Interview with Gabriella Smith

Dr. Smith is currently a sociologist who teaches at Radford University in Virginia and is part of the humanities faculty for the Governor’s School for Visual & Performing Arts and Humanities.

Can you explain your career and what you research?

Well, my career has had a circuitous path. I started off years ago as a garden designer and florist and event planner, but I migrated to academic work after I decided to get my college degree by my 30th birthday. I am a first-generation college graduate, and I had never really considered graduate school until I had professors who encouraged me. I still love gardening and events, and do weddings on the side for friends, but I fell in love with teaching and research. I am a recent Ph.D. graduate in Sociology, from the University of Virginia in 2019, but I’ve taught in higher ed since I got my first master’s degree in 2009. My current career is a mix of endeavors, which I find keeps me on my toes. I teach a few classes, usually at Radford University in the Sociology department, I also do consulting work on diversity and workplace inclusion, and I develop programs on anti-racism education. I teach various classes, by my favorite topics include Gender and Sexuality, Race and Ethnicity, Cultural Sociology, Qualitative Methods, and Social Inequality. My research focuses on the intersections of culture, gender, and race. Right now, I’m working to turn my dissertation into a book. That research focuses on white racial progressives, examining the ways whiteness and gender identity shape the way people navigate family relationships with relatives who are racially regressive, the way whites in areas of low racial diversity have to creatively demonstrate commitments to racial equality, and the emotional and behavioral barriers that get in the ways of “woke” whites making real structural change.

What drew you to study sociology and culture, gender, race relations?

I remember being an undergraduate at the University of Kansas and seeing students pour out of their introductory Elements of Sociology class (which averages hundreds of students per class) and thinking “sociology sounds boring!” (Not that I had any concept of what sociology was, mind you. As a discipline we’re not well understood.) I began as an anthropology major at KU but had to leave school for several years. When I went back to complete my degree at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, I was in a joint Anthropology and Sociology department. I was resistant at first but soon fell in love with sociology as a discipline. It gave me the conceptual tools to understand how the world worked in all of its complexity and the methodological tools to pursue any social question I could think of.

Because of my already existing interest in cultural anthropology, I dove into sociology of culture classes. Understanding how we learn to communicate, the role of symbols, how families are constructed, the ways subcultures exist within larger culture. All of this seemed so relevant and applicable to me. I took classes on gender and feminist theory, and gained the language to understand my gendered experiences, which was a powerful moment for me. I came to my interest in studying race later, through my readings in gender inequality and its intersections with race. I’m so grateful for this intellectual path. It’s opened up my eyes to the persistence of structural inequalities, the way systems of oppression are flexible and adaptable, and the particular challenges that bring to achieving social change. But it has also shown me change is possible and given me a way to envision a better world (with research to back it up).

What are some of your most memorable experiences as a sociologist and/or professor that

inspire you to continue your work?

In sociology we talk about the “sociological lens” and how difficult it can be to turn it off once you begin to see the world that way, with a structural orientation rather than seeing everything rooted in individual actions. I love seeing students have that “lightbulb moment” where things click, and they see how their individual lives are shaped by larger social forces. It’s powerful - disorienting, and empowering all at once! One of my favorite things is when a former student emails me out of the blue commenting on some article or social phenomenon or wanting to share some anecdote that they relate back to class, and how having that sociological lens helps them understand or present an alternative viewpoint to someone. This doesn’t just happen with students in my university classes, but it can happen in consulting work too. Sociology opens conceptual doors in ways that is so gratifying to see.

As a professor for the Governor’s School for Humanities, why do you believe the humanities

are important for students of this generation?

I hear from so many young people who are inspired by sociology but face pressure from family or advisors to pursue degrees that are specifically skills-based, and this saddens me. Humanities and social sciences provide students with softer skills, but those skills are applicable in nearly every profession. Critical thinking, analytical skills, writing and communicating, all of these are vital no matter your career path. There’s a large amount of research showing that trends in higher education show elite schools are re-investing in education in the humanities, reinforcing the importance of philosophy, sociology, history, and the rest. So while Harvard and UVA are instituting programs designed to graduate more well-rounded students, other less competitive schools are dramatically decreasing focus on these programs and focusing on narrow career-based programs. This is likely to have the long-term effect of undermining the democratizing effect broader access to higher education has had in this country, making humanities and social science degrees once again the purview of a narrow elite, while devaluing other more technically-focused degrees. (If this interests you, I highly recommend Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom’s book Lower Ed). I’d also point out that in this era of endless information and pervasive fake news, having a good founding in critical thinking is important to navigating our complex media landscape. Plus, I’ll just say there is a good reason they have a sociology section on the MCAT exam…

This year was especially different due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the various social issues,

such as systemic racial inequality, that were brought to light. Because these social issues and

social justice movements were brought to light, I believe that there are opportunities for

social innovation in our society. Can you explain what innovation is to you, and how do you

think we can be innovative in combating these current social issues?

Sociologist Ann Swidler talks about what happens in a culture during “unsettled times.” These times are when change is its most possible, but also when instability can have a larger effect of making people look to more traditional, entrenched ideas as a way to cope with uncertainty. We are certainly seeing this now. After coming off of 30+ years in the color blind era, where overt racism was shunned and replaced with color-blind racism (read Eduardo Bonilla-Silva’s classic Racism without Racists) we are seeing dual claims that America isn’t racist at the same time overt racism is becoming more visible again. My research into white racial progressives shows me that real social change is difficult and must be tackled on two levels, the cultural and the structural. The cultural comes in things like people setting new norms for acceptable action, for example. Stating that racist behavior, microagressions, racial slurs are unacceptable and carry negative social sanctions. This changes what is to be expected and defines the boundaries of behavior. People’s attitudes will change, and kids will grow up with new norms. The second level, the structural, requires sustained action and changes in rules, laws, and bureaucratic procedures. In my work I contend that we are in a racially liminal time, a moment where we are leaving the color blind era where we as a culture claimed to be beyond race, into a new era. We don’t know what that new era will be yet. We are seeing its violent birth now, but all actions to make sure that a new racial era looks more equitable and less like our Jim Crow past are important. There is no guarantee things will improve, so it is up to us to change our behaviors and advocate for change through voting, lobbying, and other direct actions. Because systems of oppression, including the white supremacist racial order in this country, are extremely good at adapting to new cultural situations while preserving existing hierarchies. This is a crucial and dangerous time.

I believe many students were inspired to take action or spread awareness about social issues

this year, but were not sure how to go about it. Do you have any recommendations for

students who want to inform themselves on current events, and take direct action in order to

bring social change?

Yes! There is a dizzying array of options, so it’s hard to choose a path. I’m a big fan of

organizations like Race Forward, which are media-savvy and have online and accessible trainings and practices. Most places also have chapters of the NAACP or other local organizations that have existed for so long, have strong networks on the ground, and are always looking for young volunteers. Social activism doesn’t have to be about reinventing the wheel and starting from the ground up. There’s also so much good information out there, lots of books and articles, and as an academic, I’m a fan of organizing book clubs or reading groups based on anti-racism or other, related topics. Schools have clubs and colleges have diversity offices that are absolute treasure troves of information. You can see if your city has a civilian police review board if you’re interested in social justice, or there are multitudes of political campaigns right now. These are good places to network with like-minded people in your area and share plans and ideas.

Do you have any advice for students who are interested in studying sociology in the future?

Yes! Take TWO sociology classes if you can, one intro and one in a specific topic that you find interesting. If you are thinking about a major or minor, the American Sociological Association has resources on what careers look like with undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degrees in Sociology. I’d advise people to expect some pushback after expressing an interest in sociology, but if it is something that fires your imagination then trust that there are resources out there to help bolster any argument you might need to make to justify your choices. No matter what career you end up choosing, having a foundation in sociology helps with research literacy, analytical thinking, critical evaluation, and understanding the importance of good data. This should serve you well no matter what, and you’ll appreciate having that “sociological lens” in your arsenal of skills.