Kelly A. Dagan Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Department of Sociology

Education: Hiram College (Ohio), B.A. 1993; Kent State University, M.A. 1995; Ph.D. 2000

Courses: Introduction to Sociology; Race and Ethnicity; Social Problems; Social Research; Sociology of Sport; The Sociological Imagination; Sociology of Gender; Contemporary Sociological Theory; Sociology of Religion

Certified Instructor: Rape Aggression Defense System, a self-defense system for women who may be attacked for the purpose of sexual assault and abduction

Research Interests: Stratification with a focus on the intersection of race, class, gender and sexuality

Some of Professor Kelly A. Dagan’s best classes are those in which the students are not listening to her. They are listening to one another.

“My classes aren’t about getting students to agree with me or my ideas,” says Dagan. “My goal is to present them with another way of looking at the world. I want my students to explore the broader social influences that explain individual behavior. This can lead to some fairly lively discussions.”

Dagan delves into all the hot-button issues in her courses: race, gender, class, politics and sexuality. She prides herself on creating an open, honest environment in her classroom that allows students to talk about issues they might feel uncomfortable discussing in other settings. She only asks that they keep an open mind.

“Students are willing to talk about their lives and what they see their roles as being,” says Dagan. “But it takes time to develop critical thinking. I don’t mean criticizing or pointing out problems. I mean analyzing social life and thinking about what they can do to make a difference.”

The daughter of an auto worker and a homemaker, Dagan grew up in a Mecca, Ohio. She earned her B.A. at Hiram College and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Kent State University. She was awarded a fellowship at Kent State and was an instructor of sociology for two years. Dagan, however, found lecturing to classes of 200 students sometimes frustrating.

“My experience at Kent State was invaluable but I wanted the chance to get to know my students,” she says. “You can’t do that when you’re lecturing over a microphone to a packed auditorium. I wasn’t becoming the kind of teacher I wanted to be. I want to know my students and I want them to know me, which is exactly what I have at Illinois College.”

Dagan joined Illinois College in 2001. In addition to the smaller class size, Dagan valued the college’s liberal arts tradition. One of the appealing aspects of sociology, she says, is that it pairs well with other disciplines that have different yet complimentary ideas. For example, Dagan collaborated with other faculty to develop a course entitled “Sociology of Religion.” She also developed new courses on sociology and gender, and sociology and sports. One of her favorite courses to teach is “Race and Ethnicity.”

“This class is a continual learning experience for me,” says Dagan. “As a white woman lecturing on race and ethnicity there is much I can learn from my students. The composition of the class is different every semester and a student inevitably will bring up something I hadn’t thought of before.”

Dagan is author of several scholarly articles and presentations. Her subjects have included how power affects emotions; women and welfare; and family violence. Dagan has led students to national meetings and coordinates field placements to enhance the link between theory and practice.

 

   

 

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