I received my Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles and I am a Lecturer at California State University, Long Beach, a position I have held since 2006. During my time at CSULB, I have taught in the areas of western political thought (classical, modern and postmodern), identity politics (gender, sexuality and race), American political theory, contemporary ideologies, and critical thinking. I was voted one of the Most Inspirational Professors of California State University, Long Beach.
My courses utilize a diverse canon of theory texts to examine the different perspectives which give meaning to contemporary social and political moments. In my teaching, I utilize stories, contemporary political issues and personal experiences not only to present students with alternative perspectives on these questions but to also problematize the ability to objectively “choose” between them.
The aim of my research is to de-center the dominant epistemological norms which underlie much of modern thought. Utilizing theorists such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Michel Foucault and Judith Butler, my work examines modern thought’s reliance on the ability of “reason” to engage an empirical world through which individuals observe and transform existing political, legal and social structures. I critique attempts by Pragmatist theorists such as Robert Talisse and Cheryl Misak to ground democracy in epistemic norms which are, presumably, universal and non-refutable. In my work, I replace individual reason, and the objects of the world which reason attempts to apprehend, with highly interpretive and aesthetic processes.
I have published a number of web articles utilizing my theoretical perspectives to examine contemporary issues such as the politics of inequality. These publications are part of my ongoing project to present theory as a “toolbox” which can provide useful analyses of specific political questions and social controversies.
This course analyzes the differences between strong and weak arguments and examines the fallacies, ambiguities, assumptions and forms of evidence utilized in the construction of arguments.
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This is an introductory theory course examining the intertwining of knowledge and power in modern and postmodern thought.
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This course examines the functioning of ideologies within recent contexts, transformations and critiques.
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This course considers issues and ideas central to the founding of America and analyzes the conceptual forces and tensions which underlie American social and political structures.
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This course utilizes discussion and media to examine the construction of the political realm, the workings of identity (gender, sexuality, race), and the viability of subversive forms of politics.
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