The 2019 North Central Sociological Association Presidential Address “I Hear You…” Storytelling and the Power of Listening Sociologically

Abstract

ABSTRACTHow strong are your sociological listening skills? The 2019 North Central Sociological Association’s annual conference theme explored all aspects of storytelling. Implied in the storytelling process is that there is someone actually listening. Having countless possible outlets to share one’s story is empowering, but how do listeners engage with, and make sense of, so many possible voices? Through an interactive multimodal presentation, NCSA President Melinda Messineo guided the audience on a listening journey that challenged participants to elevate voices through sociological listening. This essay is a modified transcript of that address.