By Jack Wynn
Philip N. Cohen gave a presentation centered around themes from his book “Citizen Scholar: Public Engagement for Social Scientists” on Thursday night for a group of various faculty, graduate students and other community members interested in the field.

The event served as part of the “Speaking of Books” presentation series associated with UMD Libraries. The series has brought in speakers of many different backgrounds to touch on a variety of topics, including political polarization and the impact of Russian propaganda. 

“[One] thing that I like about this series is that faculty members who enjoy talking with a diverse audience, not just their peers but also undergraduate and graduate students, this is a good place to showcase that interest,” said Lindsay Carpenter, the university’s  Head of Research Education.

Cohen, who has a doctorate in sociology, explained the importance of scholars speaking up on important issues and urged experts to take a stance on the things that matter. Cohen made frequent comments criticizing the current presidential administration and shared how he has fought to remain active and spread truth.

Cohen discussed how peer review has strengthened the reliability of studies over time. He argued that experts have a responsibility to share information that could shape public opinion of key issues. 

“Activism doesn’t have to ruin your scholarship,” Cohen said. “As a citizen who is a scholar, that is who you are and part of your responsibility. So, I encourage this kind of behavior… in your role as a citizen, you want to take a stand.”

Cohen noted that it has become more difficult over time for scholars and experts to share their findings and make claims without being scrutinized. Those in the scientific community may claim a study is rooted in bias, and scholars may receive backlash from non-experts on social media. 

“I do agree [that scholars should be activists],” said a sociology graduate student, who requested to be anonymous. “But I still think it could be very risky to the scholars themselves, and maybe even to the public because we are not right always. I am also thinking about how we can help the public and also protect ourselves.”

Contending that social media has weakened the trust the public has in scholars due to the historic rate misinformation has been recently spreading, Cohen explained that people online must check their sources and avoid picking only the most convenient news outlets.

Despite the benefits of providing people with a public forum to discuss events, Cohen further described the dangers of social media. He urged scholars to fight past the “random Russian troll” or “Trump supporter” online and have more nuanced conversations.

“I think we can develop a set of meaningful interactions across these spaces, so I have some advice,” Cohen said. “Be generous, lift others up, be shameless, though, promote your own work.”

Cohen advised those sharing opinions online to challenge their own assumptions, remain open to being wrong and attend to their biases. He argued that this could foster educational discussion and eventually permeate social media with reliable sourcing and increased trust in experts.

Featured Image: Dr. Philip Cohen speaking at McKeldin Library on Thursday. Photo by Jack Wynn.