What is an “embedded public sociologist”?

I recently posted up my monthly “Adult Film Minute” column for FilmDrunk/UPROXX – “Jessa Rhodes Explains The In and Outs Of Porn Stardom In 2014” (9/12/14) — and someone asked me a version of that very question…

…and it’s a good question! One that, oddly, I had never really written a direct answer for. So, here ya go:

Embedded Public Sociologist – the “public” part means my sociology is out in the world (vs esoteric, inaccessible, and locked in a university). The “embedded” part means I interact with communities in an ongoing way (vs “studying” “them” for a fixed, finite, and/or one-time kinda deal).

Being an embedded public sociologist means I am always learning, as the ways in which a community operates is always changing. It also keeps me accountable by making sure my work is both relevant and relative to the wider world — because most people live in the wider world, and there’s generally nothing more disconnected from that world than an academic who hasn’t been outside the university since they were a teenager.

So thanks FilmDrunkards for the question — it’s a simple statement of my very own job description, but it’s also something that’s very important to be able to explain!

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