David Kirschner

Dr. David Kirschner is a micro-sociologist trained in the symbolic interactionist tradition. He earned his PhD in Sociology in 2014 from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, where he studied how videogame players are socialized into virtual worlds, including how they learn rules and norms through interaction with human and non-human others. His research has been published in various outlets in sociology, game studies and education, including the journals Symbolic Interaction, Simulation & Gaming and Computers & Education.

Kirschner has taught numerous courses in sociology and human services, such as Death, Grief, and Dying, Writing in the Social Sciences, Human Services Senior Capstone, Environmental Sociology, Social Theory, and Sociology of Disability. He creates student-centered classrooms featuring active learning. For example, he enjoys playing with game-based learning and co-created a learning community for freshmen that teaches introductory sociology through the lens of video games and gaming culture. His courses always aim to relate the study of sociology and human services to the everyday lives of students.

Kirschner has been at GGC since spring 2015, first teaching one semester part-time before becoming assistant professor of sociology (2015-2021) and being promoted to associate professor of sociology (2021-present). Before becoming the chair of the Department of Human Services and Cultural Studies (2022-present), he served as the chair of studies for human development and aging services (2019-2022) and as coordinator for the sociology discipline (2018-2019).

Education

• Doctorate – sociology – Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
• Master’s – social science education with emphasis in history – University of Georgia
• Bachelor’s – sociology – University of Georgia

Academic Interests

• Human-computer interaction
• Gaming
• Media and society
• Socialization
• Qualitative research methods