Don’t Just Read Books, Write Them! Four Lessons Learned from a Multiyear Student-authored Book Project in Social Theory

Abstract

This article documents the process of having students research, create, edit, and self-publish a book of social theorist profiles (arranged alphabetically from Adorno to Weber) for a required theory course I teach in the department of sociology. An ongoing project, it currently spans over three semesters worth of theory students with each class building on the work of the last. It is both a guide to implementing a similar project in any course (though particularly relevant to those specifically looking to engage students in their sociological theory course) and an analysis of the lessons I have learned along the way that may help others overcome a number of the inherent challenges. Although others are certainly implementing projects like this in their own college classrooms, the materials available in peer-reviewed journals are almost nonexistent. I assert that public sociologists, in particular, should consider taking on these kinds of projects as they both benefit larger communities and allow us to reconsider the long-term results of our teaching efforts.