There is a general consensus that individuals who engage in some form of youth service or activism are profoundly impacted by their experience and go on to live more fruitful lives.
Is that always the case? Doug McAdam, a sociology professor at Stanford University, will explore that question in the next Contemporary Issues Series lecture at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
The event, titled "The Civic Impact of Youth Voluntarism: The Curious Contrast between Freedom Summer and Teach for America," is Monday, March 11, at 7 p.m. in the Young Auditorium.
Susan Johnson, chair of the Political Science Department, hopes students will take advantage of the unique learning opportunity the lecture series presents.
"This is a way for students to meet professionals working on issues relating to what they are learning in the classroom," Johnson said. "It also helps students see how their education can be applied to issues in today's society."
McAdam is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. An author and co-author of 15 books and 75 articles in political sociology, he is a pre-eminent scholar in the field of social movements and politics" who played a key role in developing the political process model in social movement analysis.
McAdam's works on race in the United States, most notably, "Freedom Summer," won the distinguished C. Wright Mills book award in 1990. McAdam is the recipient of the 2012 Gunnar Myrdal Prize.
The lecture is free and open to the public.
Photo by Linda A. Cicero/Stanford News Service