Save the date! Introducing the Winter Speaker Series w/ Dr. Lehmann

[Arts Communications]

Calling all the sociologically curious!
The 2026 Sociology and Legal Studies Social Committee is excited to announce the Sociology and Legal Studies Winter Speaker Series!
From January to March 2026, esteemed professors from around Ontario will deliver talks, right here at the University of Waterloo, investigating topics surrounding inequality.

  *   30–40-minute public lectures w/ 20–30-minute Q&A
  *   FREE for anyone to attend, friends from various departments welcome
  *   No registration required

And of course... there will be light refreshments.
(If you'd like to share, there's a printable version of this content attached).


Dr. Wolfgang Lehmann Lecture
“Sometimes I'm amazed where I ended up:” University and employment experiences of first-in-family, working-class students
Wednesday, Jan 28th | 11:50 am – 12:50 PM | LOCATION: QNC 1506

Abstract: Although class has remained a relatively stubborn predictor of educational and occupational attainment, the number of students at university from working-class backgrounds has also grown significantly. This has led to a substantial body of scholarship that has documented and analyzed the experiences of working-class students. Most commonly these studies are cross-sectional and focus on either access to university, experiences in university, or transitions out of university. In contrast, this presentation is based on a 16-year qualitative longitudinal study of first-in-family, working-class students in Canada in which I have followed students from their first days at university in their late teens, to adulthood in their mid-30s.
Starting university in 2005 with very high ambitions and aspirations for substantial mobility, I will show how they engaged in a range of strategies to negotiate their potential working-class disadvantages to find educational and occupational success. Most, however, also revised their goals over time, evoking a broader notion of mobility beyond career achievement. In their last interview, they emphasised personal/intellectual growth through education and their ability to develop and accumulate middle-class cultural capital, while not abandoning their working-class roots. The presentation concludes by examining the benefits and challenges of long‑term qualitative research.
Biographical Statement: Wolfgang Lehmann is Professor of Sociology and Associate Dean, Undergraduate Students and Programs in the Faculty of Social Science at Western University. His research focuses on the role of social class in education and school-work transitions. His work has been published in diverse journals, including Sociology of Education, the British Journal of Sociology of Education, and Work, Education and Society. His book Choosing to Labour? School-work transitions and social class was published in 2007 by McGill-Queen's University Press. He edited Education and Society: Canadian Perspectives, published by Oxford University Press in 2016, and co-authored Story of a Generation (2025), recently released by University of Toronto Press.


Can’t make it on the 28th? No problem! You can mark a spot in your calendar today to catch presentations from the rest of the winter speaker lineup.
Dr. Lehmann ~  Jan. 28 | 11:50 AM
“Sometimes I'm amazed where I ended up:” University and employment experiences of first-in-family, working-class students.

Dr. Kaitlynn Mendes ~ Feb. 25 | 11:50 AM
“Hashtags and Homemaking: Exploring Tradwife Identities on TikTok”

Dr. Ryan Broll ~ Mar. 11 | 1:30 PM
““Resilience among adolescent victims of bullying: A sociological perspective”

We hope to see you there! Stay tuned for the exciting events and talks to come.

Warm regards,

The Sociology and Legal Studies Social Committee


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