CURRICULUM VITAE Frank J. Page, Ph.D. Office Address: Department of Sociology University of Utah 380 S. 1530 E. Rm. 429 Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 E-mail: frank.page@soc.utah.edu Telephone: (801) 581-3075 Home Address: 4649 Wallace Lane Salt Lake City, Utah 84117 E-Mail: fjpage@netzero.com Telephone: (801) 278-6413 FORMAL EDUCATION 2000: Ph.D., Sociology, University of Utah (Graduate G.P.A: 3.76) 1972: M.S., Education, University of Utah 1969: B.S., Sociology (w/minors in Psychology & Humanities), University of Utah ACADEMIC POSITIONS 2004 - Present: Full-time Adjunct Professor, Sociology Department, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 2001-2003: Temporary Assistant Professor, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah 1998-2001: Instructor, Salt Lake Community College, Salt Lake City, Utah 1990-1997: Instructor, Sociology Department, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE 1984-1989: Musician, writer, mechanic, construction worker 1973-1983: Owner/ Operator, Page Amusement and Vending Co., Salt Lake City, Utah PUBLICATIONS Page, F. J. (2014). Fiver and the Psychology of Rabbits. Seattle, WA: Novel. Createspace. William James. (Spring 2014). Blackwell American Sociological Association Encyclopedia of Sociology, G. Ritzer (Ed.). Stars and Stripes and Other Signs of Life. (Spring 1996). Journal of Creative Social Discourse. Dancing at the North Yard Cafe. (Spring 1996). Journal of Creative Social Discourse, Spring 1996. Morality and the Mediation of Machines: Star Trek as Icon. Published as part of the proceedings by The Society for the Interdisciplinary Study of Social Imagery (SISSI). Golden, Colorado, May 1994.
PAPERS PRESENTED AT CONFERENCES / SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS Religion as a Total Institution. Presented at the Pacific Sociological Association Convention, San Diego, CA, April 2009. How Does Religion Fit in the Classroom? Presented at the Teaching Symposium, Center for Teaching & Learning Excellence, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, August 2008. American Pragmatist Conceptions of Sentiment and their Absence in Contemporary Symbolic Interactionist Theory. Presented at the Midwestern Sociological Society Convention, Omaha, NE, April 2006. William James on Consciousness, Conduct, and Sentiment. Presented at the American Sociological Association, Chicago, IL, August 2005. Self as Sentiment. Presented at the Pacific Sociological Association Convention, Portland, OR, April 2005. Charles Peirce on Sign, Sentiment, and Self. Presented at the Pacific Sociological Association Convention, San Francisco, CA, April 2004. A Reinterpretation of American Pragmatism and its Influence on Symbolic Interactionism. Presented at the American Sociological Association Convention, Washington, D. C., August 2000. A Reinterpretation of Cooley s Conception of Self and the Social Order. Presented at the American Sociological Association Convention, Washington, D.C., August 2000. On the Sociological Imagination, Methods, and Morals. Guest speaker on methodology and modernity, Dr. Mary Riddick's Graduate class in library science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, November l996. The Meaning and Value of Sociological Insight. Presented at the Utah Women's Studies Group, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, May 1995. Morality and the Mediation of Machines: Star Trek as Icon. Presented at the Society for the Interdisciplinary Study of Social Imagery (SISSI) Convention, Golden, CO, May 1994. Sociology in Film. Presented at the Pacific Sociological Association, Seattle, WA, May 1993. Population, Property, and the Violent Language of Denial: A Study in the Mechanics of Speciesism and Racism. Presented at the Interdisciplinary Conference on Wildlife in Ogden, UT, March 1992. Censorship and the Fear of Obscenity as a Denial of Death. Presented at the Mid-Western Sociological Association Convention, Saint Paul, MN, 1992. PUBLISHED INTERVIEWS ABC News, Storage Sheds and Conspicuous Consumption, and Inequality. Interview Feb. 2017. Documentary on The Importance of Expanding Media Coverage, April 2016. Documentary Interview, Chasing Death, KRCL Video Production, Released Nov. 2014. Radio Interview, Sociology of Religion, Modern Trends, KRCL Radio, May, 2011 Radio Interview, National Public Radio, Modern Paganism, Salt Lake City, Utah, Sept. 2009. Published Interview, Baby Boomers and Aging, Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, Utah, Jan. 2006. Televised Interview, Language of War, Channel Five, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 15, 2003. Televised Speech, Speciesism, Channel Four, Salt Lake City, Utah, July 1997.
BOOK & ARTICLE REVIEWS Journal of Social Thought and Research. (June 28, 2011). Department of Sociology, University of Kansas. Reviewed Journal Article. Social Problems Prospectus Review. (Summer 2004). Wadsworth Publishing. Understanding Social Problems (4 th ed.). (Fall 2003). Mooney, Knox, and Schact, Wadsworth Publishing. Self and Society. (Spring 1994). Hewitt, J. Allyn and Bacon Press. WORKSHOPS / SYMPOSIUMS C. O. D. E. Conference on Diverse Excellence, University of Utah, April, 1016. Modern Religion Symposium, Panelist, St. Luke s Episcopal Church, Park City, Utah, Nov, 2015. World Parliament of Religions Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah, October, 2015. National Conference on Undergraduate Research, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, Panel Moderator, March 20, 2003. Teaching Telecourses Symposium, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, Summer l994. MEMBERSHIPS IN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honor Society American Sociological Association Writers Guild of America AWARDS Professor of the Year Award for Teaching Excellence, Department of Sociology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, April 2011. Professor of the Year Award for Teaching Excellence, Department of Sociology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, April 2009. Nominated for Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Social and Behavior Science, 2016. TEACHING EXPERIENCE My initial teaching experience was acquired while obtaining my Master s Degree in Education. At that time, I taught Psychology at the high school level for one year. However, much of my early college teaching experience took place at the University of Utah. While working on my doctorate, I was an instructor from l992 through l997. During that time, I taught one and sometimes two or three courses per quarter. From 1998 through 2001, while I was finishing my dissertation, I taught at Salt Lake Community College. From December 2002 through August 2003 I held the position of temporary Assistant Professor at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. Currently, from 2004 to the present, I have been a full time adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Utah. I am now regularly teaching Social
Theory, Sociology of Religion, Race, Class and Gender, Social Psychology, Social Inequality, Sociology Through film, and Inequality and the American Dream. I have also taught Introduction to Sociology, Social Problems, Deviance, Marriage and Family, Criminology, Rural Sociology, and Research Methods. I regularly attend Sociology faculty meetings, and I have been the faculty representative for adjunct faculty. I also attend faculty meetings in the Religious Studies Program where I have served on numerous committees, some of which helped to develop the minor and then a major in Religious Studies. In 2008, I proposed and developed the Sociology of Religion which is now cross-listed in the Humanities Religious Studies program. I am also teaching a new class on Sociology Through Film that I also proposed and developed in 2012. I am currently teaching many of my classes online, and, for these classes I videotape lectures and establish online discussions groups. I received the Professor of Year for Teaching Excellence Award from the Department of Sociology at the University of Utah in 2009 and 2011. I have been nominated for other teaching awards on numerous occasions. My teaching evaluations at Westminster College, Salt Lake Community College, and the University of Utah have been consistently high. TEACHING AREAS Social Theory Sociology of Religion Research Methods Criminology Social Problems Rural Sociology Social Inequality Social Psychology Sociology Through Film Deviance Marriage and Family Introduction to Sociology Medical Sociology Race, Class and Gender and the American Dream EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY I am a generalist interested in studying and communicating basic concepts and ideas that illuminate the nature of society and its relationship and effect upon the individual. Social Psychology and Social Theory are my two primary areas of specialization. These fields complement one another in that social theory is very useful at the macro-level, while social psychology has many micro-level applications and also illuminates important macro-micro linkages. Together they provide a sound conceptual frame work for many of my subjects. In my classes, I use a variety of textbooks and materials, and I make a conscientious effort to continually develop a mature syllabus that reflects central concepts, recent research, and important theorists and issues. Essentially, I take a classical, theoretical, and historical approach that draws on theory and research. In doing this, I always underscore the way in which sociological theory and research can be used to contextualize human nature and illuminate factors associated with many social and moral problems such as racism, sexism, speciesism, crime, inequality, conflict, poverty, child abuse, alienation and environmental degradation. Here, I illuminate causation in terms of different yet interacting levels of analysis that include, biology, psychology, sociology, history, economics, politics, religion, family, and
even existential explanations. Most importantly, I always underscore the importance of sound reasoning, empirical analysis, the use of the scientific method, and creative thinking. In teaching, I emphasize discussion and the application of class materials to current events. In my online classes, my students participate on discussion boards and by email, and in some cases may get together for group projects and discussion. To help students formulate their views and express them clearly and logically, I always assign papers, and give my students a variety of topics, and qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches to choose from. These include not only formal research papers such as surveys and experiments, or metaanalysis, but also ethnography, personal histories, participant observation, role playing experiments, breaching experiments and the analysis of biographies, novels, histories, movies, and documentaries, diaries, and current events, all of which is done with an eye to students being immersed and deeply engaged with the materials. With that in mind, in all of my classes I always supply a suggested book list, and a list of suggested documentaries and movies that they can write about. This is complemented by examinations which can be objective or essay. In grading papers and essay exams, I always give guidance on issues of grammar and organization, while addressing issues of logic, the strength of conclusions and arguments, and most importantly, insight and authenticity. The goals and values that guide my teaching and research are traditional enlightenment ideals that propose that reason, knowledge, and creativity can be used to promote and preserve freedom, morality, and human well-being. Much of my inspiration comes from C. Wright Mill s and his conception of The Sociological Imagination, that essentially proposes that sociologists address the relationship between society and personal well-being and put forth a clear model and concepts that people can understand. As noted by Mills, much of this entails addressing the malaise often associated personal and social problems, and thereby clarifying underlying phenomena and articulating social issues clearly. As a result, my goal as a teacher and researcher in sociology is to make human interdependence and the existence and influence of the social order and other social forces obvious and understandable. My assumption is that this knowledge will help individuals, policy makers, parents, and voters make better decisions. My hope is that it will allow people to be more objective in their analysis of human problems and more compassionate and understanding in their judgment of others. Moreover, I think that democracies require an enlightened public if they are to function fairly and effectively, and that the shear survival of society and the planet depends upon having an open informed discussion. AREAS OF ACADEMIC INTEREST AND SPECIALIZATION My primary areas of interest are social psychology and sociological theory. In social psychology, in addition to the areas of social cognition, perception, and communication, I have emphasized the study of symbolic interactionism and American pragmatism. Accordingly, the works of Charles S. Peirce, William James, John Dewey, George Herbert Mead, Charles Cooley, and Herbert Blumer have had a profound influence on my thinking. I have also been interested in the writings of Erving Goffman, and the sociology of knowledge perspectives put forth by Max Weber, Karl Mannheim, Hans Girth and C. Wright Mills, and Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann.
Although symbolic interactionism is said to have a micro-level focus, in my studies and my teaching, I emphasize the macro-micro linkages illuminated by symbolic interactionism and the sociology of knowledge. In doing that, I am able to underscore the degree to which individual consciousness, perception, motivation, well-being, and behavior are influenced by the nature of the social order and a person's social location. This, in turn, has allowed me to use social psychology to address issues associated with sexism, racism, family, speciesism, stratification, inequality, alienation, and poverty. My other area of specialization is theory. I treat sociological theory as a focus upon macro-theory that complements my studies in social psychology and the emphasis I give to macro-micro linkages. With an eye to macro-micro linkages and their relevance to social psychology, in my study of theory I take a special interest in classical conceptions of ideology, social control, authority, power, and stratification. Consequently, my perspective on theory has been influenced by classical conceptions put forth by Max Weber, Karl Mannheim, Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Robert K. Merton, George Simmel, Thorstein Veblen, C. Wright Mills and others. In my classes, I emphasize the way in which the social order influences personal wellbeing, attitudes, and motivation. I treat social stratification as a measurement of the health and morality of a society, and as a measurement of the degree to which a society is meeting basic human needs. I also address social change, alienation, technology, sexism, racism, speciesism, ageism, ecology, and a number of other social issues. My approach to sociology is pragmatic and eclectic. I utilize different theories and schools of thought to address and emphasize different social processes, realities, and problems. Accordingly, my teaching is not restricted to any one tradition or perspective. Rather than seeing different methods and schools of thought as disparate or in conflict with one another, I see them as complementary in that each of them describe different aspects of the same social reality, and I present them in that way. OUTSIDE AREA OF STUDY In my doctoral program, my outside area of interest was in the field of communication. I have completed over 60 hours of graduate study in the Department of Communication at the University of Utah. In my course work, I studied conversational analysis, interpersonal communication, critical theory, communication theory, semiotics, qualitative methods, and post-modernism. Many of the theorists and concepts I studied in Communication complemented my studies in social theory and social psychology. In addition, some of the communication classes that I took in qualitative methods were very innovative and have proved to be very useful. DISSERTATION My dissertation is entitled A Reinterpretation of the Influence of American Pragmatism on Symbolic Interactionist Theory. It is a qualitative and theoretical study that addresses American pragmatism and its influence upon symbolic interactionism. It entails in-depth summaries and critiques of the writings and conceptions of self put forth by Charles Peirce,
William James, Charles Cooley, and George Herbert Mead. Essentially, it posits that while many assumptions that underlie symbolic interactionist theory and conceptions of self are drawn from the American pragmatists, many concepts and principles put forth by the American pragmatists have been overlooked or misinterpreted and are not reflected in current symbolic interactionist theory. In my dissertation I argue that conceptions of sentiment and self as sentiment proposed by William James and Charles Cooley, and Cooley's argument that sentiments are central to the nature of the social order are important key concepts that have been overlooked or misinterpreted. Because these concepts have relevance for models of self, emotion, consciousness, the social order, meaning, and macro-micro linkages, I conclude that their inclusion in modern theory could change the nature and direction of existing SI theory, and thus make a major contribution to modern theory. GOALS AND PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY Having worked in both the public and private sectors, I have found that I m more content when my work entails more than just personal gain and includes some kind of contribution. Similarly, I have found that I m happier when I m engaged in something interesting and something that is relevant to the times and the problems of the times. To the extent that teaching and doing research brings me this gratification, my long-term, personal goal has been to find a position where I can use my formal training as a sociologist and my various life experiences to teach and do research. Put simply, I believe in the enlightenment values, and I think that knowledge can be used to mitigate suffering and increase well-being. Seeing knowledge as a source of empowerment, in my teaching and my research, I strive to create and impart knowledge that is useful and meaningful, not only for academics, but for people in all walks of life. To that end, I have spent a good portion of my life integrating my study in sociology with my interests in literature, art, and history, and with my everyday experience in a variety of jobs, milieus, and situations. That being the case, for me, sociology is not just a job or a career, but rather the ongoing development of my character and the meaning in my life. Teaching is also something that I do well, and I find satisfaction in that.