Some students at Oswego State know Tim Delaney as their sociology professor and head of the sociology department. Others may be familiar with a few of his 18 published books.
During the weekends and on breaks from classes, Delaney uses much of his time to write textbooks and other books with a sociological perspective.
Delaney recently collaborated with Rowman and Littlefield to publish his 18th book, “Social Deviance.” The 452- page textbook covers a variety of deviant behaviors such as violence, cyber deviance and organized crime.
An editor he has worked with in the past suggested he write a textbook on social deviance and it sparked a sense of excitement since it is a topic he takes an interest in.
“I have always loved the topic of social deviance,” Delaney said. “I’ve taught social deviance for decades, I didn’t really think about at that time writing a book about social deviance. Once I started writing it, it was just so much fun.”
He said professors should be happy with the book because it incorporates everything needed in the curriculum. He also believes students will enjoy it because he relates the information to contemporary examples.
Pop culture is a common area of interest according to Delaney, so he has used examples to help engage the reader. Some of his work solely focuses on the sociology of popular television shows such as “Seinfeld” and “The Simpsons.” In 2006 he wrote “Seinology: The Sociology of Seinfeld,” which gave him opportunities for radio interviews and book signings.
“Pop culture is an area of interest from an academic standpoint within sociology,” Delaney said. “If you are looking for some sort of common ground to talk to people about, you bring up pop culture.”
Delaney prefers to have the outline of his work within eye level for quick reference while writing at home. His office in Mahar Hall reflects this preference, as a myriad of papers and sticky notes are taped to the wall against his desk. He stresses having an outline but also understands that it will be changed as more research is done. Delaney said he enjoys looking at the original outline and comparing it to the final product.
“Within each chapter I have a rough idea what the subsections would be, but then when you start doing a lot of research you begin to realize that maybe it needs to be modified,” Delaney said.
His 19th book, “Friendship and Happiness,” will be released within the next few weeks. With his co-author Tim Madigan, professor and chair of the philosophy department at St. John Fisher College, they discuss the effects of true friendship on happiness.
“If you are broken down at three in the morning, how many Facebook friends can you call to come help you? It’s only going to be the people who are your really good friends in the first place,” Delaney said.
Delaney is in the process of writing his 20th book on the topic of common sense, which he hopes to release next year to keep his average of one book published per year.
“I love to write, I love to do research and I’m always learning. Just because when you finish college, doesn’t mean you stop learning,” Delaney said.
Photo: Alexander Gault-Plate | The Oswegonian
