Faculty Features

Phil Davignon

Associate Professor of Sociology

When Phil Davignon, chair and associate professor of sociology, came to Union in 2014, he was thrilled to join a university that emphasized faith alongside learning.

“How can you teach about topics like marriage or gender or religion and not bring your faith in?” Davignon said. “[Union] is encouraging us to integrate faith. … The students want that, and that’s how I want to teach as well, so it just feels like this is a perfect match.”

Before coming to Union, Davignon received his master’s and doctorate in sociology from Baylor University. He then worked as a research analyst for the Federation of State Medical Boards in Dallas, Texas. However, although Davignon appreciated his job, he says that teaching is a far more exciting and fulfilling practice.

“[To] work with students who are excited about learning about the world is a great opportunity,” he said.

Davignon is also grateful for the opportunity to reach students in a different environment through the Faculty-in-Residence program.

“It’s fun to be on campus all the time. Students love seeing us, and we love seeing them,” Davignon said. “They meet your family and see your kids and see where you have dinner. The kinds of conversations … and the types of relationships you can have are different.”

Davignon cherishes the unique opportunity of raising a family on a college campus. He says his three children — Grace, 6; Daniel, 4; and Sophia, 2 — love exploring the different areas on campus, even referring to the sand volleyball court as “The Beach.” They also enjoy interacting with their neighbors.

“They just love college students,” Davignon said. “It’s like they have all these older siblings.”

As for his role as the chair of the Department of Sociology and Family Studies, Davignon emphasizes to his faculty and students the importance of making connections between faith and everyday life.

“It’s very easy in modern life to be a Christian who loves God and believes in God but kind of compartmentalizes faith to some extent,” Davignon said. “I try to reveal that to students, that there is a tendency in modern life to compartmentalize faith. How can we redeem or restore our lives as Christians in the modern world?”

Davignon believes that understanding sociology can help students to develop a Christ-like response to the world around them.

“What does it mean to live a good life?” Davignon said. “As Christians, we say it’s ‘To love God and love our neighbor.’ So, if we keep that at the front of our mind and say, ‘That is the best way we can live,’ then what is it about social structure and culture and society that either makes that difficult or helps us along the way?”

By Caroline Hinrichs (’22)

University Profile for Phil Davignon