News

News and Announcements

Career Services Faculty Spotlight

The Career and Professional Development Center at TAMUCC is incredible. I've been working more closely with them to assist in our sociology seniors navigating their soon-to-be post-college lives.

They have been instrumental in linking students with organizations and companies looking for new hires, helping refine resumes, and prepping students for job interviews.

Grateful for the work they do - and for their profiling me this spring!

Book Talk at the University of Georgia

I'm excited to return to the University of Georgia (where I earned my Ph.D. in Sociology) to give a book talk on Destined for Greatness. The talk, "Talk About the Passion: The Pathways and Challenges of Crafting Careers in a College Music Town," is scheduled for Friday, October 25 at 3:30 in MLC 213.

If you are in/near Athens, please attend!

Outstanding Author Award and Speaker Series

I was nominated for and awarded the Outstanding Author Award for Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi this semester. My work on Destined for Greatness was the main component that granted me this honor at my university. With this award comes the opportunity to present my work to the university at the Bell Library.

Please join me at this event on Thursday, April 4 at 2:00. After my talk, there will be time for socialization and light refreshments.

For more information, please visit TAMUCC's Bell Library.

Rock Stars are Made, Not Born - new post for Work in Progress blog

A short, summative blog I wrote about Destined for Greatness for the wonderful Work in Progress blog is now posted.
Thank you, WiP, for inviting me to write about my book. I'm proud to be a member of an ASA section that is so supportive of members' work!
Read the blog here.
Follow WiP's Twitter here.

Destined for Greatness Profiled in UGA's Alumni Magazine

As a proud alum of the University of Georgia, I am humbled to be featured in the Fall 2018 edition of UGA's quarterly publication, Georgia Magazine. A concise and engaging writeup of my work.

(I particularly love the REM reference in the piece. Can you spot it??)

Go Dawgs!

Wikipedia as Public Sociology: It’s Not What You Think
My first piece in ASA's Footnotes! I was invited to collaborate on this piece with two other sociologists who participated in the Wikipedia Fellows pilot. We reflected on our time in the pilot program and shared what we learned. Read our piece here.

Earlier this year I was selected as one of the three sociologists to participate in the inaugural Wikipedia Fellows program by Wiki Education. I have to admit I have always been weary of Wikipedia (and outlawed my students from using it in class), so I was a bit hesitant to join the program. However, I learned how Wikipedia works, was trained to edit and create articles myself, and realized the many ways Wikipedia can be used for the greater sociological good! I now recognize that Wikipedia is an underutilized tool sociologists (and other experts) can use to improve public knowledge of important social issues.

I spent most of my time in the program contributing to the articles on Masculinity and on Adulthood. Please check them out to see if you can spot my contributions!

I also wrote a blog on my experience in the program. Read it here.

I was interviewed for the New Books Network podcast about my book. In it, I talk about the major themes of Destined for Greatness, but also discuss how the idea for the project came about and other info not included in the book itself. So glad I was invited to do this!
Access the interview wherever you download podcasts or click here.

Destined for Greatness has been featured in two recent blogs.

The Page 99 Test
"Open the book to page ninety-nine and read, and the quality of the whole will be revealed to you."
--Ford Madox Ford
Here's my take on how page 99 of Destined for Greatness informs the entirety of the book.
Read the blog here.

My Book, The Movie
I had the chance to imagine my book was being adapted for a movie.
What would it look like? Who would star in it?
Read the blog here!

I am excited to announce that my first book will be published in April 2018.

Destined for Greatness: Passions, Dreams, and Aspirations in a College Music Town is a life-course study of men and women pursuing careers in independent rock in the culturally-rich music town of Athens, Georgia. The book, to be published by Rutgers University Press, explores the extent to which pathways are structured to allow some, but not all, individuals to fashion careers in music worlds.

Reviews
"A fascinating reminder of music's profound impact across the life course, Destined for Greatness offers a backstage look at how musicians pursue, abandon, or creatively accommodate their rock and roll dreams with the realities of growing up."

– Ross Haenfler, author of Straight Edge

"Michael Ramirez tells a fascinating story of emerging adulthood, developing an identity as a professional musician, and confronting the challenges of sustaining a career in the indie college music scene."

– William T. Bielby, professor of sociology, University of Illinois Chicago