Traci Levy | Faculty Profiles | Adelphi University

Diplomas/Degrees

Ph.D., University of Notre Dame (2002)

B.A., Loyola College in Maryland (1992)

Personal Statement

I am a political philosopher with diverse interests who cares deeply about teaching.

My research interests center around: care theory; caregiving; family, care, and education policies; feminism; and disability rights. See my "Research Interests" tab for more.

I teach courses on political philosophy and on political issues. I work with pedagogy, techniques, and materials to try to make learning as dynamic and engaging as possible. See my "Teaching: Specialization/Interests" tab for more.

My main "home" at Adelphi is on the faculty of the Political Science Department, where I am currently serving as Chairperson. I am constantly inspired by my colleagues and our students.

Since the fall 2010 semester, I have served as Director of the Gender Studies minor, an interdisciplinary program.

I am a co-author and co-facilitator of a three-hour workshop, "Gender Bias & Title IX" (with Rhonnie Jhaus, J.D., Adelphi's Title IX Coordinator and Director of Equity and Compliance). The workshop is part of a Diversity Certificate program for faculty, staff and administrators. We have taught the workshop twice a semester since the fall of 2016.

Recent Courses

Introduction To Politics

S/T: Liberal Arts Seminar: Rousseau On Citizenship Authority,And Education

S/T: Politics, Empire And Intrigue In Ancient Athens

Specialization/Interests

I love teaching. As Cynthia Enloe says, it's where I feel "my most useful self." I am a political philosopher with wide interests. I teach political philosophy from ancient to contemporary, politics of the family, (intersectional) feminist theory, and an introductory class on politics. My classes draw on many techniques and approaches to make the material as engaging, interactive, and memorable as possible. For example, I incorporate diverse voices, politics and literature, small group work, debates, and role-playing pedagogy. I participated in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Annual Faculty Institutes run by the Reacting to the Past consortium at Barnard College in June 2016 and June 2017 to get training in the Reacting pedagogy.

Research Interests

My research interests include: families in contemporary political theory, political discourse, and public policy; care policy landscapes, feminist theory, a public ethic of care, politics of rights, politics and literature, and disability studies.

Chapters

Levy, Traci. (2013). Families as Relationships of Intimacy and Care. In Daniel Engster and Tamara Metz (Eds.). Justice, Politics, and the Family. (pp. 42-58). Paradigm Publishers.

Articles

Levy, Traci and Elizabeth Palley (2010), Education, Needs, and a Feminist Ethic of Care: Lessons from Discomfort with Academic Giftedness. Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society, 17 (1), 80-110..

Levy, Traci (2006), "The Relational Self and the Right to Give Care". New Political Science, 28, No. 4:, 547-570..

Levy, Traci (2005), "At the Intersection of Intimacy and Care: Redefining 'Family' through the Lens of a Public Ethic of Care". Politics & Gender, 1, No. 1, 65-95..

Conference Presentations

Levy, Traci (2016). Discussant and Chair of panel, "Theoretical Issues of Care Considered" at the Annual Meeting of the Western Political Science Association. San Diego, California.

Levy, Traci (2016). Discussant and Chair of panel, "Changing Conceptions of Gender Roles and Care." Annual Meeting of the Western Political Science Association. San Diego, California.

Levy, Traci (2014). Armed and Caring? U.S. Military in Political Rhetoric and Family Policy. In Western Political Science Association. Seattle, WA.

Levy, Traci and Deborah Little (2012). Who Cares: Integrating Disability Experiences into Care Theory. In Western Political Science Association. Portland, Oregon.

Levy, Traci (2011). Panel Discussant for "Markets, States, Rights and Families: A Politics of Care in a Global Age". In Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association. Seattle, Washington.

Little, Deborah and Traci Levy (2010). "Care and Disability: Issues of Power and Voice". In 23rd Annual Conference of the Society for Disability Studies. Philadelphia, PA.

Levy, Traci & Deborah Little (2008). Paper presented: “Who Cares and Other Tensions between a Public Ethic of Care and Disability Studies". In 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association. Boston, Massachusetts.

Gray, Margaret and Traci Levy (2008). Paper presented: "Transnational Workers, Inequality, and Household Structure". In 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association. Boston, Massachusetts.

Levy, Traci and Deborah Little (2008). "Personal Assistant? Caregiver? A Dialogue between Disability Studies & Care Theory". In Paper Presented at the Society for Disability Studies. New York City.

Levy, Traci & Elizabeth Palley (2007). Presented paper: "U.S. Education Policy: Liberal Inadequacies and the Care Alternative". In Yeshiva University's Wurzweiler School of Social Work Conference: "Celebrating a Tradition of Caring". New York, New York.

Levy, Traci & Elizabeth Palley (2007). Presented paper: ""A Public Ethic of Care, Gifted Education, and No Child Left Behind". In Annual Meeting of the Western Political Science Association. Las Vegas, Nevada.

(2006). Discussant: Gender, Religion, & Ethnicity Panel. In Northeastern Political Science Association. Boston, Massachusetts.

(2006). Workshop Participant: Assessment and Learning Outcomes, TracK I. In American Political Science Association, Teaching & Learning Conference. Washington, D.C., February 18-20, 2006.

(2004). "Theorizing Caregiver Rights". In Northeastern Political Science Association. Boston, Massachusetts.

(2004). "The Care-Rights Oxymoron: The Viability and Implications of a Right to Give Care". In 2004 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association. Chicago.

Invited Presentations

Selected Off-Campus/Community Invited Presentations (Since 2016)

Panelist, "The Political Glass Ceiling--Cracked but not Shattered." Organized by the League of Women Voters/Port Washington-Manhasset and held at the Port Washington Library. Port Washington, NY. April 2017.

Other Work

Co-Creator & Co-Facilitator (with Rhonnie Jhaus, J.D.) of "Gender Bias & Title IX," Three-hour workshop that is part of Adelphi's Diversity Certificate program for faculty, staff, and administrators. Two workshops/semester since fall 2016.

Theses Advised

Since 2016 (most recent first):

In progress: Luke Colle. Topic: Rawls & Poverty. Title TBA.

Jacqueline Condon, Thesis: "The Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 and Beyond: Agenda Setting, Implementation, and What it Means for the Future." Spring 2017.

Sarah O'Connor. Thesis: "When Vogue is Your Bible: How the High-Fashion Modeling Industry has the Components of a Cult." Spring 2016.

Sebastian Souchet. Thesis: "Democracy and Anarchism: An Analysis of Sheldon Wolin’s Democratic Theory." Spring 2016.

Honors and Accomplishments

"Teaching Excellence Award" for non-tenured faculty, from Adelphi University, 2005-2006

"Academic Adviser Recognition Award" from the Adelphi University Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa, May 2006

“Women’s Recognition Dinner Faculty Award” (one of two given) for “Outstanding Service, Leadership, and Commitment to Excellence,” from the Adelphi Student Government Association and Center for Student Involvement, March 2008.

Professional Activities

Member, American Political Science Association (APSA), 1999 to present

Member of following APSA sections: Foundations of Political Theory,
Women and Politics, and Politics, Literature, and Film

Member, Western Political Science Association, 2007-present