About Me

I earned my Ph.D. in sociology from American University, Washington D.C. My undergraduate degree is in sociology and my MSC is in industrial sociology from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. I have authored more than 20 articles, edited one book, and have authored and co-authored three books. My most recent 2018 publication Caribbean Masala won the Caribbean Studies Association Book Prize in 2019. I have taught at Susquehanna University since 2000 and am also professor of sociology.

Growing up in Trinidad gave me some unique insights into how resources are distributed in a developing nation. That led, perhaps inevitably, into my study of sociology and economics and my particular interest in economic development policy and its effect on people.

What I have found is that, whether the country is developed or not, issues of race, class and gender remain critical elements influencing how globalization brings once-distant nations and cultures within closer proximity to each other.

In the classroom, I strive to teach my students how to interpret empirical data, and then to use that data to inform their opinions, instead of basing their opinions off of some ideological fantasy. So often we cling to what we learn early on and never question our own truths, when in fact they often are not truths at all.

All of this is central to the liberal arts tradition that I think is so crucial to developing young minds. In the globalized society we live in today, it is integral to be able to think critically when attempting to solve the complex problems that face contemporary society.

Professional Experience

Dave Ramsaran
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Susquehanna University
514 University Ave
Selinsgrove PA 17870
USA
Office: 570-372-4757
Email: ramsaran@vko29.com

EDUCATION

• Ph.D. Sociology, American University (Dissertation: “Gender and Development: the Case of a Small Ex-Colonial Multicultural Society”)

• M.SC. Sociology, The University of the West Indies (Thesis: “Trade Union Organization: A Comparative Study of the Oil and Sugar Sectors in Trinidad and Tobago”)

• B.Sc. Sociology. The University of the West Indies

WORK EXPERIENCE

• September 2010- present Professor Dept of Sociology and Anthropology & Director of the Honors Program, Susquehanna University, 514 University Ave, Selinsgrove PA 17870

• September 2004-August 2010 Associate Professor/ Chair Dept of Sociology and Anthropology, Susquehanna University, 514 University Ave, Selinsgrove PA 17870

• August 2000-August 2004 Assistant Professsor. Dept of Sociology and Anthropology, Susquehanna University, 514 University Ave, Selinsgrove PA 17870. Conducts research, serve on various University Committees and teach the following courses: Principles of Sociology, Introduction to Diversity, Research Methods, Sociological Theory, Development Globalization and Society, Social Stratification in Contemporary Society, Caribbean Culture and Society, Economic Sociology, Immigration and Views from the Third World.

• July 1998-July 2000. Lecturer. Dept of Government Sociology and Social Work, The University of The West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados. Taught Research Methods (both quantitative and qualitative) and Sociological Theory (both classical and modern theory).

• January 1998-May 1998. Adjunct Professor. Dept of Sociology, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC Taught the Advanced Regression Module for Graduate Students.

• August 1996-May 1998 Development Manager. Office of Sponsored Programs, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC. Assisted faculty members seeking funding from private and federal sources with grant-writing and budget preparations.

• January 1996-May 1996 & January 1997-May 1997. Adjunct Professor. Dept of Sociology, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC . Taught the class “Views from the Third World.”

• February 1991-August 1993 Research Fellow. The Institute for Social and Economic Research, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus Trinidad and Tobago. West Indies. Prepared research proposals, implemented the Institutes research agenda, analyzed data, conducted surveys and field work, wrote reports, papers and other publications.

PUBLICATIONS

Books

Breaking The Bonds Of Indentureship: Indo-Trinidadians In Business (1993). The Institute for Social and Economic Research, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.

Hip Hop and Inequality: Searching for the Real Slim Shady (2009) co-author Simona Hill, Cambria Press New York.

Contradictory Existence: Neoliberalism and Democracy in the Caribbean (edited volume) Ian Randle Press Kingston Jamaica (Forthcoming 2016)

Articles

“Entrepreneurs in Trinidad and Tobago: A Sociological Survey.” in Entrepreneurship In The Caribbean, ed. S. Ryan and T. Stewart. The Institute for Social and Economic Research, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine 1994.

“The Interaction of Race and Gender in Development Policy Implementation: The Case of a Small Developing Society.” International Journal of Contemporary Sociology Vol. 36 No.1 April 1999.

“Education In A Multiracial Society: Race, Class And Patriarchy In Collusion.” Race Gender and Class Vol. 7 No. 2 November 2000.

“Globalization, Families and The Rights of Children in The English Speaking Caribbean” in Children’s Rights Caribbean Realities. ed. Christine Barrow, Ian Randlle Press, Jamaica 2002.

“Understanding The Socio Cultural Dynamics of Globalization: The Case of Bananas In St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.” in Living at the Borderlines: Issues in Caribbean Sovereignty and Development. ed Cynthia Barrow-Giles and Don Marshal, Ian Randle Press Kingston Jamaica 2003.

“Globalization: A Critical Framework for Understanding Contemporary Social Processes.” (Co Authored with Dr. Derek Price). Globalization 3:2 2004

“How States React in the Context of Globalization a Class Centered Analysis: The Case of Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.” The International Journal of Comparative Sociology. 15:1-2, 2004.

“Class and the Color-line in a Changing America” Race Gender and Class Vol 16 No3-4 Pp271-294 2009.

“The Myth of Development: The Case of Trinidad and Tobago” in Caribbean Sovereignty and Democracy in an Age of Globalization ed Linden Lewis. Routledge New York 2012.

“The More Things Changes The More They Remain The Same: A Critique of Economic Development Policy In Trinidad and Tobago Using Some Theoretical Concepts of CLR . James. CLR James Journal Vol 19 Nos 1&2 Pp 439-457 2013

“Capitalist Development through the Eyes of Oliver C Cox With Some Insights for Caribbean Development” Canadian Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies Vol. 39 No. 1 Pp 403-419 2015

Guidelines for Conducting Economic Impact Studies on Fracking. 2nd author written in collaboration with Mathew Rousu International Advances in Economic Research Vol 21 No 2 Pp 213-225 2015

Experiencing the Impact of Marcellus Shale: A Case Study -1st author, written in collaboration with Matthew Rousu International Journal of Social Economics (Forthcoming)

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

“The Rise of a Business Class: From Immigrants in a Colonial State to Entrepreneurs in a Contemporary Society” Working Paper Series No 1/2000. Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies. The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, 2000.

Book Review Contemporary Caribbean Cultures and Societies in a Global Context, Edited by Franklin W. Knight and Teresita Martinez-Vergne Chapel Hill, The University of North Carolina Press 2005. H Caribbean Review July 2006.

Rap, Reggae and Hip Hop Syllabus Co Authored with Simona Hill Associate Professor Department of Sociology/ Anthropology Susquehanna University, in Teaching Resources on Racism, White Privilege and Anti-White Supremacy NWSA Syllabi Project 2006

“Listening With The Third Ear: A Exercise in Demystifying Hip Hop Culture, Power and Pedagogy” Co-Authored with Dr Simona Hill Associate Professor, Department Of Sociology/Anthropology, Susquehanna University. The American Sociological Association Teaching Resource Guide 2nd edition. 2006

“Drop It Like Its Hot! Hip Hop In The Twenty-First Century Classroom” Co-Authored with Dr Simona Hill Associate Professor, Department Of Sociology/Anthropology, Susquehanna University. Association of American Colleges and Universities Diversity Digest vol. 10, No 2 2007

Book Review: Globalization and America: Race, Human Rights and Inequality Ed Angela J Hattery, David G. Embrick, Earl Smith. Landham. Rowan and Littlefield Publishers, 2008. 304pp. Soft cover. & When Welfare Disappears; The Case for Economic Human Rights by Kenneth J. Neubeck. New York Routlege 2008. Societies Without Boarders Volume 4-2 2009.

“Collaborative Leadership: Negotiating the Minefield,” The Department Chair, Fall 2011. Co-authored with Lucien Terry Winegar and Jeff Graham

Book Review Radical Theory Caribbean Reality: Race Class and Social Domination, University of the West Indies Press, Jamaica 2010 (softcover New West Indian Guide 87) 1&2 2013.

WORK IN PROGRESS

Caribbean Masala: The Indo Caribbean Community in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago Book Manuscript Co-Authored with Dr. Linden Lewis, Professor, Department of Sociology, Bucknell University. (Book Length Manuscript, Under Review University of Mississippi Press)

White Working-Class Males and Contemporary Capital (Under Review at Critical Sociology).

Coping with Capitalist Restructuring In the Caribbean

Understanding How Citizens Experience The Development Process In the US Using the “Capabilities Approach”: Developing a “Capability Deprivation Index”.

SELECTED PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS

“Globalization, Families and The Rights of Children in The English Speaking Caribbean” UNICEF Conference on Children’s Rights; Sam Lord’s Castle Hotel Barbados, March 2000.

“Globalization: A Critical Ontology: Presented with Dr. Derek Price at the Society for the Study of Social Problems, Washington, DC August 2000.

“Ideology and Inequality and the Quest for Justifications in Modern Society.” Keynote Address at The Graduate Association of Sociologists Annual Mini Conference, Loyola University Chicago, March 2000.

“Ideology, Economics, and Poverty in a Globalized Economy” Society for the Study of Social Problems, Anaheim CA, August 2001.

“Teaching Issues of Diversity In a Sea of Sameness.” Presented with Dr. Simona Hill, Third Annual Conference on Race Gender and Class hosted by Southern University of New Orleans, New Orleans October 2001.

“Understanding the Sociocultural Dynamics of Globalization: Bananas in The Windward Islands” 28th Annual Third World Conference, Chicago March 2002.

“Challenging Popular Social Constructions In the Classroom.” 32nd Annual Conference of The Association of Black Sociologists, Chicago, August 2002.

“How States React In The Context of Globalization A Class Centered Analysis: The Case of Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.” 27th Annual Conference of The Society for Caribbean Studies, University of Bristol, England, July 2003.

“Teaching As Activism in the Context of Globalization and the War on Terror.” 33rd Annual Conference of the Association of Black Sociologists, Atlanta August 2003.

‘The Bardic Function Meets Wanksta Feminism: American Cultural Values in Rap and Hip Hop in the Process of Globalization.” Presented with Dr Simona Hill, 34th Annual Conference of the Association of Black Sociologists, San Francisco August 2004.

“Diamonds in the Dark: Navigating The Unspoken Dimensions of
University Service for Non White Faculty on Predominantly White Campuses.” 34th Annual Conference of the Association of Black Sociologists, Philadelphia August 2005.

“Experiencing Globalization: Race and Class as Mediating Factors in Two Caribbean Countries” Re-mapping The Americas: Globalization, Regionalization and the FTAA”.
The University of The West Indies October 2005.

“The “New Indian Man” Contemporary Notions of Masculinity Among Indo Trinidadian Males.” Presented to The Caribbean Studies Association Conference, Trinidad and Tobago, May 2006.

“Ethnicity and Globalization: A Caribbean Experience” presented at the Canadian Association of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta September 2006.

“Transnational Beats: Hip Hop Pedagogy in the 21st Century Classroom” presented at the Association of American Colleges and Universities, Diversity and Learning: A Defining Moment National Conference, Philadelphia October 19-21 2006

“Race and Class: Enablers or Hindrance to Development” 8th Annual Conference of The Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies, The University of the West Indies March 27th -29th 2007

“Collective Action and Social Change In the Age of Globalization: The Case of the Anti Smelter Movement In Trinidad” Caribbean Studies Association Conference, London Metropolitan University July 3-6 2007

“Globalization and Ethnicity in Trinidad and Tobago” The Caribbean Studies Association Conference, San Andres Colombia May 2008

“Re-conceptualizing Race in the Context of Globalization and Color Blind Ideology” American Sociological Association Conference, Boston August 2008.

“Labor and Globalization: The Case of Trinidad and Tobago” Caribbean Studies Association Conference, Kingston, Jamaica May 2009

“White Middle Class and Colorblind” Society for the Study of Social Problems, San Francisco August 2009.

“Intra-Caribbean Migration and the Neo Liberal Experience: The Case of Trinidad and Tobago” Round Table Presentation; Caribbean Studies Association Conference, St Peter, Barbados May 2010.

“Coping With the Crisis of the Neo Liberal Model in the Caribbean” The Caribbean Studies Association, St Peter Barbados May 2010.

“Contesting the Development Process in the Neo-Liberal Paradigm: The Anti Smelter Movement in Trinidad and Tobago”. The Canadian Association of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Montreal Canada June 2010.

Negotiating the minefield of collaborative leadership. Academic Chairpersons Conference. Orlando February 2011 (presented in collaboration with Lucien T Winegar and Jeff Graham.

“The Myth of Development: The Case of Trinidad and Tobago” Caribbean Studies Association, Curacao, May 2011.

“Obama’s White Working Class Problem and Contemporary Capital”. Annual Conference of the Society for the Study of Social Problems Las Vegas 2011 (also served as the Panel Chair)

“The Corporatization of Liberal Arts Education” AAUP Conference on the State of Higher Education, Washington DC June 2012.

“The More Things Changes the More They Remain The Same: A Critique of Socio Economic Development Policy In Trinidad and Tobago Using Some Theoretical Concepts of CLR James” Caribbean Philosophical Association Conference, The University of the West Indies, Trinidad July 2012

“Challenging Development From Below: Protest and Democracy in Trinidad and Tobago” Caribbean Studies Association, Grenada May 2013.

“Capitalist Development through the Eyes of Oliver C Cox With Some Insights for Caribbean Development” Caribbean Studies Association, Merida Mexico, May 2014.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Program participant at the American Council on Education (ACE): “Chairing the Academic Department, Workshops for Division and Department Chairs and Deans”, San Antonio, Texas, November 2005.

External Examiner for PhD. Thesis “Sustaining Economic Development in a Small Island Developing State: The Case of Dominica” by Eisenhower Douglas, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus 2007.

Project Reviewer for Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada. 2008

Consultant to the University of the West Indies St Augustine, Office of The Deputy Principal for Development: Developed a Module for Research Methods for Entrepreneurial Studies. 2008

Reviewer for Conflict Management and Peace Science, the Journal of the Peace Science Society. 2009

Reviewer for SAGE Publications 2005

Program participant at the American Conference of Academic Deans (ACAD) and The Phi Kappa Society Conference on “Liberal Arts Education in America and the World”, Charlestown, October, 2004.

Reviewer for Critical Sociology 2009

Committee Member on Action Health Community Needs Assessment Survey 2009-2012

Participant in the Wye Faculty Seminar: Citizenship in the American and Global Polity, Aspen Institute July 2010

Program participant at the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) conference on “Diversity and Learning: Democracy’s Compelling Interest”, Nashville, Tennessee October 2004.

Research Consultant to the Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way, August 2005-2012

“Socio-economic Impact of Fracking on Communities” Presented at A Symposium on Fracking, Hosted by The Talking Band at La Mama Theatre, New York May 25th 2013

Reviewer for the journal Social and Economic Studies 2014

SELECTED ADMINISTRATIVE AND SERVICE EXPERIENCE

2001-2003 Faculty Committee on Scholarship

Fall 2003-2005 Presidential Task Force on Diversity.

Fall 2003 Ad Hoc Committee on the National Survey of Student Engagement.

Fall 2004-2008 The University Council.

Spring 2009- Fall 2009 Ad-Committee to look at our peer group comparison

Spring 2006-Summer 2011 Chair, Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Fall 2010-2012. Member of the Personnel Committee

Spring 2014-present. Director of the Honors Program

Fall 2014-present Member of the Provost Ad Hoc-Committee on Retention

AWARDS AND GRANTS

Faculty Research Grant 2001

Faculty Research Grant 2002

Horn Professor Award 2006

Greater Susquehanna United Way Volunteer of the Year 2006

Faculty Research Grant 2008

Summer Research Grant 2008

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

American Sociological Association

Association of Black Sociologist

Society for the Study of Social Problems

Caribbean Studies Association

Canadian Association for Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Courses Taught