Sociology Needs an Infusion: Adding Settler Colonialism and Contemporary Native Peoples to the Recipe

Session Submission Type: Workshop

Description

Although settler colonialism is an ongoing social structure that undergirds and permeates nearly every aspect of U.S. society, the field of sociology has largely been remiss in exploring its existence and impacts. Thus, this workshop will “disrupt the status quo” by inviting participants to become attuned to how ongoing settler colonialism continues to shape U.S. society and thus should be embedded in sociological teaching and inquiry about this society. Specifically, this workshop will 1) provide participants with opportunities to identify mechanisms of settler colonialism that cause problems within and beyond the discipline, while also revealing how sociological subfields can become more robust by incorporating settler colonialism into their analyses; 2) explain why sociologists should cover the sovereignty of Native Nations and provide examples of how they can do so; 3) impart the importance of integrating contemporary Indigenous Peoples and futures into the discipline of sociology and explore ways participants can do so. This workshop is for those who teach sociology, write or publish sociology textbooks, and sociologists who study varied topics. Participants will leave with a working definition of ongoing U.S. settler colonialism; ideas about how to infuse analyses of settler colonialism into their research and teaching; and awareness of how including tribal sovereignty and contemporary Indigenous Peoples & Native Peoples in curriculum, analysis, and writing strengthens sociology’s capacity to address intertwined forms of domination while supporting anti-colonial futures for Native and non-Native people. Ultimately, we echo Walter et al.’s (2023) question in the opening pages of The Oxford Handbook of Indigenous Sociology: “Is sociology prepared to acknowledge and situate [settler] colonization, historically and contemporaneously, as the social foundation of societies in nation-states such as Australia, Canada, the United States, and Aotearoa New Zealand?” (10).

Sub Unit

• Workshops / Teaching Workshop

Presenters

• Laurel R. Davis-Delano, Springfield College

• Kimberly R. Huyser, University of British Columbia

• Melissa Horner-Petrone, University of Missouri-Columbia

Session Organizer

• Melissa Horner-Petrone, University of Missouri-Columbia