BA in Individualized Studies Program
Raised in a working family, I was troubled by the gulf between the working poor and the wealthy that I saw in my family and town. Deeply influenced by the antiwar, Civil Rights and environmental movements around me, I became involved in various movements committed to building a more egalitarian society. Thus, after completing my undergraduate degree, I taught in prisons, worked as an environmental educator, labored as a rural crisis intervention worker, and lobbied state legislatures, among various pursuits and passions. Over time, however, I plunged into the study of United States and global history--to complement my lived experiences through sustained research, writing, and reflection.
Influenced by race, class, and feminist analysis, my deepest personal and professional interests are in social, labor, foreign policy, and multicultural history of the United States. I am deeply interested in how this country has become a global power, especially in the contemporary period or last half century. At Goddard, I have worked with a wide range of students in diverse areas including United States corporate and military expansion, African-American history, economic developmental theory, environmental activism, disability studies, Native American history, labor organizing, capitalism and socialist theory and practice, community-based activism, and African literature.
Current Interests: I have written and edited several books that chronicle the efforts of workers with disabilities to define and defend their rights in the workplace. I am interested in the efforts of people around the globe to challenge capitalist/militarist expansion, racism and more. My nine-year-old son reminds me that we need to build just and Earth friendly communities and lives.
Most important, I will be delighted to work with all students in your areas of interests. Welcome to Goddard!
Educational Background: Ph.D., American History, Minor, Anthropology, University of Wisconsin at Madison ; M.A., American History, University of Wisconsin at Madison; B.S.E., Nature Interpretation, SUNY.
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Bob Buchanan, MA, Ph.D