Hi Kathy, (and list: I subscribe in digest form, so there may already be a dialogue going about this that I haven't yet seen; apologies if I'm out of the loop) I can't speak to your questions about undergrad placement and programs, sorry. But as for the question about whether there is a critical mass out there who specialize in this area: I would say yes! but also counter with a question, which is essentially whether you see your department being open to hires trained outside of Sociology per se. I ask because I was trained in a Science & Technology Studies department and I (quite naturally) think that STS is an area that speaks to a lot of topics that your hire would address, and STS itself has a growing interest in IT topics. However in my observation, US sociology departments are fairly unlikely to seriously consider candidates from outside the discipline, pretty narrowly construed. This is obviously relevant for both brass-tacks issues like hiring, as well as the larger question of disciplinary boundaries in pursuit of this scholarship that often occurs in the areas where disciplines meet and cross-pollinate (e.g. Sociology, STS, Anthro, Comm & Media Studies, Information Studies, Digital Humanities, etc.). If I were on your search committee, I might want to start that conversation before writing the ad and reviewing applicants :-) best, christina > > Message: 6 > Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:54:56 -0400 > From: "Zawicki, Kathy" <KZAWICKI@sbu.edu> > To: "citasa@list.citasa.org" <citasa@list.citasa.org> > Cc: "Zawicki, Kathy" <KZAWICKI@sbu.edu> > Subject: [CITASA] request for information > Message-ID: <EC8A24AE19365946BBE9FD07ECF394378FEE4C71@EMPMAIL.sbu.edu> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > I am the chair of the sociology department at St. Bonaventure University (NY). We are in the process of beginning a search, and are contemplating a position centered around communication and information technologies. I am seeking a bit more background information before we proceed, and have been directed to this venue as a site that may provide answers.  Here are my questions: > > -With regard to undergraduate sociology majors who have had their studies focus on communication and information technologies, I am interested in what specific positions graduates have found. (We are in a position, as are many, of having to advocate for a hire by making predictions about student marketability.) > > -Also, what is the popularity of this area at the graduate level?  If we were to follow this route and conduct a search for a specialist in this area, would we be assured of a healthy amount of interest in the position? > > -Finally, does any university or college currently offer an undergraduate sociology program with a concentration in communication and information technologies? > > Thanks for any assistance or direction. This will be helpful to us as we make a decision about the position, and (I hope) move ahead with looking at new directions in our curriculum. > > Dr. Kathy A. Zawicki > Assistant Professor and Chair > Sociology Department > St. Bonaventure University > St. Bonaventure, NY 14778 > 716) 375-2407 > kzawicki@sbu.edu<mailto:kzawicki@sbu.edu> >