Ormsbee, J. Todd
Asst Professor, Humanities
Asst Professor, American Studies
E-mail
tormsbee@email.sjsu.edu
Todd.Ormsbee@sjsu.edu
Additional Contact Information
Phone Number(s)
(408) 924-4544
Office Hours
Fall 09: TTh 10:30-12:00, 16:15-16:45, or by appointment
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy.
Univ Of Kansas Main Campus, 2004
- Master of Arts, American Studies
Univ Of Kansas Main Campus, Kansas, United States, 1998
Bio
I'm an interdisciplinary scholar by training and temperament, but my research and thinking are most closely allied with sociology. My courses lie to the traditionally academic side, pushing students to develop ideas and thoughts grounded in facts, and to think analytically about cultural and social issues. I do this in the classroom by combining straight-forward transmission of knowledge with intellectual problem-solving, asking students to apply and evaluate historical and theoretical data and ideas by putting them "to work" solving problems the students observe in society today.
My first book coming out this winter (after years of nail-biting and revisions) is about gay male culture in 1960s San Francisco (symbolic interaction). After this long empirical project is completed, I will turn my attention to working in social theory. My main interests include: Revisiting John Dewey's philosophy as a merging of method and theory; examining the early theories of sexuality from Edward Carpenter for possible new directions in the 21st century; and beginning a lengthier project that seeks to meld recent research in human evolution and neurology with social theory.
By nature, teaching and researching in the social sciences and humanities touches on areas of deep personal and social concern; so I try to be as critical as possible of my own values and work to envision pragmatic, outcome-based solutions to real problems instead of being driven by ideology.
Research and Teaching Interests
• Social and Cultural Theory
• Sociology and History of Sexuality
• Cultural Sociology, Symbolic Interaction, & Social Psychology
• Comparative-Historical Sociology & Social History of the United States
• Immigration and Global Migration
• Human Evolution & Cognitive Science as they relate to Social Theory and Human Interaction
Academic Employment History
• Assistant Professor of American Studies, San Jose State University; San Jose, CA, August 2005 to present
• Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Sociology, San Jose State University; San Jose, CA, Spring 2009
• Lecturer, Department of Sociology, University of San Francisco; San Francisco, CA, August 2004 to May 2005
• Lecturer, Department of Sociology, San Francisco State University; San Francisco, CA, January 2005 to May 2005
• Lecturer, American Studies Program, San Jose State University; San Jose, CA, January 2005 to May 2005
• Lecturer, Department of History, San Francisco State University; San Francisco, CA, August 2002 to August 2003
• Instructor, Liberal Studies Department, Art Institute of California—San Francisco; San Francisco, CA, July 2002 to March 2005
• Instructor, Western Civilization Program, University of Kansas; Lawrence, KS, August 1996 to July 2000
Courses Taught 1996 to Present
American Civilization to 1865 (SJSU)
American Civilization, 1865 to Present (SJSU)
American Dream [Self, Society, and Inequality] (SJSU)
America from the Outside (SJSU)
American Popular Culture (SJSU)
Consumerism and Mass Culture in the United States [Senior Seminar] (SJSU)
Cultural Studies (AICA-SF)
History of Sexuality in the United States (KU)
Introduction to Sociology (USF & SFSU)
Mexican & Mexican American Culture in the U.S. [senior seminar] (SJSU)
Nature and World Cultures [sociology and anthropology of the environment] (SJSU)
Religion and Political Controversy in the U.S. (SJSU)
Social Psychology (USF)
Social Theory (USF & SJSU)
U.S. History, 1865 to present (SFSU)
Writing for the Humanities (SJSU)
World Conflict [sociology of globalization] (AICA-SF)
World History to 1500 (SFSU)
World History, 1500 to present (SFSU)
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