Sociology Graduate Students
PhD (1st year)
Esteban Calvo Bralic
I am currently researching social security reforms in China and what
lessons can be learned from the similar reforms in Latin America. I am
also interested in the effects of the labor-force participation on the
well being of older individuals. |
Michael Cermak
I am interested in the interactions of consumer culture, educational achievement, and environmental awareness, particularly for minority youth in urban settings. My other interests include ecological economics, biological anthropology, and the aesthetics of technology.
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Chris Kelly
My research interests primarily encompass discourses and systems of knowledge, especially regarding gays and lesbians and, more recently, the interconnections of national/ethnic and sexual identities -- and the political implications of all these. In addition, I am interested in consciousness-raising, research methodologies, and practical applications for studies of discourse and knowledge. |
Seil Oh
Sociology of religion, culture, political economy, and social movements. More specifically, I am researching neo-liberalism, globalization, and civil movements. |
PhD (2nd & 3rd year)
Michelle Ilana Gawerc
I intend to do my dissertation on peace-building during times of acute
violence. Utilizing longitudinal field research data and surveys of Palestinian
Israeli people-to-people initiatives I hope to be able to offer recommendations
to strengthen the symbolic, cultural, and political value and impact of
peace-building.
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Autumn Green
My research interests involve collaborative participatory action projects surrounding low-income women’s lives in the contexts of motherhood, poverty and structural inequality. This includes a long term project at the Institute for Women in Politics and Public Policy at UMASS Boston, seeking to enable low-income women to access and complete their higher educational goals.
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Joelle Sano
My sociological interests focus on labor, public education, and poverty. In addition to these I also research Generation Y and the changing workplace. |
Johanna Pabst
My interest include issues surrounding technology, media, and culture. I am investigating the blurring boundaries between the body, mind, and technology as evidenced by technology advertising. I am also involved in the Media Research Action Project, a space where I ground my interests in the transformative power of media and technology.
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PhD (4th year & above)
Patricia Arend
My areas of interest are gender, consumer culture, and social theory. Currently I am working on my dissertation, which is a qualitative study of the production and consumption of wedding fantasy.
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Chiwen Bao
I am currently exploring how racial disparities and injustices perpetuate in schools and the theoretical and empirical questions that address the ideological and sociohistorical formation of race. I enjoy grappling with representations of race and gender, particularly in media and within the “hip hop generation,” and dissecting how representations are produced and consumed.
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Christine Crofts
My main interest areas are the sociology of science, technology and medicine, as well as methodology and teaching. My current research focuses on human genetics research and technologies as public issues.
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Masa Higo |
Susan Legere
Susan Legere completed a study examining Holocaust education in Catholic high schools for her MA thesis. Her research interests also include immigration, social class, and the ways in which social research can be made accessible for lay audiences, particularly through documentary film, multimedia resources, and museums.
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Deborah Piatelli |