Although critical pedagogy has been discussed in the Teaching Sociology literature for nearly twenty years, dialogues about the difficulties in practicing and implementing critical pedagogical strategies in everyday classroom life are less common. In this note, we discuss a predominant theme of our workshop: challenges and concerns that may arise when one attempts to do critical pedagogy. We focus on both challenges and potential solutions for learners, instructors, and institutions of higher education. Understanding what some of these obstacles are and how they manifest in institutions of higher learning goes a long way in devising strategies to assuage their deleterious effects.

The importance of preparing students for citizenship in a global society is well recognized in teaching sociology. Although options have emerged to facilitate such pedagogical experiences, few concentrate on maximizing students' experiences in non-English-speaking nations. How can we help sociology students get the most out of an experience in a foreign language society if they do not speak the language? I propose a critical pedagogical approach to travel-study abroad by presenting a case study of a unique three-week intensive class taught in Cusco, Peru. Following Kaufman's (2002) four-point model of critical pedagogy, I recommend that understanding, reflecting, analyzing, and engaging in social action can help structure the application of critical pedagogy to travel-study abroad in sociology. My research suggests benefits of such an approach, including working with a native educational institution, pairing sociology and Spanish students, and using home-stay families as informal teachers. I conclude by offering suggestions for faculty interested in creating a travel-study abroad course, to a developing nation in particular.

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This paper examines an Episcopal campus chapel's search process for a new priest. I argue that gender, at the group level, is a fluid cultural resource that search committee members use in contradictory ways to select a male priest. I illustrate my argument using data drawn from twenty-eight in-depth interviews and participant observation (1994)(1995) of a search committee in an Episcopal campus ministry located on the grounds of a southeastern state university. My findings show that a patriarchal agenda can be upheld by a search committee without it ever being specified or codified. Well-intentioned search committee members routinely do gender even as they claim and believe they act in gender-free ways. The contribution this analysis makes to our understanding of congregational search processes and discrimination against female clergy is considered.