After reading the articles from some sociologist and a journalist, my thoughts were all over the place. In a way, I kind of agreed with all of them. 

Beginning with Patricia Hill Collins, she talks about two different strategies of intellectual activism and explains that both are important for building communities. She has an insight that not every sociologist has. She is a black feminist. She did not only give insight on race and gender but she discussed class and sexuality. There are disadvantages in many categories but she is a fine example of a black women who proved that anyone can be successful. 

Next, Orlando Patterson critiqued the world of sociology. He explained how there is a neglect in showing the importance of culture and those who are less advantaged. Orlando made three points on culture and public policy from his recent work on black youth. (1) Culture is not immutable. History of change in America shows that cultural values, norms, beliefs, and habitual practices may be easier to change than structural ones. (2) "Culture of elites and policy makers is just as important in understanding the reproduction of poverty as the cultures of the poor themselves." (3) Black people as well as others usually are not offended to change their culture if they are persuaded that it is in their best interest.

In the third article, Fabio Rojas explains how academia and activism don't mix. He made several good points about how academia is built for scholarship. Activism is about promoting social change and academia is knowledge. 

Nathan Jurgenson suggests "how academics 'can' become relevant." The first point is about how academic work should not have a price on it. This just makes it a lot more difficult for people to access. He believes in "accessibility by availability." The other point he made was "accessible by design." basically saying that ideas should be expressed so everyone can understand it and be interested in it. 

Lastly,Karen Sternheimer discusses "the promise and perils" of working with journalists. The goal is to share sociological perspectives and research on current issues with the public. One of her main points is getting the facts rather than an opinion of a sociologist. Facts are credible. 

There are several roadblocks as stated earlier. Nathan Jurgenson has a good point for getting rid of roadblocks. Make it more accessible by making it cheaper or free and making it interesting to read. Orlando Patterson and Patricia Hill Collins both agree that race, gender and status are a huge road block for many people. They experience less opportunity to be able to pursue things in their lives. 
Social sciences should influence public debate. People should understand the challenges and roadblocks that others actually face. Like Orlando Patterson mentioned, having the elites be aware of poverty is important. 

In my opinion, everyone should be sociologically mindful. Being aware that society is dynamic and fluid is important because we are all apart of it.understanding how humans interact is very important in order to allow change to happen. Patricia Hill Collins article stuck out the most to me. I am a feminist as well and she is inspiring. She gives people hope to fight for what they want. 

I believe that it is kind of sad that this is a debate being held by people with PhD's. This should not even be a debate. Race, gender, sex and class should not matter. But it does and the fight needs to start somewhere.