EDWARDSVILLE – Such current events topics as the Coronavirus, the presidential impeachment trial, Harvey Weinstein and R. Kelly offer ample content for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Dr. Timothy Lewis’ political science classroom discussions.
Lewis, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, specializing in identity politics. He is adamant that political stances should be developed from an informed position. That’s why he begins each of his political science courses with a group discussion, aiming to make politics more relatable for students.
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“I tell my students, ‘I’m not trying to make you think one way, or to accept or reject a particular notion,’” Lewis explained. “I just want them to know that when they have political conversations and develop positions, that it’s important to do so from an informed position. I encourage them to follow a news source on social media, whether its CNN, MSNBC or Fox News, and whatever they find interesting, bring that to class and let’s discuss. This process makes politics more relatable to them.”
Lewis asserts that politics is not an abstract concept, rather it’s day-to-day interaction and decision-making, and ranges across a host of issues.
“When they bring in these stories and we discuss them, I try to inform them of the political implications and realities behind them,” Lewis said. “At that point, students are more willing to discuss the checks and balances concepts of government, because they’ve already been opened up to this beauty of politics that may have been hidden from them.”
In addition to teaching Introduction to Political Science and American National Government, Lewis leads the University’s identity politics courses, such as African American Politics, Women and Politics in America, Gay and Lesbian Politics, and Modern Political Theory.
“Identity looks at how people identify, and then how those mental constructs shape their political thought and behavior,” Lewis said. “What I see missing from the research in political science is the question ‘why?’ Even when you watch the news, they’ll tell you 62% of this demographic approves of a certain issue. But, they rarely dive into why these people feel this way. Any elected official will never truly be able to appease the desires and needs of their constituency if they don’t delve into why their constituency thinks the way they do.”
Lewis sees himself as part of the larger picture of the SIUE community, and is involved in numerous campus organizations and events, including the Black Faculty and Staff Association, the steering committee for the upcoming Women’s Consortium Conference, and a contributor to Diversity Day and the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion.
“As an African American male at SIUE, I’ve found my experience at times to be jarring, but also simultaneously rewarding,” Lewis noted. “I’ve grown in a way that I didn’t imagine. When you first come into a position as a professor, there’s a little hubris involved, and you see yourself as this infinite well of knowledge that you’re going to give to your students, and they’ll surely absorb your words like a sponge.
“You never expect that you will learn just as much from your students as they will from you. That has been an immensely rewarding part of being at SIUE.”
Lewis is also an active scholarly member of the American Political Science Review, Northeastern Political Science Association and the National Conference of Black Political Scientists.
Central to SIUE’s exceptional and comprehensive education, the College of Arts and Sciences offers degree programs in the natural sciences, humanities, arts, social sciences, and communications. The College touches the lives of all SIUE students helping them explore diverse ideas and experiences, while learning to think and live as fulfilled, productive members of the global community. Study abroad, service-learning, internships, and other experiential learning opportunities better prepare SIUE students not only to succeed in our region's workplaces, but also to become valuable leaders who make important contributions to our communities.
Photo: SIUE College of Arts and Sciences Department of Political Science Assistant Professor Dr. Timothy Lewis.
