William Lofquist

Professor of Sociology
Bailey Hall 242
(585) 245-6205
lofquist@geneseo.edu

William Lofquist has been a member of the Geneseo faculty since 1992.

For more information about Professor Lofquist's research click this link. 

William Lofquist

Office Hours

  • Wed 11:00am - 1:00pm

  • Thurs 11:00am - 12:00pm 

    (or by appointment)

Curriculum Vitae

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Delaware

  • M.A., Sam Houston State University

  • B.A., Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Publications

  • Lofquist, William S. 2022. “State Killings in the Steel City: Stories from
    Pittsburgh’s Death Penalty.” Western Pennsylvania History, Spring: 36-47.

  • Lofquist, William S. 2018. “Justice on the Western Frontier: The Death Penalty in
    Pre-Industrial Pittsburgh, 1754-1840. Pennsylvania History 84, 4: 556-593.

  • Lofquist, William S. 2014. “Finding the Causes in the Contexts: Sociological
    Perspectives on Wrongful Convictions.” In Examining Wrongful Convictions:
    Stepping Back, Moving Forward, Acker, James and Allison Redlich (eds.).
    Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press.

Interests

  • Patterns of death penalty use
  • Wrongful convictions
  • Pittsburgh
  • Running
  • Gardening

Classes

  • SOCL 245: Sociology of Sports

    Sport is more than just fun and games; it is a powerful institution in our society, closely intertwined with family, community, education, media, politics, the economy, and other institutions. This course focuses on closely analyzing the sports landscape to understand why particular sports are and are not available and popular; how race, class, gender, and other factors shape access to sporting opportunities; how sports are shaped by commercial and political interests; and the cultural meanings attached to sports.

  • SOCL 250: Sociology of Deviance

    The course is an inquiry into the social construction of deviance. Emphasis is placed on how behavior comes to be defined as deviant and the interests advanced by these definitions, as well as on societal responses to deviance, causes of individual involvement in deviant behavior, and deviance designations as a form of social control.

  • SOCL 310: Sociology of Law

    This course is designed to further students' understanding of the relationship between law and society, in particular the ways in which the legal system interacts with the social, economic, and political institutions of American society. Topics to be covered may include the legal profession, family law, minority rights and affirmative action, labor law, sexual harassment, abortion, euthanasia, criminal and civil commitment law, the death penalty, environmental law, or student rights.