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Photograph of Celine-Marie Pascale

Celine-Marie Pascale Prof Emerita Sociology

Degrees
PhD, Sociology (with a certificate in Women’s Studies), University of California, Santa Cruz
MA, Social Science, San Jose State University
BA, Communications, Glassboro State College

Bio
As a sociologist who studies language, Dr. Pascale's research concerns culture, knowledge and power. Her most recent book, Living on the Edge: When Hard Times Become A Way of Life was released in 2021 from Polity. Living on the Edge draws from conversations and in-depth interviews with people across Appalachia, on Standing Rock and Wind River Reservations, and in struggling communities within the bustling city of Oakland, California.

Dr. Pascale is also the author of three other books. Her first, Making Sense of Race, Gender and Class: Commonsense, Power and Privilege in the United States (Routledge, 2007) won the Distinguished Scholarship Award from the American Sociology Association Section on Race, Class and Gender. Her second book, Cartographies of Knowledge: Exploring Qualitative Epistemologies (Sage 2011) won the 2012 Distinguished Book Award from the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry for “charting new territories." Pascale’s third book Social Inequalities & The Politics of Representation: A Global Landscape was published in 2013, has been recognized as a field defining collection of original scholarship.

For more information see: https:cmpascale.org
See Also
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

Partnerships & Affiliations


  • President, 2010-2014


  • Member, since 2006

  • Eastern Sociological Society
    Member

  • American Sociological Association
    member since 1998

  • Eastern Sociological Society
    Member

Scholarly, Creative & Professional Activities

Research Interests

Professor Celine-Marie Pascale’s primary scholarly interest is in exploring the (re)production of culture, knowledge, and power through sociological analyses of language and representation. Her research draws from contemporary social theory including Feminist and Poststructural theories. Methodologically, she has expertise in qualitative inquiry, particularly in forms of textual analysis and interview techniques.

Honors, Awards, and Fellowships

  • College Dean's Award for Outstanding Contributions to an Inclusive Community. In recognition of efforts "to build an inclusive community by raising awareness of opportunities and challenges, fostering dialogue, providing insight and innovations and/or implementing change. College of Arts & Sciences, American University. 2016.
  • Distinguished Book Award, International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry for an original contribution to the field withCartographies of Knowledge: Exploring Qualitative Epistemologies. 2012.
  • Distinguished Contribution to Scholarship Book Award, American Sociological Association Section on Race, Gender, and Class for a distinguished and significant contribution to the development of the integrative field of race, gender, and class for Making Sense of Race, Class and Gender: Commonsense, Power and Privilege in the U.S. 2008.
  • American University Library selected Making Sense of Race, Class and Gender: Commonsense, Power and Privilege in the U.S. as one of the most outstanding publications reported by AU Faculty in the last year 2008.
  • Selected by the Center for Teaching Excellence for recognition as one of three inspiring teachers at American University.Featured in a short documentary film for the 2009 Ann Ferren Teaching Conference 2008.
  • Invited Presenter: Noontime Conversations: Reflections on Inspired Teaching. Invited by the Center for Teaching, Research and Learning, American University 2009.
  • Multicultural Affairs/International Student Services Award for Distinguished Faculty, American University for scholarly achievements and unselfish commitment to the enhancement of cultural awareness and diversity within the American University community 2005.

Media Appearances

  • The Atlantic. Interviewed by Melissa Scholes Young. "The Cost of Being First." October 16.
  • Counterspin. Hosted by Fairness & Accuracey in the Media (FAIR). "Media Coverage of Fukushima." Show aired on March 24, 2015 on approximately 150 stations.
  • International Business Times of Australia. "Media Coverage on Fukushima Disaster Minimised Risks New Analysis Says. Jenny Panganiban. March 18, 2015.
  • Channel 9 NewsNow (WUSA). Interviewed by Brittany Moorehouse on the controversy generated by Russell Crowe's tweet about circumcision. Aired June 10, 2011 on 5pm and 7pm newscasts.
  • La Nación (one of Argentina's premier newspapers). Interviewed by Washington correspondent Inés Capdevila, October 30, 2008 regarding the impact of the presidential election on cultural issues such as race and feminism.
  • Sinclair Broadcast Group (ABC, CBA, FOX, CW, NBC) Interviewed by Meghan McCorkell October 1, 2008 regarding sexism in the presidential election cycle.
  • Channel 9 News Now (WUSA). Interviewed by Gary Nurenberg, September 12, 2008 regarding social interaction and the rise of hugging among men—in light the recent photos of Obama and McCain hugging.
  • Pittsburgh Post-Gazatte. Interviewed by Sally Kalson August 12, 2008 regarding the use of slurs and bigoted language in popular films.
  • "A Weigh with Words: An Inside Look at How Words Create Conflict or Compassion." Interviewed along with along with Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, local artists, activists, and scholars for a documentary film by A NU VIEW on gender, sexual orientation, race, class and the power of words. Debuted at the Regal Cinemas in Gallery Place Cinemas, Washington, D.C., on August 22, 2007.
  • WJLA Channel 7/ABC News. Interviewed by Stephen Tschida on March 15, 2007 regarding on media, gender and eating disorders.
  • National Public Radio, Morning Edition. Interviewed by Jason Kane, reporter for Morning Edition, on March 8, 2007 regarding racially-themed parties on college campuses.
  • Metro Networks, a national radio wire service with 1500 affiliates. Interviewed by Gene Colleta on February 28, 2007 regarding the importance of Women's History Month and key issues facing women today.

Selected Publications

Books

  • Pascale, Celine-Marie. 2021. Living on the Edge: When Hard Times Become A Way of Life. Polity.
  • Pascale, Celine-Marie. 2013.Social Inequalities & The Politics of Representation: A Global Landscape. Sage Publications.
  • Pascale, Celine-Marie. 2011. Cartographies of Knowledge: Exploring Qualitative Epistemologies. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. (Won the 2012 International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry award for a distinguished contribution to the field.)
  • Pascale, Celine-Marie. 2007. Making Sense of Race, Class and Gender: Commonsense, Power and Privilege in the U.S. New York: Routledge. (Won the American Sociological Association Section on Race, Class, and Gender Award for making a distinguished and significant contribution to the field, 2008.) Reviewed in Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews (2009), Contemporary Psychology: A Journal of Reviews (2009), Gender &Society (2009), Political Studies Review (2010) and Revista Internacional de Organizaciones (2011).

Journal Articles and Book Chapters

Professional Presentations

  • Invited Speaker for Keynote Panel. Paper title “The Heresy of Commonsense in an Age of Chaos” Conference on Wokeness, Sleepwalking and Stupors: The War on Social Justice Discourse. Wits Centre for Diversity Studies. University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. 2021.
  • Invited Keynote Speaker. UNESCO and the International Sociological Association Conference on “Language and Society: Research Advances in Social Sciences.” Paper title The Weaponization of Language. Warsaw, Poland 2019.
  • Invited speaker for the Presidential Panel: Reflections on Inequality, Justice and Rights. Paper presentation: “Discourse, Poverty, and the Materiality of Lived Experience.Eastern Sociological Association 2019.
  • Invited Keynote Speaker for the Research Committee on Language and Society.“Confronting the Politics of Disinformation. XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology. Toronto, Canada 2018.
  • Invited Keynote Speaker for The Institute for Federal Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion. Presented by the Georgetown University Office of Institutional Diversity & Equity. “Commonsense, Power & Privilege.” 2018.
  • Invited Plenary Speaker. "North Atlantic Epistemology and the Colonality of Knowledge Production." Third ISA Forum of Sociology, International Sociology Association, Vienna, Austria 2016.
  • Presenter. Vernacular Epistemologies of Risk: The Crisis in Fukushima.Third ISA Forum of Sociology, International Sociology Association, Vienna, Austria 2016.
  • Guest Speaker. Vernacular Epistemologies of Risk: The Crisis in Fukushima. Humanities Lab, American University. 2015.
  • Presenter. Fukushima, Tsunamis and Earthquakes: The meanings of risk in the 21st century. XVIII World Congress of International Sociology Association in Yokohama, Japan. July 2014.
  • Guest Lecture. Queering Gender Studies. University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary. November 2012.
  • Presenter. Representing Race: Reproducing Whiteness in the Public Imagination. Second International Sociology Association Forum. Buenos Aires, Argentina August 2012.
  • Presenter. Social Epistemologies, Social Sciences. International Institute of Sociology 40th World Congress: After Western Hegemony: Social Science & Its Publics. Delhi, India February 2012.
  • Presenter. Social Epistemologies: Qualitative Methodologies: Innivations in Qualitative Inquiry. American Sociology Association. Las Vegas, NV August 2011.
  • Guest Speaker. Feminist Epistemologies and the Politics of Knowledge. Mini-conference: Bridging Borders and Boundaries: Transnational Feminist Research on Gender & Sexuality. Hosted by the Eastern Sociological Society. Philadelphia, 2011.
  • Presenter. Sociologies of Language.Research Committee 25, Language & Society, International Sociological Association XVII World Congress. Gothenburg, Sweden, July 2010.
  • Presenter. Language and the (re)Production of Knowledge & Power. Language & Culture Network, Section on Cultural Sociology. 2009.
  • Presenter. Epistemologies of Ignorance: 19th -Century Methods and 21st-Century Complexities.Fifth International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. 2009.
  • Presenter for the Presidential Sessions. Horizons of Possibility: Sociology in the 21st Century.International Sociology Association, First Sociology Forum, Barcelona, Spain. 2008.
  • Presenter. Cultural Erasure in the Production of Knowledge, Culture and Power.Third International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. 2007.
  • Guest Speaker. Making Sense of Race, Gender and Class: Methodological Issues.The Material Culture/Visual Culture Research Program Area Consortium on Race, Gender, and Ethnicity (CRGE). University of Maryland, College Park. 2006.
  • Talking About Race: Shifting the Analytical Paradigm. American Sociological Association. 2006.
  • The Color of Dreams and The Meaning of Ambition. International Sociological Association, Durban, South Africa. 2006.
  • Guest Speaker & Discussant with Chai Feldblum, Professor of Law and Director of the Federal Legislation Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center. “Bodies in Revolt: Gender, Disability and a Workplace Ethic of Care.Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Division of United States Studies. 2005.

Professional Services

  • Workshop Facilitator. Acorn Hill Elementary School.Conducted a four-hour interactive workshop with Robin Adams to help faculty, staff, and parents increase their facility for addressing emerging hate crimes. 2017.
  • Not A Time For Silence: A Nation In Transition. Organizer and participant. Six CAS faculty discussed their personal and professional reflections. Abramson Recital Hall, Katzen
  • Anti-racism and Allyship: A Campus Conversation. Co-faciliated a workshop with Robin Adams for students, staff, and faculty in response to a hate crime on campus. 2017.
  • Designed and delivered “Staying in the Conversation: Race and itsintersections,” a 12-hour workshop over eight weeks to help faculty develop racial competencies. Co-facilitated with Fanta Aw. 2017
  • Facilitator. “Microaggressions and Unconscious Bias.” Division of Film & Media Arts, American University. 2017
  • Presenter, White Privilege. The Darkening Presents: The Civil Rights Movement Today. 2016
  • Co-Facilitator with Caleen Jennings. “Strengthening Our Interactional Competence with Students.” To help faculty and staff to develop increased competencies for recognizing and addressing tensions that can arise involving issues of race, class, ability, and gender identity. Sponsored by the Center for Teaching Research and Learning. 2016
  • Co-facilitator with Traci Callandrillo. “Micoraggressions,” a breakout session atthe AU fall faculty and staff retreat. 2016
  • Designed and delivered. “Staying in the Conversation: Race and itsintersections,” a 9-hour workshop over three weeks in September to help faculty develop racial competencies. Co-facilitated with Fanta Aw. 2016
  • Workshop Facilitator. Acorn Hill Elementary School.Conducted a two-hour interactive workshop with Robin Adams to help faculty and administrators increase their facility for addressing issues of race & racism in their school.2016
  • Hands Up. With Angela Davis (WCL) presented a talk and facilitated discussion on issues of racism and white privilege at American University for the Board of Trustees. 2015
  • Power & Privilege workshop for Summer Transition Enrichment Program (STEP), Office of Multicultural Affairs. 2015
  • Power & Privilege workshop for the Office of Campus Life. American University, 2015
  • White Privilege Workshop. Office of Campus Life, Teach-In for Justice. 2015
  • White Privilege Workshop. Office of Campus Life, Teach-In for Justice: Part 2. 2015
  • Acorn Hill Elementary School, Diversity Consultant, 2008-2009
  • AmeriCorp, Workshop Facilitator Pedagogies of Peace 2008, 2004
  • Children's Defense Fund National Freedom School Training, Curriculum Specialist for national theme Breaking the Cradle to Prison Pipeline, 2008
  • Children's Defense Fund National Freedom School Training, Workshop Facilitator for Nonviolent Communication, Forgiveness Compassion, and Conflict Resolution, 2008
  • DC Reads, Campus Life, American University, Diversity Workshop Facilitator, 2008, 2007, 2005
  • Office of Campus Life, Multicultural Affairs, American University, Workshop Facilitator Intercultural Competence, 2004