Nancy Fischer
Assistant Professor
fischern@augsburg.edu

Nancy Fischer is the newest member of the Augsburg Sociology Department; she joined the faculty in Fall 2005. She was previously a visiting assistant professor at Macalester College from 2001-2005 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Before that, she taught at Florida Atlantic University and the State University of New York, Albany.

Nancy’s research and teaching are in the areas of urban sociology, sexuality, law and culture. At Augsburg, she currently is teaching Introduction to Human Society, Human Community and the Modern Metropolis, Race, Class & Gender, Sociology of Sexuality, and Sociology of Law.  She is currently putting together a new Law & Society concentration in sociology to help prepare sociology students for pursuing law school.

“I think if I had to choose favorites, my best courses are in urban sociology and sociology of sexuality. I like teaching urban sociology because I’ve lived in different kinds of places – I grew up in rural North Dakota, later lived in Washington DC and Boca Raton, FL – so I have rural, urban and suburban experiences to draw from when I’m in the classroom. I really love cities. Growing up in a rural area, I always associated the city with fun, excitement, art and culture. My enthusiasm for the urban environment has never left me. Also, I have a great time when I teach Sociology of Sexuality because it is the class where I can really see students’ sociological imaginations develop – we normally don’t think about all the ways that sex and our sexual identities are socially produced and it’s fascinating to explore that process in the classroom.”

Along with Steve Seidman and Chet Meeks, Nancy is currently co-editing an anthology called Introducing the New Sexuality Studies: Original Essays and Interviews for Taylor and Francis. She also published “Oedipus Wrecked? A Case Study on the Moral Boundaries of Incest”in Gender & Society (2003). She has written a number of book reviews for Contemporary Sociology, The Journal of Sex Research, Gender & Society, and the American Sociological Association Sexualities Newsletter.

Nancy is active in the American Sociological Association where she is currently the Secretary/Treasurer of the Section on Sexualities. She is also a member of the Section on Law and the Section on Community & Urban Sociology. Additionally, she is a member of the Midwest Sociological Society and Sociologists of Minnesota.

Areas of Teaching and Responsibilities:
SOC 121 Introduction to Human Society
SOC 211 Human Community & the Metropolis
SOC 265 Race, Class and Gender
SOC 2XX Sociology of Sexuality
SOC 3XX Sociology of Law

How to Reach Me:
Phone: (612) 330-1095
Fax: (612) 330-1649
E-mail: fischern@augsburg.edu
Office: Memorial Hall 326A
Campus Box: 116

Areas of Concentration:
Urban Sociology
Law & Society
Sexuality & Gender
Culture