Let's get to Know Anna...
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Major/Minor: Double major in Sociology and Political Science; Law, Justice, and Social Change sub-major
What inspired you to major in Sociology?
As someone who has always been interested in social justice and addressing social inequities, I was immediately drawn to sociology as a discipline. I decided to major in sociology after a discussion in my introductory sociology class about class disparities in higher education, as I was inspired by the way sociological topics could be applied to my own life and used to find social meaning in our lived experiences.
What classes have you most enjoyed?
SOC 391: The Collateral Consequences of a Criminal Record with Daniel Ellman
SOC 495: Restorative Justice, Prison Reform, Abolition: From Theory to Practice with Becca Pickus
How has Sociology helped you to understand pandemics the U.S. is currently facing: COVID-19 and/or systemic racism?
Sociology has shown me that it is vital to constantly be examining our social contexts through a sociological lens. The COVID-19 pandemic has made the racial and socioeconomic disparities in this country glaringly apparent, in the realms of healthcare, housing justice, criminal justice, and policing. Sociology as a discipline makes essential contributions to understanding these disparities and their systemic historical roots, laying the foundation for crucial community organizing work that aims to address these issues at their core.
Have you participated in undergraduate research, fieldwork, or an internship experience?
I am currently working on a senior honors thesis, and will begin data collection this month! My thesis research aims to examine the experiences of adult children of alcoholics on college campuses through semi-structured interviews, and how restorative justice practices can be applied to healing from interpersonal harm.
What do you hope to do after graduating from Michigan?
After graduating from Michigan, my goal is to complete a Master’s in Social Work and hopefully start a career centered around decarceration work, restorative justice practices as a response to community harm, and addressing the injustices of our current criminal legal system while building up alternatives to punitive justice.
Do you have advice for prospective Soc majors in this moment?
I encourage anyone thinking about Soc to go for it! Sociology is unique to other disciplines in the sense that it emphasizes the systemic roots of social inequities while providing insight into channels for making lasting social change. Sociology encourages thinking critically about our social worlds and the ways that social institutions and practices impact our daily lives, which is necessary for understanding how we as a society can grapple with long-standing injustices.
