Education B.A., New York University; M.A., Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor "The Holocaust is so awesome there is really nothing adequate one can say about it; but to say nothing is to let the memories die. The generation that lived through the Holocaust still finds it difficult to talk about, yet they want the generations born since them to know what they went through." - Excerpted from an interview on the occasion of Yom Hashoa, which recalls the beginning of the Holocaust during World War II. |
J. Alan Winter
Lucretia L. Allyn Professor Emeritus of Sociology With Connecticut College: 1970-2002 Specialization:
A former chair of the sociology department, Professor Winter, who retired in 2002, conducted much of his research on contemporary and American Jewry. He passed away on March 31, 2009. He brought his expertise to his course on the "Sociological Analysis of Jewry," which examined the sociological and cultural forces affecting the behavior, norms and organization of Jewry. He also taught "Organizational Dynamics," which examines the structure and function of complex, formal organizations or bureaucracies with special attention to human service organizations, and a seminar on "Human Nature and the Social Order," which examines the relationship between theme as seen by various theories of interpretive sociology. In addition, Winter led a class on the foundations and development of sociological theory which viewed the development of sociology as an analysis of industrial and post-industrial societies. In this course he places particular emphasis on the relationships of contemporary theory to the works of Marx, Durkheim, and Weber. Winter's most recent book is Jewish Choices: American Jewish Denominationalism (1999, SUNY Press) which he co-authored with colleagues in the U.S. and Israel. Winter is also the author of Continuities in the Sociology of Religion: Creed, Congregation and Community(1977) and co-author of Clergy in Action Training (1971). He also edited The Poor (1971) and co-edited Vital Problems for American Society (1968). Winter has published over 30 articles, reports, and book chapters. In addition, he has written over 30 review essays and book reviews and presented his work at numerous professional meetings. A former visiting professor at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, Winter was the secretary and treasurer of the Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry. He is an Associate Editor of Review of Religious Research. He was previously the editor of Contemporary Jewry. Professor Winter retired from Connecticut College in 2002. Visit the sociology department Web site. |