Teaching
Dr. DaShanne Stokes' teaching emphasizes critical inquiry, evidence-based learning, and meaningful student engagement. He encourages students to connect personal experiences with broader institutional and historical forces while developing the analytical, methodological, and critical thinking skills needed to evaluate social claims, conduct research, and engage contemporary social issues thoughtfully and constructively.
His pedagogy draws from empirically grounded best practices, applied and experiential learning, and reflective inquiry. Of particular importance is creating intellectually open learning environments in which students from diverse backgrounds and perspectives feel welcomed, challenged, and respected. Through discussions, collaborative learning, experiential activities, research projects, and reflective assignments, students learn to critically evaluate evidence, think sociologically about the world around them, and apply course concepts beyond the classroom.
Dr. Stokes teaches from a place of humility and shared humanity with students. His courses emphasize accessibility, engagement, mentorship, and intellectual growth while maintaining high academic standards and expectations. Drawing from broad interdisciplinary training and experience, he is pleased to teach courses both within and beyond his specialty areas and has taught in-person, online, hybrid, honors, independent study, and large-enrollment courses across a wide range of subjects.
Selected Student Feedback
"Thank you so much for the semester. I came into it as someone who hated math for my entire life. This class showed me that I am more capable of doing things like this... [T]his class changed my life."
- Former Student, Elementary Statistics
"I wanted to thank you for such an amazing class... I will truly take much of this information into my everyday life."
- Former Student
"Professor Stokes is amazing because he is relatable. Most often, he will not speak as just a teacher but you'll find yourself relating to him as a human being."
- Former Student
Teaching and Mentorship
Dr. Stokes embraces the teacher-scholar model by integrating research, mentorship, and experiential learning into his teaching. His active research agenda informs classroom instruction by enabling students to engage contemporary scholarship, emerging debates, and real-world applications of sociological and criminological concepts. He regularly draws on his own research and scholarly experiences to illustrate course concepts, discuss the research process, and help students better understand how sociological knowledge is produced, evaluated, and applied.
His courses often include applied learning activities and research assignments that help students connect sociological and criminological theories to contemporary social issues, institutional dynamics, and lived experiences. Through collaborative projects, data analysis, discussions, reflective writing, and hands-on research activities, students strengthen analytical reasoning, methodological skills, and practical problem-solving abilities while learning how scholars “do” research.
Dr. Stokes has mentored and advised undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty across a variety of academic and professional contexts. Students working with him have participated in literature reviews, coding projects, data collection, research synthesis, and collaborative scholarly activities related to law, politics, social movements, inequality, and institutional analysis. He has recruited and directed undergraduate research assistants and has collaborated with students on conference research projects. Through these experiences, students gain practical exposure to the research process while developing skills that support graduate study, professional development, and lifelong learning.
His teaching emphasizes intellectual curiosity, evidence-based reasoning, open inquiry, and meaningful engagement between classroom learning and broader social life. Across classroom and mentoring contexts, Dr. Stokes is committed to creating intellectually rigorous and supportive learning environments in which students are encouraged to grow as scholars, researchers, and engaged citizens.
Peer-Reviewed Teaching Publications
Dr. Stokes' use of empirically supported best practices have led to peer-reviewed pedagogical publications and presentations focused on active learning, student engagement, reflective learning, and evidence-based teaching practices. His pedagogical work includes peer-reviewed teaching activities, assignments, and syllabi published through the American Sociological Association’s TRAILS resource library.
Current pedagogical scholarship includes development of an "Empowerment Approach" to teaching and learning that encourages students to connect course concepts to personal experiences, community engagement, and evidence-based inquiry through reflective and applied learning practices. Related work is currently under review at Teaching Sociology.
Selected pedagogical publications and teaching resources include:
2022
Stokes, DaShanne. "Race, Class, and Gender Short Reflective Essay." TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology.
Included in the TRAILS Race and Ethnicity Syllabi and Assignments Collection.
2019
Stokes, DaShanne. "Rule Making, Rule Breaking, and Power Assignment." TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology.
Featured in Teaching Sociology (48:2) as a peer-reviewed teaching resource and selected for inclusion in the TRAILS Social Problems Resource Collection.
2012
Stokes, DaShanne. "Writing Empirical Research Papers." TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology.
Stokes, DaShanne. "Creating and Challenging the Status Quo." TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology.
Stokes, DaShanne. "State Formation and the Challenges of Creating a New Country." TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology.
Stokes, DaShanne. "Political Sociology: Preparing for Applied and Conceptual Multiple Choice Exams." TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology.
Stokes, DaShanne. "Political Sociology." TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology.
Teaching Areas
Dr. Stokes has taught courses in:
- Introduction to Sociology
- Research Methods
- Elementary Statistics
- Social Theory
- Social Problems
- Criminology
- Sociology of Law
- Dirty Politicians and Broken Systems: Sociology of Crime, Power, and Politics
- Sociology of Gender
- Social Aspects of Sexuality
- Race, Class, and Gender
- Political Sociology
- Wealth and Power
- Societies
Selected Brief Course Descriptions and Sample Syllabi
The following syllabi represent a snapshot of Dr. Stokes' teaching approach, illustrating the adaptability of his curriculum to specific departmental needs and student demographics. These materials are illustrative of his pedagogical foundations and are tailored, in real-time, to the resources and goals of each unique institutional context.
Introduction to Sociology
Surveys the broad and deep field of sociology with particular attention to cultivating students' sociological imaginations. Special attention is given to major theoretical perspectives and the application of sociology to students' lives, world events, and to understanding diverse life domains and social problems surrounding race, religion, class, gender, globalization, politics, aging, and beyond.
Sample Syllabus >>
Elementary Statistics
Introduces statistical reasoning and quantitative analysis for the social sciences. Students develop skills in descriptive and inferential statistics while learning how statistics can be used to critically evaluate social claims and research findings.
Sample Syllabus >>
Social Research Methods
Introduces the scientific study of society through research design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Students develop practical methodological skills while learning how social scientists evaluate evidence and conduct research.
Sample Syllabus >>
Social Problems
Introduces sociological approaches to contemporary social problems and inequality. Students learn to analyze social issues using sociological theories, empirical evidence, and critical inquiry.
Sample Syllabus >>
Race, Class, and Gender
Explores the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality through sociological and interdisciplinary perspectives. The course examines how inequalities are socially constructed, institutionalized, and experienced across everyday life.
Sample Syllabus >>
Criminology
Introduces sociological approaches to crime, law, deviance, social control, and criminal justice institutions. Students examine competing theories of crime and critically analyze relationships between law, inequality, and society.
Sample Syllabus >>
Political Sociology
Examines political power, authority, governance, law, citizenship, nationalism, social movements, and the relationship between political institutions and social life. Students critically explore how power operates across local, national, and global contexts.
Sample Syllabus >>
Wealth and Power
Students discover the hidden, complex, and evolving interdependence of power and wealth in the context of American society. Particular attention is given to multi-national corporations, boards of directors, social networks, major theorists; the relationships between wealth, power, and inequality; and how sociological perspectives enhance students' understandings of themselves, local to global dynamics, and world events.
Sample Syllabus >>
Teaching Experience and Instructional Modalities
Dr. Stokes has experience teaching:
- in-person, online, and hybrid courses,
- honors and independent study courses,
- introductory and advanced courses,
- writing-intensive and research-intensive courses,
- and classes ranging from one-on-one independent study to large-enrollment (250+) lecture courses.
He regularly incorporates discussions, collaborative learning, reflective writing, applied projects, multimedia resources, and experiential learning activities designed to strengthen student engagement, analytical thinking, and student success.