poverty, residential care, and migrant communities, children of
ethnic minorities and with disabilities, and children who identify as LGBTQIA+. This course
involved a service learning component, which allowed me to gain first-hand experience with
Irish youth. Every week, I visited Scoil Chroí Íosa, an elementary school in Galway serving
students of varying backgrounds, learning abilities, and language proficiencies in the classroom.
Experiencing a school culture that was different from my experiences in the United States, while
simultaneously learning about marginalized groups, was extremely eye-opening for me as a
sociology major. Beyond my classroom experiences, I deeply enjoyed exploring the country of
Ireland, and finding ways to connect my travels with my studies. Observing how people
interacted, communicated, and lived in different areas— and comparing this to American life
back home— provided me insight into the ways our environment impacts us as social beings.
My study abroad experience was truly transformational, and I am grateful to have been granted the opportunity during my college career.
Majors in sociology and majors and minors in anthropology are encouraged to spend a semester or year of study at one of Holy Cross' many partner institutions in Europe, Australia, Asia, Latin America or Africa. Almost a quarter of sociology and anthropology majors study abroad. Students who study abroad may transfer up to four courses, usually electives, toward the major. In some cases, the required courses Social Statistics, Logics of Inquiry, and/or Social Theory can be taken abroad.