I have a couple new publications out. The first is a book chapter in Manuel Castells\’ new book The Network Society: A Cross-Cultural Perspective titled \”Networked Sociability Online, Off-line.\” The book is currently only available in hardback (at a ridiculous price) but should be released in paperback any day now. The second publication is a chapter on \”Social Ties and Community in Urban Places\” for Harry Hiller\’s new textbook on Urban Canada: Sociological Perspectives. This textbook is intended for 2nd or 3rd year students studying urban and community sociology. It is an excellent collection and all around reference, not just for urbanists interested in a Canadian perspective. My chapter deals with both place based and online community, of course. Since these publications are book chapters, I will not be posting them in the publications section of my website, sorry.
I have been a little extra busy this semester, helping to care for my new born son. As such, I have been taking a blog break. After five months it is time to get back in the habit of making regular blog postings.
On the professional front I have announced that in July I will be leaving my position in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to take a new job on the faculty of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. It will be sad to leave MIT where I have made a home for nearly five years. It also means that I will be leaving my position as Housemaster for MIT\’s Sidney-Pacific Graduate Residence, a position that my wife and I shared and have greatly enjoyed over the past three years. I am extremely excited and honored to have the opportunity to join the faculty at UPenn. The Annenberg School is truly an exceptional place with wonderful students and faculty. The move to ASC opens up new and great professional opportunities and is the ideal place to continue my research and develop new courses on the relationship between, place, community, new media and sociology.