It is with deep sadness that we mourn Richard's passing in December 2023
What courses does Richard teach?
I teach SOCI 111, and occasionally 112; SOCI 240 (Social Control and Resistance); SOCI 280 (Consumer Culture); SOCI 380 (Globalization and Cultural Change); SOCI 382 (Crimes Against Humanity); and as of this September, SOCI 360 (Work in Contemporary Societies). I also teach in Global Studies, and while I've taught a number of courses there, currently I'm doing GLST 212 (Global Problems to Local Solutions: A Sociological Perspective).
Why did Richard choose to teach Sociology?
I rather stumbled into Sociology, having no idea as to what the discipline was about (except, presumably, something "social"), and after having tried and failed a swathe of Business Administration courses. I was a very disenchanted and estranged young man, had hated high school (to the point of dropping out), and yet had a burning hunger for knowledge and a drive to answer some of the big "why" questions of our world: why is there so much misery and poverty?, why is there so much war?, why can't we learn to get along?, and so on. Sociology helped me in my quest to answer, or at least address, some of these big "why" questions, but also came at a time when I was really trying to make sense of my own place in the world. I didn't know it then, but it was the promise of a sociological imagination, and its liberating effects, that gave Sociology, for me, it's staying power.
What does Richard love about VIU?
I most appreciate at VIU my colleagues. We have a very respectful department, and something of a live and let live philosophy when it comes to our respective approaches to teaching topics and techniques. VIU has also permitted me to continue on my eternal quest for knowledge, or at least greater knowing. I'm still the student I was 25 years ago, and am blessed with the opportunity to continue learning and growing via the best vehicle there is for these things, and that's teaching.