David Aday

David Aday
  • Professor, Sociology and Community Studies
  • Archived Blogger

About David Aday

Professor of Sociology and Community Studies
Reves Fellow for International Service Learning, 2008-2010
Academic Director of Students for Medical Outreach and Sustainability (SOMOS, Paraiso, Dominican Republic) and Medical Aid Nicaragua: Outreach Scholarship (MANOS) .
B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Sociology

My teaching and research interests focused on community, the ways in which people live and work together to solve collective problems. This interest emerged over a career of interests in crime, regulatory arrangements and theory, and a deep distrust of hierarchical and coercive strategies of “helping” and “managing” in human affairs. My work in the Dominican Republic and in Nicaragua represented a shift from issues of security and social control to those of health and well-being. I see the two as inherently related and believe that effective communities must find ways to solve these and other persistent and thorny problems. Students taught me much over the years — not the least, the need to continue to learn and to press forward to create and use knowledge. Students are responsible directly for my work in community health and for my involvement in the two most exciting projects (SOMOS and SHC) of my now lengthy career.

Posts by David Aday

A-team in Managua

No significant issues to report as we end our first day in Nicaragua.  The A-team arrived, more or less on schedule, and left the

Counting down to Nicaragua, 2011

Stopping briefly in San Salvadore, we will arrive in Managua, Nicaragua early in the afternoon of March 3rd.  “We” are the advance team, traveling

Cleaning up — and apologies

Aw, memory.  My dear friend Morgan McCorklin really is Morgan McCroklin Cheatham — soon to be M.D.  I’m fairly confident that I made the

An open letter to SOMOSeros

I post this with some trepidation.  It was written as a personal note of appreciation.  I trust my good friends will not mind. SOMOSeros

Where to from here?

Residents are encouraged by the clean-up effort, but many do not believe that regular collection will follow.  We move through the community to talk

They did come.

Not at 8:00, but at 9:00.  We’re the ones who operate on American time.  Rumbling up the hill in a very experienced, nearly blue

Too tired but got inspired

It has been a long day, made somewhat more wearing by the time between breakfast and lunch.  We leave the hotel at 7:00 am. 

Messy work and Sunshine

Excitement and anticipation was high Sunday morning as team members moved into final preparations for the community meeting and celebration.  Kaveh Sadegehian and Taylor

Researching, Planning, and Hoping

We’re mostly present and accounted for.  Two SOMOS team members had late flights (Joanna Weeks, 2nd year with the project; and Rebecca Silverstein, 1st