Splash Biography



VANESSA BITTNER, Yale Graduate Student in Sociology



Major: Sociology

College/Employer: Yale

Year of Graduation: G

Picture of Vanessa Bittner

Brief Biographical Sketch:

I received my Undergraduate Degree in Sociology and Gender Studies from the University of Konstanz in Germany, where I have lead 11 sections on Sociological Theory and Cultural Sociology over the years. As a Graduate student, I am researching the relationship between the entertainment industry and politics, specifically how narratives of celebrity involvement are constructed by the media and evaluated by the general public. My other interests include morality, concepts of beauty, evil and charisma, as well as competitiveness and deviance.



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

H3678: Why Culture Matters: A Short Introduction into the Social Construction of Reality in Splash Spring 19 (Apr. 06, 2019)
Have you ever experienced a "culture shock"? Are you wondering sometimes why people think in ways that are completely different from yours? Do you question if there is really one objective truth? In this course, we are going to explore the power of perspective and how our history and culture influence the way we experience the world. Reflecting on categories that shape our everyday lives fundamentally (like race, gender, intelligence or beauty), you will leave this class with a new spark of curiosity for what might have seemed natural to you before.


H3141: Why Culture Matters: A Short Introduction into the Social Construction of Reality in Splash Spring 18 (Apr. 07, 2018)
Have you ever experienced a "culture shock"? Are you sometimes wondering why people think in ways that are completely different from yours? Do you question if there is really one objective truth? In this course, we are going to explore the power of perspective and how our history and culture influence the way we experience the world. Reflecting on categories that shape our everyday lives fundamentally (like race, gender, intelligence or beauty), you will leave this class with a new spark of curiosity for what might have seemed natural to you before.