Amy C. Finnegan, Ph.D.

Faculty, CLI
Specialty: Sociology
Phone: 507-258-8231
Fax: 507-258-8066
Office: 318 Commons
Email: finne103@umn.edu

Just ASK Hours

Education

Ph.D., Department of Sociology, Boston College, 2011
M.A., Department of Sociology, Boston College, 2009
M.A.L.D., Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, 2005
B.A., Political Science & Spanish, Washington University, 2000

Background

When I left college after stints in St. Louis; rural Mississppi; New York City; Tijuana, Mexico; Calcutta, India; and Chile, I was aflame with curiosities about the world. I traveled to Uganda where I spent a year working in two secondary schools and on a public health sanitation project but most importantly, learning more fully about the ways of the world from outside the U.S. and making new friends. I returned to the States with a transformed perspective and a deep yearning to explore further the fields of public health and conflict resolution. After a few years working in international public health, I returned to school for a Masters that focused on international relations and conflict resolution. Eventually, I thankfully found my way to the discipline of sociology, where I have found space to ask penetrating questions about power in society and about collective efforts for social change. I am enthused to now be part of the UMR team that teaches students the contribution of sociology to the field of health sciences.

Teaching

Prior to UMR, I taught courses in political science, sociology, social medicine, and peace/conflict in Boston, Massachusetts and in Gulu, Uganda. At UMR, alongside Professors Dingel and Norris, I offer the Sociology courses. In all courses I teach, I seek to draw on sociological theory and case studies as well as my own practice in the fields of international development, public health, human rights, and peace/conflict. I relish in the experience of teaching because I find it both challenging and inspiring to be part of a collective process of asking tough questions about why the world is the way it is and what are the most effective ways to address our social problems. I seek to instill in my students a critical sociological perspective, which they can then apply to the diverse field of health sciences.

Research

My research interests are broadly in social movements, peace and conflict, medical sociology, social change, and service-learning.

Select Publications and Abstracts

Cermak, M.J., J.A. Christiansen, A.C. Finnegan, A. P. Gleeson, D. K. Leach, and S.K. White.
2011.“Displacing Activism? The Impact of International Service Trips on Understandings of
Social Change” Education, Citizenship and Social Justice. Vol 6(1): 5-19

Finnegan, A. “Forgiving Forgiveness: Collective Efforts Amidst War in Northern Uganda.” 2010. Sociological Inquiry Vol 30 (3): 424 447.

Finnegan, A., Saltsman, A., White, S.K. 2010. “Negotiating Politics and Culture: The Utility of
Human Rights for Activist Organizing in the United States.” Journal of Human Rights Practice Vol 2 (3): 307-333.

Finnegan, A. and S. Hackley. 2008. “Negotiation and Nonviolent Action: Interacting in the
World of Conflict.” Negotiation Journal. Vol 24 (1): 7-24.

Westerhaus, M., A. Finnegan, Y. Zabulon, and J. Mukherjee. 2008. “Northern Uganda and Paradigms of HIV Prevention: The Need for Social Analysis.” Global Public Health. Vol 3
(1):39-46.

Westerhaus, M., A. Finnegan, Y. Zabulon, and J. Mukherjee. 2007. “Framing HIV Prevention
Discourse to Encompass the Complexities of War in Northern Uganda.” American Journal of Public Health 97: 1184-1186.