Adriana Abdenur

View Adriana Abdenur's homepage ("http://www.princeton.edu/~aabdenur)

Rina Agarwala

Education:
PhD in Sociology and Demography, Princeton University, expected May 2006
MPP in Public Policy, Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, 1999
BA in Economics and Government with Honors, Cornell University, 1995

Areas of Specialization: Sociology of Development, Globalization, Social Inequality, Labor, Gender, Class, Political Sociology, Social Movements, Civil Society, Social Demography

Dissertation:
From Work to Welfare: Informal Workers’ Organizations and the State in India.
My dissertation examines democratic participation among poor women workers as state welfare rhetoric and policy declines on the one hand and the percentage of insecure and unprotected informal labor increases on the other hand. I investigate (1) how the informal nature of employment affects workers' collective action strategies, and (2) what role the state plays in affecting informal workers’ ability to secure labor benefits. To address these questions, I interviewed over 200 government officials and labor leaders and 140 women workers across three cities in India. Contrary to much of the literature on labor and on social movements to date, I find that informal workers are organizing along class lines to improve their livelihoods through demands for state-supported benefits. Their informal employment conditions have, however, altered their mobilization strategies to create a new form of unionism that appeals to the state, rather than the employer, for increases in welfare (such as support for health care, education, and housing) rather than workers’ rights (such as minimum wages and job security). Because their employers change frequently, informal workers organize around the neighborhood, rather than the shop floor. Their success in attaining state-supported welfare benefits is affected by the economic policies and the governing styles of the party in power. Workers’ organizations operating in states that are liberalizing and running under populist political parties tend to be most successful in attaining state-supported welfare benefits. Given the growing rhetoric about the decreased welfare state, these findings are surprising and reveal important insights into what strategies are available for marginalized groups to express their political voice, even as state policies erode their material circumstances.

Selected Publications:

Refereed Articles:

Agarwala, Rina and Scott M. Lynch. Forthcoming. "Refining the Measurement of Women’s Autonomy: an International Application of a Multi-dimensional Construct." Social Forces

Agarwala, Rina. 2002. "Working for Autonomy: Differentiating Women’s Work in India." Indian Journal of Labour Economics, V. 45, No. 4, pp. 1369-1388

Books and Book Chapters:

Agarwala, Rina. Forthcoming May 2006. "Using the Populist Leader: The State and the Worker in India." in Ronald Herring and Rina Agarwala (eds). Bringing Class Back In.

Agarwala, Rina and Ronald Herring. Forthcoming May 2006. "Introduction: Bringing Class Back into South Asia" in Ronald Herring and Rina Agarwala (eds). Bringing Class Back In.

Other Publications:

Agarwala, Rina. 1996. Managing Water for the People by the People: A Participatory Assessment on SEWA’s Rural Water Resource Management in Gujarat. SEWA, Ahmedaba

UNDP. 1996. China Environment and Sustainable Development Resource Book: A Compendium of Donor Activities, UNDP, Beijing (Report authored by Rina Agarwala)

Teaching Experience:
TA for Prof. Patricia Fernandez-Kelly. "Urban Sociology: The City and Social Change in the Americas" Princeton University, Spring 2004.

Guest Lecturer, Department of Politics, Mumbai University, India, Fall 2003.

Tutor for students with learning disabilities. “Introductory Economics”, Department of Economics and Office of Equal Opportunity, Cornell University. 1991-1995.

Teaching Interests:
International Development; Labor and Globalization, Gender, Political Sociology, Introduction to Quantitative and/or Qualitative Methods

For more information: View Rina Agarwala’s CV (PDF).

Laura Clawson

Education:
2002: MA in Sociology, Princeton University
1998: BA, Wesleyan University

Areas of Specialization: Culture, Religion, Gender, the Family.

Dissertation:
In my dissertation, I examine Sacred Harp singing, a relatively little-known tradition of Christian harmony singing that has existed as a living tradition in the southern U.S. for over 150 years and which has undergone a revival in many other areas of the U.S over the past thirty years. Sacred Harp singing is a participatory, not performance-oriented, music, and strong communities form around the act of singing and the religious and historical tradition. I draw on extensive ethnographic fieldwork in comparing four singing communities—Sand Mountain, Alabama; West Central Georgia; Chicago; and Minneapolis-St. Paul—in which the singers have considerably different backgrounds and religious and political beliefs. I focus on how local community norms are produced and maintained, and what norms prevail when singers from different locations interact.

Selected Publications:
"'Blest Be the Tie that Binds': Community and Spirituality Among Sacred Harp Singers." Poetics, Volume 32, Issues 3-4.
"'Everybody Knows Him': Social Networks in the Life of a Small Contractor in Alabama." Forthcoming in Ethnography 6:2.

Teaching Experience:
Instructor: Churches and Public Engagement, Princeton Theological Seminary, (Upcoming) Spring 2006; Religion and Gender, Princeton Theological Seminary, Spring 2005; Religious Community and Individual Identity, Drew Theological School, Spring 2004.


Teaching Assistant: Claims and Evidence, Sara Curran, Princeton University, Fall 2003; Sex, Sexuality, and Gender, Sara Curran, Princeton University, Fall 2002; Family and Kinship, Suzanne Keller, Princeton University, Fall 2001; Social Basis of Individual Behavior, Howard Taylor, Princeton University, Spring 2001.

Teaching Interests:
Sociology of Culture; Sociology of Gender; Sociology of Religion; Community; Popular Culture; the Family; Religion in Public Life.

For more information: View Laura Clawson's CV (PDF)

Joseph Nathan Cohen

Education:
PhD (Sociology), Princeton University, Expected Spring 2006
Masters of Sociology, Princeton University, 2003
Bachelors of International Business, Carleton University (Canada), 1999

Areas of Specialization: sociology of organizations, economic sociology, political sociology, economic development

Dissertation:
"Markets, Institutions and Debt: An Examination of Economic Prosperity in the Developing World Since 1997."
What is the difference between prosperous and economically-stagnant developing countries? The development literature offers at least three widely-used explanations of national development or underdevelopment: (1) Neoliberalism, which associates stronger market forces and more austere government with economic prosperity, (2) Institutionalism, which identifies democratic, stable and rule-bound governments as keys to development, and (3) Financial Dependency, which sees the strains of debt as creating major hurdles to poorer countries' economic development. This dissertation examines whether economic growth, inflation and distributional equality are associated with freer markets, stronger state institutions and debt burdens in the Post-Asian Financial Crisis era. The results lend partial support to each of these three perspectives, and are interpreted as suggesting that public finance, macro-financial autonomy and the overall integrity of a country's monetary and financial system are key determinants of its development prospects.

Selected Publications:
Forthcoming. Information Inequality and Network Externalities: A Comparative Study of the Diffusion of Television and the Internet (With Paul DiMaggio). In The Economic Sociology of Capitalism, edited by Victor Nee and Richard Swedberg, Princeton University Press.

Teaching Experience:
2005. Lecturer, Consumer Behavior, Temple University Fox School of Business, Philadelphia, PA

2005. Lecturer, Marketing Principles, Temple University Fox School of Business, Philadelphia, PA

2002. Preceptor, Communications, Culture and Society (under Paul Starr), Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

2001. Preceptor, Introduction to Sociology (under Patricia Fernandez-Kelly), Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

2000. English Teacher, Nova School, Nagoya, Japan

1998. Junior High School Teacher, Junior Achievement Argentina School Program, Buenos Aires, Argentina

1997. Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Quantitative Methods (under Roland Thomas), Carleton University Sprott School of Business, Ottawa, Canada

Teaching Interests:
Sociology of Organizations/Organizational Behavior, International Business Management, Political-Economy, Economic Sociology, Political Sociology, Economic Development, Modern State & Capitalism, Power and Authority, Introductory Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Introduction to Sociology, Research Methods, Market Research, Introductory Statistics, Quantitative Methods for Business Students

For more information: View Joseph Nathan Cohen's web page (http://www.princeton.edu/~jncohen)

Meredith A. Kleykamp

Education:
University of Texas at Austin, B.A. 1998
Princeton University, M.A. 2001, Ph.D. expected by June 2006

Areas of Specialization: Social Demography; Social Stratification/Inequality; Military Sociology; Quantitative Methods; Migration

Dissertation:
My dissertation examines minority representation in the armed forces in the all volunteer era from 1973-2004, asking whether the military serves as a source of social mobility and equality for minorities, particularly African American men. The project involves three empirical analyses. First, I examine how changes in participation in military service have influenced the civilian labor market and educational outcomes of young men since 1973. I generally conclude that rather than operating outside the labor market or educational system, the military is a key influence on both labor market dynamics and trends in college enrollment, and operates differentially by race. Second, I examine the enlistment decisions of a recent cohort of high school graduates making decisions about military service during wartime. I find that while there no longer appear to be substantial differences across race/ethnic lines in military enlistment, family resources and college goals remain key correlates of enlistment, as does residence in a location with a strong military presence in the community. Finally, I employ an experimental design using an audit study to evaluate how military service affects the hiring decisions of employers in two major urban labor markets, testing whether military service offers an advantage in hiring decisions, and if this differs by race/ethnicity.

Selected Publications:
Kleykamp, Meredith and Marta Tienda. (2005). "Physical and Mental Health Status of Hispanic Adolescent Girls: A Comparative Perspective." Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Volume 22. Elsevier: Oxford.

Western, Bruce, Meredith Kleykamp and Jake Rosenfeld (2004) "Crime, Punishment and American Inequality" In Social Inequality. Ed. Katheryn Newman. Russell Sage: New York.

Western, Bruce and Meredith Kleykamp. (2004). "A Bayesian Change Point Model for Historical Time Series Analysis." Political Analysis 12(4):354-374.

Kleykamp, Meredith. "Health Barriers to Enlistment Among Hispanics." February 2004. RAND Project Memorandum 1653-OSD. Report prepared for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (Manpower and Personnel).

Under review:

Kleykamp, Meredith. "The Enlistment, Enrollment and Employment Decisions of Texas Youth" (revise and resubmit, Social Science Quarterly).

Western, Bruce, Meredith Kleykamp and Jake Rosenfeld. "Economic Inequality and the Rise in U.S. Imprisonment." (revise and resubmit, Social Forces).

Teaching Experience:
United States Military Academy, West Point, NY:

• Lecturer/Course Director – "Political Analysis", 2001-2002

Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

• Preceptor – "Generalized Linear Models" (graduate course), Fall 2000
  Preceptor – "Health, Society and Politics", Fall 1999

Teaching Interests:
Research Methods; Social Statistics (basic or advanced); Social Stratification; Inequality; Military Sociology; Demography; Migration

For more information: View Meredith A. Kleykamp's full CV

Jean Knab

Education:
Cornell University, B.S. 1993
Princeton University, M.A. 2000, Ph.D. 2004

Areas of Specialization: the family, social demography, poverty and inequality, health, social policy

Dissertation:
"The Form and Function of Unmarried Families"
My dissertation documents the growing heterogeneity among families in the U.S. and examines how this heterogeneity in family forms influences 1) how we conceptualize and measure family structure and 2) the social and economic outcomes of family members. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, I document the substantial diversity and instability in the early childhood living arrangements of children born to unmarried parents. These changes in the family are associated with residential mobility, changes in economic circumstance, and access to social support. However the positive and negative outcomes associated with these changes vary dramatically across family structure of origin. I find substantial racial and ethnic variation in both family form and stability and even in how different racial and ethnic groups respond to questions about their family structure, in particular non-marital cohabitation. This suggests that the cultural meaning of cohabitation may differ across racial and ethnic groups and certainly that the prevalence of cohabitation across racial and ethnic groups is likely to be sensitive to how the concept is measured.

Selected Publications:
Knab, Jean Tansey and McLanahan, Sara. (forthcoming) "Measuring cohabitation: Does when, who, and how you ask matter." In the Handbook of Measurement Issues in Family Research edited by Sandra Hofferth and Lynne Casper. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum & Associates.

DeKlyen, Michelle, Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne, McLanahan, Sara, and Knab, Jean Tansey. (forthcoming) "The Mental Health of Parents with Infants: Do Marriage, Cohabitation, and Romantic Status Matter?" American Journal of Public Health.

Curran, Sara, McLanahan, Sara, and Knab, Jean Tansey. 2003. "Does Remarriage Expand Perception of Kinship Support Among the Elderly?" Social Science Research 32:171-190.

Knab, Jean Tansey; Bos, Johannes; Friedlander, Daniel; and Weissman, Joanna. 2000. "Do Mandates Matter? The Effect of a Mandate to Enter a Welfare-to-Work Program." Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation. New York, NY.

Freedman, Stephen; Knab, Jean Tansey; Gennetian, Lisa A.; and Navarro, David. 2000. "The Los Angeles Jobs-First GAIN Evaluation: Final Report on a Work-First Program in a Major Urban Center." Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation. New York, NY.

Manuscripts under review:

Harknett, Kristen and Knab, Jean Tansey. "More Kin, Less Support: Multipartnered Fertility and Perceived Support among Unmarried Mothers" (revise and resubmit Journal of Marriage and the Family)

Knab, Jean Tansey. "Cohabitation: Sharpening a Fuzzy Concept" (revise and resubmit Journal of Marriage and the Family).

Knab, Jean Tansey. "Can Marriage Reduce Poverty and Hardship for Unmarried Mothers"

Teaching Experience:
Instructor, Introduction to Data & Research, Office of Population Research, Fall 2004
Developed and led four seminars to train second-year graduate students in good data management and programming practices and how to use reference software (EndNote) as they begin their independent research projects.

Instructor, Fragile Families Data User Workshops, Summers 2002-2004
Instructed summer workshop participants (junior faculty and graduate students) on using the Fragile Families data.

Assistant Instructor, Sociology of Poverty, Princeton University, 1999
Led student precepts, wrote and graded exams and assignments.

Teaching Interests:
research methods, introduction to sociology, marriage and the family, poverty and the welfare state, demography, and social stratification

For more information: See Jean Knab's Full CV

Michael Lindsay

Education:
2004: Master of Arts in Sociology with Distinction, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
2001: Postgraduate Diploma with Distinction, Oxford University, Oxford, England
2000: Master of Divinity, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey (Presidential Scholar)
1994: Bachelor of Arts, Baylor University, Waco, Texas (Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude)

Areas of Specialization: Culture; Elites, Social Class, and Society; Political Sociology; Religion; Social Dynamics of Leadership; Social Institutions and Organizational Life; Sociology of Civil Society; Survey and Research Design

Dissertation:
"A Vision for the Center: Elite Refashioning of American Evangelicalism"
Evangelicalism is a central part of the American religious landscape, and it has changed over the last thirty years. While many studies have explored the movement at the grassroots level, little scholarly attention has been directed to the role of elites within American evangelicalism. Through semi-structured interviews with over 350 elite informants as well as archival and ethnographic research, I demonstrate the mechanisms through which evangelicalism has sought to rise in prominence and prestige in recent decades and explores four arenas in which informants have sought to play larger roles in centers of elite cultural production and influence. These arenas of influence include politics and government; business and corporate life; arts, entertainment, and the media; and higher education. By examining the behavior of elites within a conducive social structure and the overlapping networks they constitute, this dissertation argues that elite evangelicals have exerted significant, often understated influence in changing the movement’s direction, scope, and strategies since 1976. Results suggest that these changes constitute new modes of social organization for the movement as elite informants pursue collective goals. While these goals remain largely unchanged from those reviewed in earlier research, the means to achieve them are indeed novel within the evangelical movement. Three key elements accompany the development of these new modes of organization: institutional arrangements, legitimation strategies, and confirmatory narratives. These elements have not only contributed to increased attention being given to American evangelicalism, but they have also transformed the movement’s posture toward wider society and self-identity. Informants for the study include two former Presidents of the United States; over two dozen Cabinet secretaries and senior White House staffers; nearly 100 presidents, CEOs, or senior executives at large firms (both public and private); a dozen accomplished Hollywood professionals; over 10 leaders from the world of professional athletics, and a handful of leaders from the artistic and philanthropic arenas, among others. This research aims to have a two-fold impact: increased understanding of contemporary evangelicalism as well as additions to important, previously neglected components of elite studies.

Selected Publications:
Surveying the Religious Landscape: Trends in U.S. Beliefs, with George Gallup, Jr. (Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse, 1999).

The Gallup Guide: Reality Check for Twenty-First Century Churches, with George Gallup, Jr. (Loveland, CO: Group, 2002).

"The National Prayer Breakfast and the 'Christian Mafia': Religious Publicity and Secrecy within the Corridors of Power." Journal of the American Academy of Religion. Forthcoming, 2006.

"Elite Networks as Social Power: New Modes of Organization within American Evangelicalism." Sociology of Religion. Under Review.

Winner of the 2005 McNamara Award, Association for the Sociology of Religion.

"Liminality: A New Form of Organizational Differentiation." Under review. American Journal of Sociology.

"Explaining the Gap: Religious Commitment in the United States and Great Britain." Under review. Social Forces.

Teaching Experience:
Instructor/Adjunct Professor, Center for the Study of Religion/New Brunswick Theological Seminary, Faith and Work, Fall 2005.

Instructor/Adjunct Professor, Center for the Study of Religion/Princeton Theological Seminary, Educational Leadership, Fall 2004.

Lecturer and Assistant in Instruction, Sociology 322 (Elites, Leadership, and Society), Department of Sociology, Princeton University, Fall 2002.

Assistant in Instruction, Sociology 214 (Creativity, Innovation, and Society), Department of Sociology, Princeton University, Spring 2004.

Graduate Liaison, McGraw Center for Teaching & Learning, Department of Sociology, 2005-06

Teaching Interests:
Sociology of Culture, Stratification and Elites, Leadership, Research Methods (Qualitative and Survey Research), Sociology of Religion, Social Institutions

For More Information:
View D. Michael Lindsay's homepage (http://www.princeton.edu/~mlindsay)

Virág Molnár

Education:
2005: Ph.D., Sociology, Princeton University
1999: M.A., Sociology, Princeton University
1996: B.A., Economics, Budapest University of Economics

Areas of Specialization: economic sociology, sociology of knowledge and professions, culture, comparative and historical sociology, globalization, political sociology, urban sociology, social theory

Dissertation:
"Modernity and Memory: The Politics of Architecture in Hungary and East Germany after the Second World War."
My dissertation examines professional discourses of architects in Hungary and East Germany in the post-World War II period (1950-2000). It treats architectural discourse as a lens into the changing relationship between the state and the architectural profession that led to the periodic redefinition of the public role of the architect as well as the substantive focus of architecture. In contrast to the widely held view that assumes a static, top-down relationship between the state and professionals in authoritarian societies, my dissertation reveals a more fluid and complex picture whereby the changing priorities of the state result in the frequent renegotiation of the boundaries between politics and expertise, creating new constraints but also new opportunities for professional autonomy and solidarity. The analysis demonstrates that architecture in the 1950s served primarily as a tool of political representation and in the 1960s as a weapon of social reform. In the 1980s it became a cultural medium through which these societies tried to regain their distinctive national identities and historical traditions, while in the post-socialist 1990s it evolved into an important cultural strategy of urban development to tackle the challenges of globalization. In mapping these shifts in the social meaning and political significance of architecture, the analysis highlights the linkages between professional discourse and broader societal debates about social modernization, collective memory and globalization.

Selected Publications:
2005. "Cultural Politics and Modernist Architecture: The Tulip Debate in Post-War Hungary." American Sociological Review 70 (1): 111-35.

2002. "The Study of Boundaries in the Social Sciences." Annual Review of Sociology 28: 165-95. (with Michéle Lamont)

2001. "How Blacks Use Consumption to Shape their Collective Identity: Evidence from African-American Marketing Specialists." Journal of Consumer Culture 1(1): 31-45 (with Michéle Lamont)

Teaching Experience:
Lecturer, Urban Sociology, University of Reading, UK, Spring 2005, Fall 2006

Lecturer, Culture and Society (graduate), University of Reading, UK, Fall 2006

Lecturer, Sociology of Culture, University of Reading, UK, Spring 2006

Lecturer, Sociology of Consumption, University of Reading, UK, Spring 2006

Guest lecturer, Cross-National and Global Perspectives on the Economy, Princeton University, Spring 2003

Teaching Interests:
Economic sociology (consumption, work, organizations), sociology of culture, material culture, sociology of knowledge and professions, classical and contemporary theory, urban sociology, globalization, comparative historical methods, qualitative methods

For more information: View Virág Molnár's CV (PDF).

Traci Schlesinger

Education:
2002: M.A. in Sociology, Princeton University.
1999: B.A. in Sociology, Summa Cum Laude, Fordham University.

Areas of Specialization: Criminal Justice; Race and Racism; Sociology of Law.

Dissertation: The Race Neutral Production of Racial Inequality: The effects of determinate sentencing policies on racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in punishment outcomes

In my dissertation, I analyze the effects of determinate sentencing policies on state prison admission rates, time served, and imprisonment rates in Alabama, California, Illinois, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Texas in order to examine the strengths and limitations of colorblind anti-discrimination policies. Preliminary findings suggest that determinate sentencing policies increases all three measures of punishment outcome studies – imprisonment rates, admission rates, and time served, especially for black and Latino men. These findings are consistent with the theoretical perspective offered, which suggests that, due to the narrow definitions of both race, ethnicity, and gender and, consequentially, discrimination upon which they are based, colorblind anti-discrimination policies are incapable of alleviating racial, ethnic, and gendered disparities in punishment.

Selected Publications:
"Racial and Ethnic Disparity in Pretrial Criminal Processing". 2005. Justice Quarterly. 22(2): 170-192.

Teaching Experience:
Drew University: Introduction to Social Welfare; Sociology of Deviant Behavior (Instructor).
Princeton University: Race, Class, and Intelligence; Deviance and Social Control; Sociological Theory; Sociology of Crime and Punishment; Social Bases for Individual Behavior (Teaching Assistant).


Teaching Interests:
Introduction to Criminal Justice; Sociology of Deviance; Race and Racism; Sociology of Law; Feminist Theory; Sociological Theory.

For more information: View Traci Schlesinger's CV (PDF)

Laura Stark

Education:
2004: MA in Sociology, Princeton
1998: BS with Honors, Cornell

Areas of Specialization: Sociology of Science and Knowledge; Sociology of Culture; Historical and Ethnographic Methods

Dissertation:
"Morality in Science: Evaluating Research in the Age of Human Subjects Regulation." My dissertation (directed by Robert Wuthnow) examines how ideas about the appropriate way to treat human subjects of research were codified in late twentieth-century America and how these rules are interpreted today by members of university Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). I analyze how past and present moral commitments—existing both formally in institutions and tacitly in individuals—establish limits for current knowledge production in the human sciences. Based on extensive historical research, I analyze the way in which professional organizations, federal regulators, and everyday investigators negotiated the moral meaning of certain research practices (for example, the use of “deception” and “observation” by social scientists). I also draw on interviews with chairs of IRBs at major research universities, subsequent long-term observations of three selected university IRBs, and interviews with the members of these boards to explain how IRB members judge researchers as well as their proposals.

Selected Publications:
2005. "Are Poor Neighborhoods Resource-Deprived? A Case Study of Childcare Centers in New York." Social Science Quarterly: Special Issue on Poverty/Inequality/Opportunity. 86(5). (Second author with Mario Small)

2004. "The Popular Debate about Low Fertility: An Analysis of the German Press, 1993 – 2001." European Journal of Population 20(4): 293-321. (First author with Hans-Peter Kohler)

2002. "The Debate Over Low Fertility in the Popular Press: A Cross-National Comparison, 1998-1999." Population Research and Policy Review 21(6): 535-574. (First author with Hans-Peter Kohler)

Teaching Experience:
Introduction to Sociology with Professor Patricia Fernandez-Kelly, fall 2001.
Practical Ethics with Professor Peter Singer, spring 2002.
Creativity, Innovation, and Society with Professor Steven Tepper, spring 2003.
History of the Human Sciences with Professor Elizabeth Lunbeck, summer 2003.


Teaching Interests:
Sociology of Culture; Sociology of Science and Knowledge; Historical Methods; Ethnographic Methods; Classical and Contemporary Theory; Sociology of Ethics.

For more information: View Laura Stark's CV (PDF)

Laura Stark

Education:
2004: MA in Sociology, Princeton
1998: BS with Honors, Cornell

Areas of Specialization: Sociology of Science and Knowledge; Sociology of Culture; Historical and Ethnographic Methods

Dissertation:
"Morality in Science: Evaluating Research in the Age of Human Subjects Regulation." My dissertation (directed by Robert Wuthnow) examines how ideas about the appropriate way to treat human subjects of research were codified in late twentieth-century America and how these rules are interpreted today by members of university Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). I analyze how past and present moral commitments—existing both formally in institutions and tacitly in individuals—establish limits for current knowledge production in the human sciences. Based on extensive historical research, I analyze the way in which professional organizations, federal regulators, and everyday investigators negotiated the moral meaning of certain research practices (for example, the use of “deception” and “observation” by social scientists). I also draw on interviews with chairs of IRBs at major research universities, subsequent long-term observations of three selected university IRBs, and interviews with the members of these boards to explain how IRB members judge researchers as well as their proposals.

Selected Publications:
2005. "Are Poor Neighborhoods Resource-Deprived? A Case Study of Childcare Centers in New York." Social Science Quarterly: Special Issue on Poverty/Inequality/Opportunity. 86(5). (Second author with Mario Small)

2004. "The Popular Debate about Low Fertility: An Analysis of the German Press, 1993 – 2001." European Journal of Population 20(4): 293-321. (First author with Hans-Peter Kohler)

2002. "The Debate Over Low Fertility in the Popular Press: A Cross-National Comparison, 1998-1999." Population Research and Policy Review 21(6): 535-574. (First author with Hans-Peter Kohler)

Teaching Experience:
Introduction to Sociology with Professor Patricia Fernandez-Kelly, fall 2001.
Practical Ethics with Professor Peter Singer, spring 2002.
Creativity, Innovation, and Society with Professor Steven Tepper, spring 2003.
History of the Human Sciences with Professor Elizabeth Lunbeck, summer 2003.


Teaching Interests:
Sociology of Culture; Sociology of Science and Knowledge; Historical Methods; Ethnographic Methods; Classical and Contemporary Theory; Sociology of Ethics.

For more information: View Laura Stark's CV (PDF)

Frederick F. Wherry

Education:
2006: Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania (began 2004)
2004: PhD in Sociology, Princeton University
2000: MA in Public Affairs, Princeton University
1996: BA in Public Policy Analysis, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Areas of Specialization: economic sociology; sociology of development; political sociology

Dissertation:
Making Culture Work: Handicraft Villages in the Global Market (UMI 2004)
My dissertation (directed by Alejandro Portes) took me to Thailand and Costa Rica to investigate how international tourism and the global market for handicrafts have affected the economic development of communities where most of the residents earn their living directly or indirectly from handicraft sales. I interviewed about one hundred and twenty-three handicraft artisans running workshops in two communities in Thailand and two in Costa Rica. Several methods enabled systematic comparison: direct observation, a field survey of handicraft workshops, interviews with key informants, and archival research. The project privileges comparative, ethnographic methods in examining globalization and local economic life. I uncover situations where culture protects local economies and traditions from losing value in commercial markets.

Selected Publications:
"The Nation State, Identity Management, and Indigenous Crafts: Constructing Markets and Opportunities in Northwest Costa Rica." Ethnic & Racial Studies, Forthcoming

"International Statistics and Social Structure: The Case of the Human Development Index." International Review of Sociology 14 (2004): 151-169

SME Competitive Strategy: Lessons Learned in Northern Thailand. (with Luechai Chulasai) Bangkok: Chulalonghorn University Press, 2003.

The Anti-Corruption Handbook. (with Jim Della-Giacoma). East Asia Environment and Social Development Sector Discussion Paper Series: World Bank: Washington, DC, 2000.

"Do Transnational Organizations Promote Civil and Political Liberties: Cross-National Evidence from Southeast Asia, 1978-2000." (with Sara Curran) Center for Migration and Development Working Paper Series #3-13. Princeton: Princeton University, 2003.

Teaching Experience:
Instructor: Local Production and Global Markets, University of Pennsylvania, Spring & Fall 2005; Race and Ethnic Relations, University of Pennsylvania, Fall 2004, Spring 2006; Race, Ethnicity and the City, Kenyon College, Spring 2004; Economic Sociology of International Development, Kenyon College, Fall 2003; Micro-Credit in Developing Countries: Policy Module, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, Junior Summer Institute, 2001.

Teaching-Assistant: Urbanization in the Americas, Patricia Fernandez-Kelly, Princeton, Spring 2002; Introduction to Sociology, Patricia Fernandez-Kelly, Princeton, Freshman Summer Institute, Summer 2000.

Teaching Interests:
economic sociology, sociology of development, globalization, ethnic economies; comparative sociology; global ethnography; political sociology, consumers and consumption, introduction to sociology, race and ethnic relations

For more information: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~ffwherry