Student Testimonials
Please take a few minutes to read what our students have said about the faculty and staff in the UMaine Sociology Department:
Lauren Crane ’17: I was drawn to sociology for the same reason I was drawn to healthcare: The people. Over the years degrees in the humanities became less valued, seen as a waste of four years and even more tragically, a waste of thousands of dollars. Roll-focused degrees (Engineering, Nursing, Construction, etc) became perceived more advantageous due to their job prospects and plentiful wages. My interest in the humanities seemed to be somehow misguided because I couldn’t “do” something with it. “I just don’t get what you do with a Sociology degree”. “What job are you going to get with that degree?”. “How is that going to get you anywhere?”. My answer was always the same: “I use my degree every single day.” Read more…
Julianna Ferguson ’18: “Sociology at UMaine was truly the right choice for me. I learned so much about the world, culture, and even myself. Over the last four years, the sociology department offered me constant guidance and support. They also allowed me to experience some amazing opportunities like the ASA Honors Program in Montreal, CUGR symposiums, and valuable meetings with professionals in the criminal justice field. I would like to thank Professor Barkan, Laurie, and Professor Sporer for all their wisdom and help throughout my career at UMaine!”
Brianna Mosher ’18: “After taking Professor Barkan’s SOC 101 in Spring 2015: “Reflecting on the year, I wanted to reach out to you to express how much I’ve learned in your class. Already since I’ve been home, I’ve found myself bringing up studies we learned about in arguments, been familiar with phrases my family is talking about (White Privilege, Jim Crowe Racism) and feeling much more enlightened about the world. I do feel that I look at people differently: I wonder about their backgrounds, how they were raised, what influences crafted them, and this makes me feel that I can understand others better. I look at then more softly, with knowledge that we are all a product of our background. I am truly grateful for the knowledge I’ve gained in your class, and feel that it was worth all the time, effort and money: this is not something I can say for all my classes.”
Harold “Trey” Stewart ’16: “The sociology department at the University of Maine has given me the tools and skills necessary to succeed at the highest level of student leadership on our campus. As the President of the Student Body, I am faced with a variety of social, economic, political, and educational issues on a daily basis. The sociology department taught me how to relate to a number of people or groups of people who are experiencing difficulties in any one of these areas and allow me to view issues from the perspective of other people and the greater impacts that governing decisions can have on peoples’ lives. To be sure, I would not be as successful as a leader as I am today without the lessons and guidance from the wonderful faculty members of the University of Maine’s sociology department and I thankful to them on a daily basis for their time, energy, passion, and leadership.”
Mikaela Gustafsson ’16: (Excerpts from an online article about Mikaela) “My experience in the Sociology Department at UMaine has been great. The faculty offer students great support and are willing to help… Laurie Cartier in the Sociology Department has been a great resource for me. The classes that I have taken with Dr. Steve Barkan and Dr. Kyriacos Markides have resulted in greater knowledge, interest and passion for the field of sociology”