Guest sociologist to present talk on social rage

By Cheryl Walker
336.758.5237
September 9, 2002

Sociologist Bonnie Berry, director of the Social Problems Research Group in Washington state, will discuss “Social Rage: New Forms of Violence in America” at 4 p.m. on Sept. 19.

The free public lecture will be held in Tribble Hall’s DeTamble Auditorium.

Trained as a sociologist and criminologist, Berry is the author of the book, “Social Rage: Emotion and Cultural Conflict” (Garland Publishing, 1999).

Social rage affects and is affected by the religious fringe, politics, the media, race relations, militia movements and crime, says Berry.

“Rage is usually thought of as personal,” wrote Berry in an article published in the Critical Criminologist. “But, rage can also be social, as when a number of people focus their rage on a social event (like Waco), a social phenomenon (like affirmative action), or a social category of people (like the poor, immigrants and prisoners).”

Berry, who earned a doctorate in sociology from Ohio State University, has also recently published articles on animal rights and prison populations.

Berry’s lecture is sponsored by Wake Forest’s American Ethnic Studies program. For information, call 336-758-1891.