Justine Hecht

Hello and thanks for visiting my profile! I was born and raised in Arizona, growing up in Peoria, and graduating from Glendale Community College before moving on to Northern Arizona University to study history and political science. My academic and teaching interest are firmly rooted in social change facilitated by regular people and grassroots social movements. I became interested in sociology in graduate school at ASU where I studied the impacts of white supremacy on democratic practices within the Occupy Wall St. movement that launched in 2011 as a response to the 2008 recession. I also spent time researching and writing about the organizing strategies of the Black Panthers, the International Workers of the World, and histories of white supremacy in labor movements. These ideas, theories, and histories, often make their way into my sociology classes.

When teaching I takes a participatory approach that centers the needs and visions of students. In class we often engage in discussions, role plays, individual writing, games, and lectures to support a commitment to life long learning and critical thinking. My classes draw on scholarly work, as well as social movement literature, music, poetry, film, and even video games from time to time. I am deeply passionate about teaching and believe that all students have what it takes to grow, succeed, and transform themselves and their communities. I see the classroom as a space of radical community, and radical possibility, where students learn from each other, as well as from me. I look forward to learning with you in class!