Sociology faculty take part in International Teaching Week in the Czech Republic

Sociology Professor Anne R. Roschelle and Human Services Instructor Katherine Raynor brought their expertise in the field of social pedagogy on International Teaching Day Nov. 5, during a virtual appearance at the Palacký University Olomouc in the Czech Republic, where they spoke to nearly 40 young people from countries such as Hungary, Poland, Croatia and Germany.   

Raynor spoke to the need for social pedagogy in the U.S. education system, while Roschelle honed in on the importance of understanding how social structure and inequality impact disenfranchised populations.  

They both discussed the issue of burnout in the U.S. social work profession, in an effort to create cross-cultural communication on important issues in the U.S. 

“I wanted to educate social workers about the ways in which poverty and inequality impact people’s behavior, so they understand why people make seemingly irrational and self-destructive choices,” said Roschelle. “Understanding a person’s social location is vital so clients aren’t treated with disrespect.” 

A common curricular method in teaching sociology and human services across Europe, social pedagogy emphasizes the importance of finding a common humanity in relation to one another. SUNY New Paltz is one of the few U.S. universities to emphasize social pedagogy in its sociology and human services curriculum. 

“Social pedagogy is a European model for human services that we lack here in the United States, but we have it at SUNY New Paltz,” said Raynor. “Both of our talks connected to the need for this kind of teaching, and why we need to emphasize supporting and understanding vulnerable people in this country.”  

Roschelle and Raynor’s work in the field of sociology and social pedagogy is critical in changing perceptions of how social workers can go beyond making clinical diagnoses or filing casework by directly addressing the impact of social inequity on the individuals they serve. 

“The nice thing is that we encourage our students through both the Sociology program and its human services concentration to understand structural inequalities on a deeper level,” said Roschelle. “Understanding how to deliver services comes down to the structure of society and how this structure is taught in schools.”  

Taking part in International Teaching Day is just one of the ways Roschelle, Raynor and their Department of Sociology colleagues bring international education into the fold of their teachings. The Department of Sociology has also offered coursework over the years allowing students to engage with ways human services professionals in other countries serve their most vulnerable.

“Intercultural experiences are, I think, one of the best things that a student can get from education,” said Raynor. “It’s important for students to learn what countries like South Africa and Germany are doing to address similar issues and then work to achieve a similar solution in the United States.”  

The International Teaching Week offers students and the general public the opportunity to meet experts from abroad and learn how teaching is done at foreign universities. The event is also a great opportunity to get to know Czech and foreign students. The participants were supported by the CEEPUS and Erasmus+ programs. 

Click here to learn more about the Department of Sociology at SUNY New Paltz.