Dr. Jeremy Ross
Education: 
Oklahoma State Univeristy, Ph.D. in Sociology
Dissertation: The Anniston Study: Chemical Weapons Incineration and the Negotiation of Risk
Middle Tennessee State University, M.A. in Sociology
Dissertation: Conversations Beyond the Classroom: Establishing Voice for Local Teachers
Jacksonville State University, B.A. in Sociology and Political Science
Rank: Assistant Professor of Sociology
Tenure at JSU: Began in 2013
Dr. Ross’s research primarily focuses on how everyday people interpret, negotiate, and manage institutional constraints. His current research addresses local perceptions and reactions to risk information and materials concerning the chemical weapons stockpile and incinerator in Anniston. This research suggests that the distribution and consumption of emergency information and materials primarily work to confirm, legitimate, and reify the established social order. His previous research documented the experiences of public teachers struggling with increasing standardization in Tennessee.
Dr. Ross's teaching style is interactive. He engages students in a dialogue, incorporating humor and imagination into the classroom. Inspired by Paulo Freire, Dr. Ross believes that education has the ability to be transformative and liberating.
In his free time, Dr. Ross enjoys playing music, Judo, and spending time with his friends and family.
Courses Taught: SY 221 Introduction to Sociology, SY 223 Social Problems, SY 300 Critical Thinking Media and Society, SY 326 Sociology of Education, SY 366 Sociology of Religion, and SY 499 Senior Sociological Seminar
Recent Publications
Ross, J., Deshotels, T. H., & Forsyth, C. J. (2016). Fantasy Objects: The Perception of Safety of Emergency Shelter in Place Kits, 37(6), 692–708.
Research in Progress
Ross, Jeremy A. and Alexis P. Paige. “Objects Not to Themselves: The Anthropocentrism of
Herbert Blumer.” Writing Results
Ross, Jeremy A. and Christopher Morgan. “Outside the Canopy: Anthropocentrism in the Sociology of Peter Berger.” Under Review
Ross, Jeremy A. and Tyler Gay. “Holding Our Breath: Risk and Safety in Postmodernity.” Under Review
Durkheim's Homo Duplex: Anthropocentrism in Sociology" (Writing Results)
Previous analyses of anthropocentrism in sociological theory trace the origins of anthropocentrism to George Herbert Mead. This study addresses anthropocentrism in the influential works of Emile Durkheim. At the core of Durkheim’s theory is his concept of the homo duplex, an inherent but tentative quality separating humans from all other animals. Durkheim uses the homo duplex as an ontological device, as he defines humanity as having the unique capacity to create and participate in the social. This collective process permits humans to transcend the profane, or what he observes as the immoral, passionate, animalistic individualism of non-human animals, into social solidarity, morality, and ultimately, the sacred. This key distinction serves as the basis of all Durkheimian theory. This profound anthropocentrism becomes significant considering the degree of Durkheim’s influence on the field of sociology and the extent of anthropocentrism in sociology as a whole.