FACULTY - Lars Christiansen
Associate Professor
“The ideal of using the present simply to get ready for the future contradicts itself. . . . We always live at the time we live and not some other time, and only by extracting at each present time the full meaning of each present experience are we prepared for doing the same in the future. This is the only preparation which in the long run amounts to anything. . . . Attentive care must be devoted to the conditions which give each present experience a worthwhile meaning. . . . Education as growth or maturity should be an ever-present process.” John Dewey (1938: 49)
Lars Christiansen joined the Department of Sociology and the Metro-Urban Studies Program at Augsburg in 2001. Lars' teaching and scholarship focuses on urban sustainability, transportation systems, education, work and organizations, the philosophical tradition of American Pragmatism, social movements, and research methods.
In 2008, Lars was named recipient of Augsburg College's Distinguished Contributions to Teaching and Learning - Award for Teaching.
In 2009, Lars and assistant professor Nancy Fischer received a Canadian Studies Faculty Enrichment Grant from the Government of Canada for the continued development of their “Sustainable Cities in North America” course.
INNOVATIONS IN TEACHING -- HIGHLIGHTING TWO NEW COURSES:
“Fate Of The Earth 101: Consumption of Food, Fuel and Media in Contemporary Culture.”
In Fall 2009, Lars and five other faculty members, along with several support staff, are offering an exciting new first-year learning community called “Fate of the Earth 101.” Together we will utilize our different disciplinary perspectives and a wide array of creative teaching and learning activities to inquire about the consequences of living in a consumerist society. This interdisciplinary experience is specifically for new students coming to Augsburg in Fall 2009. If you are interested in being part of this experience, contact Lars or go to http://www.augsburg.edu/integratedterm/.
“Sustainable Cities in North America”
In July 2008 Lars and Nancy Fischer taught a new study abroad course called “Sustainable Cities in North America.” This course brought students to Portland, Oregon for one week, and Vancouver, British Columbia for two weeks. We explored and analyzed these cities, as well as the Twin Cities, on bicycles, on foot, and using transit. We met with scholars, policy makers, and community organizers to better understand how these cities are accomplishing progressive planning practices and addressing challenges. This course is scheduled to be taught again in July 2010, this time incorporating Victoria, BC, and with assistance from the Government of Canada. For a description of this course, read “Auggies Traverse the Concrete Jungle” at http://www.augsburg.edu/metrourban/. Or, read “Studying Sustainability” at http://www.augsburg.edu/now/2008_2009/april/articles/sustainable_cities/index.html.
MAJOR RESEARCH PROJECTS:
Lars is engaged in a major research project tentatively titled “It works in theory, but?...: A sociological analysis of grades and five colleges that decided to do without them.” This project analyzes alternative post-secondary liberal-arts schools as a way to address questions about the meaning, purpose of practices of education. Through extensive interviews with faculty, students, alumni and administrators, and archival document analysis, this project is a case study comparison of five colleges and universities: Alverno College, The Evergreen State College, Hampshire College, New College of Florida, and the University of California at Santa Cruz. These schools use (or once used) alternatives to traditional grades such as narrative evaluations and portfolios, and are characterized by other significant curricular innovations.
With Nancy Fischer, Lars is completing two articles on teaching urban sustainability and the limits and possibilities of “green” study abroad. These works are based on experiences and insights gained while they taught “Sustainable Cities in North America.”
Lars has begun the initial stages of a major research project on the social psychology of various modes of transportation. He will be comparing identity construction, emotions, conceptual & rhetorical frameworks, and relational dynamics of people as bicyclists, motorists, and walkers.
Lars has published in the American Sociological Review, International Review of Social History, and The Journal of Academic Librarianship.
Professional Affiliations
Lars is a member of the American Sociological Association and the Midwest Sociological Society. He is a past member of the Society for the Study of Social Problems.
Service at Augsburg
Lars currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA). He also serves on Augsburg's Composting Committee. Lars is a past member of the Augsburg Faculty Senate (2005-2007), the Social Science Collaborative, and the Assessment Committee. He was also faculty advisor for Augsburg's Sociology Club (2002-2006).
Service and Interests beyond Academia
Lars is on the Board of Directors of Nice Ride Minnesota, the non-profit organization that is responsible for creating and implementing Minneapolis' bike share program (www.twincitiesbikeshare.com). A resident of Saint Paul, Lars is a member of the Hamline-Midway Coalition (St. Paul District Council 11) and serves on its Transportation Committee. He is also a member of the League of American Bicyclists, enjoys bicycle touring and mountain centuries, and commutes by bicycle in the Twin Cities year-round.