Home Page
Sociology is a Useful Tool
Home Page of
Mary Cay Sengstock, Ph.D., C.C.S.
Professor
Department of Sociology
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI 48202
Office Address: 2237 FAB
Phone 313-577-2157
Fax: 313-882-3984
e-mail me
INDEX:
Teaching Schedule -- Abused Elders -- Applied/Clinical Sociology -- Chaldean Research
Consulting Services -- Departmental Graduate Director --
Ethnic Research -- Other Professional Interests --
Other Interests -- Professional Background -- Professional Activities
Message to Students -- Violence in the Family
Current Teaching Schedule:
During the Winter, 2009, term, I am teaching the following:
"Society and Aging" (SOC 5760)
"Law & Society" (SOC 5810)
"Applied and Clinical Sociology II"
I am also teaching SOC 6590 -- "Applied and Clinical Sociology I"
-- to a limited number of students on a Directed Study basis.
Clink on the above link for information.
Exciting New Activities!
New Book! Voices of Diversity: Multi-Culturalism in America:
Ethnic diversity is one of the most exciting characteristics of the
United States. Although some have suggested that ethnic or cultural
backgrounds are unimportant, many citizens of the U.S. are deeply
affected by the cultural characteristics of the nation or region from
which their ancestors originated -- often in ways of which they are
completely unaware. I am in the process of writing a book, titled
Voices of Diversity: Multi-Culturalism in America. The book
will review the status which immigrants and ethnic groups have
experienced in the Uniited States from colonial days until today.
The manner in groups which are "different" from the dominant white
Anglo-Saxon Protestant group has not changed much throughout the
entire period. This book will draw upon interviews with 30 persons
from multi-cultural families conducted in the late 1990s and early
2000s. These families included multi-nationality, multi-religious,
and multi-racial individuals: a Jewish father and a Christian mother;
a Native American father and a Black mother; etc. My respondents
were among the most fascinating people you could meet! Having
come from a background in which cultural diversity was an important
dimension of their daily life at home, perhaps their family experiences
can help us deal more effectively with diversity in society as a whole!
In this project I am joined by 3 co-authors who are themselves well
versed in the area of multi-cultural diversity: Dr. Arifa Javed, Brenda
Marshall, M.A., and Sonya Berkley, M.A. The book is now in
production, and is scheduled to be published by Springer in early 2009.
Elder Abuse Identification and Assistance Project:
The Final Report of my research project, funded by Blue Cross
and Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, to improve identification and
services to abused elderly in Michigan, is now complete. You can
obtain copies by emailing me.
CONSULTING AVAILABLE:
Training sessions/lectures for health and social service professionals:
- Identification and Management of Elder Abuse Cases
- Ethnic Influences on the Health Care and Other Professional Services
- Ethnic Differences in Family Behavior
- Chaldean and Arabic Communities of Metropolitan Detroit
Professional Background:
Ph.D., Sociology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO (1967)
A.M., Sociology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (1960)
Ph.B., Sociology, University of Detroit-Mercy, Detroit, MI (1958)
Licensed Social Worker in the State of Michigan
Certified Clinical Sociologist (C.C.S.) (since 1985)
Departmental Graduate Director:
Beginning January, 1999, I am serving as Graduate Program Director
of the Department of Sociology, Wayne State University.
Our Department offers both M.A. and Ph.D. degrees.
* Information about the Graduate Program in Sociology can be found
on the Department of Sociology web site.
* General information about graduate work at Wayne State University,
including Scholarship applications, Plan of Work forms, et cetera, can
be obtained from the Wayne State University Graduate School web site.
* Admissions information, including aplications, can be found in the
Wayne State University Admissions Office web site.
If you are an international student, please consult the
International Student Office web site also.
Questions?
Please feel free to contact me. Use the Departmental Address listed above;
or call at 313-577-2157, or email me
Areas of Professional Activity:
Applied/Clinical Sociology:
Many aspects of sociology can assist people in improving their relationships
with other people. Sociology is a sterile discipline unless it is applied to
everyday life. Clinical and Applied Sociology strive to assist people in using
sociological principles in this way. Each term I teach an on-line course on
this topic. For further information, you may access the web page for these
courses: SOC 6580 and SOC 6590.
In August, 2005, I received the Lester F. Ward Award for contributions
to Applied and Clinical Sociology from the Sociological Practice Association
at their annual meeting in Philadelphia, PA. In October, 2003, I also received
the Marvin Olsen Award from the Michigan Sociological Association for
contributions to Sociology in Michigan.
The Sociological Practice Association, and the Society for Applied Sociology,
recently merged to form the Association for Applied and Clincial Sociology.
These groups, together with the Sociological Practice Section of the American
Sociological Association, are dedicated to the development of activities and
programs to increase the use of sociology in this manner.
The Sociological Practice Association (now merged with the Society for
Applied Sociology to form the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology,
has a certification program which determines whether Ph.D. or M.A. prepared
sociologists are qualified to operate as clinical sociologists.
The Commission on Applied and Clinical Sociology, of which I am Board
Member, accredits degree programs in applied and clinical sociology.
Interested in learning about Jobs in Sociology? This web site will provide examples.
Information on Sociology can also be obtained from a variety of other sociological
associations.
Chaldean Community of Detroit:
Dr. Sengstock has been conducting research on the Chaldean community of
Metropolitan Detroit since 1962. The Second Edition of her book,
Chaldean-Americans: Changing Conceptions of Ethnic Identity, was published
by the Center for Migration Studies (Staten Island, NY). [1999. pp. 200. $19.97.
ISBN 1-57703-013-3. LC 98-47568.] This is a substantially revised edition
of the book originally published in 1982. The original edition of the book received
the Wayne State University Board of Governors Award for faculty excellence in 1984.
Another book on the Chaldean community, Chaldeans in Michigan, was published
by the Michigan State University Press in 2005.
Cultural Award from the Chaldean Federation of America:
On December 17, 1999, Dr. Sengstock received the Cultural Award from the
Chaldean Federation -- "In recognition for your continued dedication and support
of the Chaldean Community." Dr. Sengstock represented the Chaldean community
to the U.S. Census Bureau in 1998, in a successful attempt to have the Chaldeans
defined as an ethnic group, as opposed to a religious group, which entitles them to
be counted by the U.S. Census in 2000.
Chaldeans are immigrants from Iraq who practice a specific "rite" of the Catholic
Church. Chaldeans use the Chaldean language (also called Aramaic) in their ritual.
However, most Chaldean immigrants today speak Arabic, the national language of
Iraq. Chaldean immigrants first began coming to Detroit around 1910. In 2001, there are
approximately 140,000 Chaldeans in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. See the
Chaldean Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle in the United States, for further
information on Chaldeans. There are other groups in the United States which
also originate from the northern area of Iraq, from which the Chaldeans originate.
These other groups also use the Aramaic language, but are not Roman Catholic.
They generally identify as "Assyrians." This area was the site of ancient
Mesopotamia, of which the major city was Nineveh.
It is a sad commentary on society that many people abuse those who should
be able to depend upon them for protection. Contrary to popular opinion, this
is not a problem area which originated with the modern world -- family abuse
has been around for centuries. It also pervades all subgroups and strata of society
-- it is not confined to any single racial or ethnic group, or to the lower class.
This area of study includes children who are abused (physically, emotionally, or
sexually) by their parents or other caregivers. It also includes battered wives
(or, less frequently, battered husbands), and abused elderly.
My own research in this area includes needs assessments of abused wives,
as well as mechanisms for identifying and assisting abused elderly.
An outline of my Training Program on Identification and Assistance for
Abused Elders may be found by clicking on the above link.
A number of resources are available on elder abuse and family violence
in general. These sites can be reached by clicking on the appropriate name:
American Medical Association -- description of family violence
American Medical Association -- resources on family violence
Elder Abuse Law (Michael Schwartz)
National Center on Elder Abuse
Students -- a Special Message:
For Students (or Prospective Students) in My Sociology Courses:
For descriptions or syllabi of specific courses, click on the course number:
SOC 5870 -- "Violence in the Family"
SOC 5810 -- "Law and Society" (Sociology of Law)
SOC 6580 -- "Applied Sociology I: Methods and Theory in Applied
and Clinical Settings"
SOC 6590 -- "Applied Sociology II: Strategies for Changing Social Behavior"
SOC 7030 -- "Proseminar"
For advice on preparing a good term paper in Sociology courses, click here.
Other areas of Professional Activity:
Gerontology [For information, contact the Gerontological Society of America.]
Faculty Member of the Women's Studies Program, Wayne State University.
Member and Past President of the Academic Senate, Wayne State University.
Former Grievance Coordinator -- Wayne State University Chapter of the American
Association of University Professors/American Federation of Teachers.
Other Interests:
My 3 Kitties: Presto, Tango, and Nemo. Also Country Line Dancing.
Revised 1/4/2009