Author Archive for Timothy McGettigan
Tim McGettigan is a professor of sociology at Colorado State University – Pueblo. The Socjournal is an outstanding resource for all things sociological. Too often, the media examines social issues from a singularly economic perspective. If you really want to understand how the social world works, it's better to use a broader, clearer lens. In this column, I will discuss a variety of forces (technological, scientific, political, cultural, and, yeah okay, economic) that are currently reshaping the globe. Whether or not the world is changing for the better is an open question — and, thus, it's a question that I look forward to debating at length in this column.
Time Surfers: Problem-Solving as the Path to a Better, Brighter, but Unpredictable Future
What does the future hold? Though many have argued that humans are inevitably going to destroy themselves, McGettigan argues that this is no such thing as Fate. The future, McGettigan argues, is not pre-determined, and the crises that threaten to destroy humanity (overpopulation, pollution, global warming, pandemic, nuclear armageddon, etc.) should instead be perceived as opportunities. Humans will continue to thrive so long as they approach crises as invaluable opportunities to elevate their thinking.
Ward Churchill, the AAUP, and Academic Freedom
There is no doubt that being a university professor is a privilege, and certainly protected speech is one of them. Not always, but sometimes, university researchers say things that other people don’t like. Tobacco is addictive, cell phones might cause brain cancer, and class warfare wages on. Some people might not like us to say these things, like the Tobacco lobby for example, or the uber rich people who control the world, but society and democracy benefits from open intellectual criticism and debate. It is why the right to free speech was enshrined in the first place. We need to stand up for our right to speak without censure, without reprisal, and without fear. In the age of an open Internet society, anything else seems medieval, backwards, and just plain wrong.
The Future is a Fantasy: A 100YSS Presentation*
Abstract Humans are unique as a species because, with the help of well-defined problematics, humans alone are capable of redefining reality. A problematic can be understood as an exceptionally-challenging intellectual objective (e.g., heavier-than-air flight, building the first atomic bomb, curing disease, landing humans on the moon, developing artificially-intelligent computers, constructing faster-than-light speed spacecraft, etc.) that [...]
Get Your Geek On! The 100 Year Starship Symposium
“The 100 Year Starship Mission will transform 20th century Star Trek science fiction into 21st century fact!” Nichelle Nichols Star Trek’s Lt. Uhura I have been to a lot of conferences in my day, but I have never been to any meeting that is quite like the 100 Year Starship Symposium. 100yss is currently taking [...]
RVing for a Cause: An Alternative Vacation at Best Friends
Alternative vacations are journeys that are intended to satisfy multiple holiday objectives. In addition to breaking out of the nine-to-five routine, embarking to exotic locales and spending quality-time with loved ones, alternative vacations also offer unique and satisfying opportunities to do a good turn for others. For example, during spring break, my family (consisting of [...]
Say It Ain’t So, Joe: Another Sports Legend Bites the Dust
Revelations! That is what we have here. REVELATIONS. From the nefarious conduct of Boy Scout leaders, to priestly pedophilia, to professional misconduct and protection of predators at the highest level, the world is changing and criminals are slowly being brought to justice. Such an exciting time we live in.
Don’t Bother Apologizing for Joe Paterno
(*The following message is for anyone who would like to suggest that, due to a selective reading of the Freeh Report, Joe Paterno should be exempted from blame or criticism for the egregious role that he played in the Sandusky Scandal.) Dear Arch-Defenders of Joe Paterno’s Heroic Image, What about the kids? It is distressing [...]
Fortnight Fiasco: Government Grants Freedom, Not God
On July 4, 2012, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops concluded their Fortnight for Freedom, a pulpit political initiative that is intended to challenge certain aspects of President Obama’s Affordable Healthcare Act (AHA). The Bishops are cheezed off because, under the AHA, the Catholic Church will be required to provide healthcare access to its many [...]
Charles Darwin: The Unlikely Revolutionary
The concept of evolution continues to be controversial hot button. Did God create the universe or it is simply random happenstance? Evidence suggests that the universe has been around and changing for billions of years, but does that mean it is all random and meaningless? Maybe. But then my dog is the product of the creative hand of the human breeder, and modern technology is bringing unprecedented change and agency is obvious in both. One thing is for sure. Random evolution may have gotten us here, but human agency is what will make or break the future of this species.
A Bungling Fox in the Henhouse: The Corporatization of Higher Education
If you ask me, business is good, but not necessarily so. Checks and balances need to be applied otherwise things get out of hand, like they are now. With the European economy on the brink of total collapse, and higher education going through some of the most fundamental transformation it has ever faced, business continues as usual. But unless something fundamental changes, the ship is apparently going to go down. Course correction required! So stand up and make yourself heard. Better yet, do your local business person a favour and tell them, too much it too much and enough is enough.
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