Social Research and Discussion Group
The Social Research and Discussion Group (SRDG) is an annual program at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Professor Perez and up to 12 students will meet over dinner six times during the academic year (fall and winter terms). For an hour, the group will have an informal conversation about a book designated in advance. The goal is to provide students an opportunity to connect with each other and faculty, read books with a social science perspective in mind, and further develop their analytical skills.
The theme for the 2026-2027 academic year is “American Troublemakers.”
Students can apply to be a fellow by completing the brief questionnaire at the bottom of this page. The deadline for applications is July 15, 2026.
Decisions about admission to the group will be announced in late summer.
Fellows are expected to participate in at least five of the six meetings and share with others their views on the book assigned. There are no tests or papers required. At the end of the academic year, participants who have attended the required number of meetings will receive a certificate.
Participation is free! There are no fees, and dinner is covered by SOAN. You can purchase the books or get them from the library.
Yes, you can. Students travelling abroad on a program associated with the university will receive a waiver for the meetings in which they are outside the country.
For questions, please email Dr. Perez at mperez@wlu.edu.
2026-2027 SRDG Theme: “American Troublemakers”
The misfit is a common element of literature, used by authors to discuss their society through the lens of those who, for different reasons, do not entirely go along with the rest. As a nation marked by a history of population shifts, intense conflicts, remarkable achievements, and an undeniable desire for novelty, it is not surprising that the character of the rebel, the oddball, the proverbial fish swimming against the current, have all been part of our literary heritage. The seventh cohort of the Social Research and Discussion Group includes classics in which the writer invites the reader to share in the experience of troublemaking.
Books in the Series
- Herman Melville, Billy Budd, Sailor
- Ernest Hemmingway, The Sun Also Rises
- Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
- Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five
- Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon
- Percival Everett, James