7 Questions with New Faculty Member Sean L. Young

Name: Sean L. Young

Education:

B.S., Physics, Roberts Wesleyan College, 1994

M.A., Intercultural Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary, 1999

M.A., Sociology, Loyola University Chicago, 2011

Ph.D., Sociology, Loyola University Chicago, 2019

1. What was your favorite class in college? Why?

Tough one to answer because I have one class that was my favorite and one that was most important. The most important class I took was in seminary, called “The Poor in Scripture” and Society, because it opened my eyes to the central place of the poor and marginalized in the Good News. My favorite was probably a course called “Engaged Methods” while working on my Ph.D. because it showed me the power of collaborative, community-based research for positive transformation of both academia and local organizations.

2. Before Wheaton, what were you doing?

Before Wheaton, I was on faculty teaching Sociology at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

3. What big question are you trying to answer through your work?

My work elicits a lot of different questions, depending on the audiences, but some of the big questions in which I'm most interested relate to how everyday people create social change through their civic participation in larger institutions. Since many of those institutions aren't ostensibly "political", yet whose work often has broadly political implications, I try to ask questions about how institutions, rules, policies, and everyday practices might help (or hinder) people becoming more active, engaged citizens working toward the common good.

4. What has kept you busy during the pandemic?

During the pandemic I've been keeping busy trying to do a bit more personal research and exploration on issues of racial justice and potential responses from primarily white institutions. For me, this has been an attempt to broaden the sources of inspiration and information about these crucial issues. I've also perfected a recipe for banana bread, and our dog has gotten a lot more walks than usual.

5. Do you get butterflies the night before the first day of school?

I don't get butterflies the night before the first day of school. Those come, and set up a vacation home, about three weeks before school starts and probably don't leave until sometime around mid-semester.

6. What would you have liked to tell the freshman version of yourself about going to college?

I would have benefited from college much more had I realized my task was to learn how to think and communicate well—about myself and about the world. I think my sense of self was driven by what I thought my major and career path meant for me. I looked at the careers that my degree program would likely lead to and then extrapolated what type of person I must therefore shape myself into. There is a lot of truth to that in certain circumstances. But, as a freshman in college, not so much (at least in my opinion). I would have told myself to use each class, regardless of whether or not it related to what I thought I would be doing in five or 10 years, as a way to learn how to foster curiosity and exploration in myself. Those practices also teach yourself to be a flexible and agile thinker, regardless of the content.

7. When you’re not teaching or researching, what do you like to do?

I really enjoy cooking and baking (hence the aforementioned perfected banana bread recipe).