Dr. Jamerson's talk will focus on how Race Studies, in a very broad sense, helps us develop stronger feelings of empathy for people who do not look like us, are culturally different, or who harbor views we do not agree with. Race is a part of each of our identities, yet it affects all of us in different ways. Race Studies as part of a higher education curriculum, he argues, can help us, as individuals, develop a mental toolkit for navigating and understanding problems of racial inequality, help us come to terms with or perhaps confront our own racial identity, and help us understand what race is and how it affects society. Jamerson speaks on this topic as a white man who teaches Race Studies classes where he can routinely strive to help bridge these divides and show students that Race Studies are important no matter who you are. His talk will discuss three areas of 'empathic growth' where Race Studies may be helpful--personal, interpersonal, and collective--and will draw on his teaching experiences as well as his research on cultural tourism in Harlem, New York. Trevor Jamerson received a PhD in Sociology from Virginia Tech in 2019. He has previously taught at Hollins University and is currently an Instructor of Sociology at Virginia Tech specializing in race studies and social theory. His research concerns racial commodification, specifically how Blackness is marketed as a tourist attraction in Harlem, New York. He is a member of the Race in the Marketplace International Research Network, and has written about the relationship between digital technologies and racial inequality, the racial history of TripAdvisor, and the race's role in the tourism industry. All of this work is the result of a lifelong interest in travel, combined with educational experiences going back to high school that centered questions of racial inequality in his mind. In the classroom he enjoys playing dated and uncool music to his students, as well as encouraging students to make sociology work for them, rather than the other way around. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at [ Ссылка ]
