John Armenta

I study the culture of Post-9/11 military veterans in order to look at how current and former members of the military understand themselves and their role in society. Coming from the position of an Army veteran (with deployments to Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan) I am interested in how the military shapes notions of masculinity, patriotism, and the acceptability of violence. In the classroom I try to focus on the learner experience. This means meeting students where they are and giving them the tools to better express their ideas. The best students, I believe, are not the ones with the "right answers," rather they are the ones who ask the most interesting questions. In my free time I like to bake and hike around San Diego county. I also host for the New Books Network podcast.