Part of my scholarly agenda is to think about how people develop through relationships with communities of people that subtly pass along values, ideas, perspectives, and ways of being. Since, as they say, much social science ‘research’ is actually ‘mesearch,’ it may then not be a coincidence that I come from a family of academics, including a sociologist father and an educational psychologist mother. For me to end up looking at socialization as a developmental psychologist seems to have been a perfect (unconscious) compromise. Here’s a brief run-down of / tribute to (?) a few of the many academic people and places that may have socialized me along the way:
My dad (pictured at right) is an emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Washington, and my mom is an emeritus professor of education at Seattle University.
My Grandparents set the academic standard: on my father’s side my grandfather (pictured at right) was a professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, on my Mom’s side my grandparents were faculty members at the University of Minnesota (in the Institute for Child Development and the School of Public Policy).
And of course there were others…including, many generations ago, a great-great grandfather (and namesake: Andrew Wallace Mason to Andrew Mason Guest) who was a Canadian phrenologist!!
And as long as I’m paying tribute, I should appreciate my undergraduate school, where I was blessed with many great teachers and advised in psychology by Dr. Sarah Murnen…
Which led me to Miami of Ohio, where I was realized that psychological experiences are much more interesting to me than psychological performance enhancement. I was particularly fortunate there for my Master’s committee of Dr. Robyn Vealy, Dr. Hal Lawson, and Dr. Othello Harris…
