Activist pushes students to form own opinion
March 27, 2007
A longtime activist for social change has set her sights on helping students think critically.
Catherine Field, a doctoral student in sociology with a focus on the way gender norms shape social movements, said her political opinions have not influenced the way she teaches at SIUC.
“My priority in the classroom is teaching students how to read, write and think,” she said. “Then they can have their own opinions.”
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Field, who began attending SIUC in the 1990s, said her work with social movements ties into her personal experiences as an activist.
She said she began protesting during the 1960s, when she rallied against the Vietnam War, and has continued to be active in other social issues. Field said her opposition to war and the unfair treatment of people stems partly from her parents.
“I got honor and justice from them – the idea that everyone should be treated fairly, the idea that it was important to do what is right,” she said.
Field said she met her husband, E.G. Hughes, at a 1960s peace rally. Hughes was a member of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and Field said they are both members of the Peace Coalition of Southern Illinois.
The mother of two college aged daughters said her leap into teaching fit well with previous jobs in social service work, such as being a substance abuse counselor and probation officer.
“When I really fell in love with teaching was when I started working on my master’s in English and found that performing for a class is a big part of teaching,” she said.
Lew Hendrix, a professor emeritus in sociology, said he has known Field for about 10 years. Hendrix said he knew Field as a graduate student in the mid-1990s and now shares an office with her. The close working space has lent itself to many political discussions, of which they share similar views, he said.
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Field is full of compassion, which shows in the way she deals with her students, Hendrix said. He said Field pushes her students to think about various social issues.
“She seems to do all she can to help them,” he said. “I think she has that sort of stance toward all people – trying to help those who need help.”
Sociology professor Kathy Ward said she has known Field as a graduate student, poet and community activist.
“I don’t like to use the phrase renaissance woman, but she is kind of a renaissance woman,” she said.
Ward said Field has a show Monday night on the community radio station WDBX where she reads books out loud, which only adds to her depth of character.
“Often times you find people being one-dimensional, and she’s just an extraordinary multi-dimensional person,” Ward said.
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