University of Wisconsin-Madison
Introduction Whether you walk into a Catholic church out of the balmy U.S. Southwest or a blustering Midwest winter, the “liturgical environment” you’ll step into is remarkably similar. Irrespective of the local landscape, the altar likely dons only a select few plants. Which plants depends not on where the church is located, but when you visit it. If it’s …
The Annual Review of Sociology Abstract: This article surveys a growing body of work examining the concrete consequences of implementing meritocracy in social life. To date, this work remains compartmentalized into the separate subfields of cultural sociology, economic sociology, organizational science, and the sociology of education and stratification. We bring these literatures together by arguing …
Abstract We investigate associations between community water fluoridation (CWF), adolescent IQ, and cognition across the life course using representative data from the US state of Wisconsin. Exposure is inferred from historical records on community water fluoridation; adolescent IQ is ascertained from state testing records; and cognition in later life is assessed as part of the …
Jessica Calarco’s research focuses on education, families, and health decision-making. Broadly speaking, she is interested in the structures of power and privilege that maintain socioeconomic, racial, and gender inequalities in these settings, as well as the role that qualitative methods can play in uncovering these mechanisms. Fox 5 interviewed her about how today’s parents are building …
Taimur Ahmad received a spot in the inaugural MOTH (more than human life) fellowship at NYU. It’s an interdisciplinary cohort focused on scholarship and advocacy around nature and the more-than-human world. Taimur’s research interests include environmental sociology, culture, qualitative methods, and social movements and collective behavior.
Allison Daminger was named a Frank F. Furstenberg Early Career Scholar by the Council on Contemporary Families. Through participation in the CCF Early Career Scholars Program, early career scholars attend a virtual summer-long program consisting of four professional development seminars and three one-on-one meetings with their mentors, including peer networking activities and training in public scholarship. In …
Yue Qin and Dan Seel have been selected as recipients of the 2026 American Sociological Association Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant (ASA DDRIG). This highly competitive national award, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), recognizes doctoral students who demonstrate exceptional promise in advancing sociological knowledge. The grant will provide vital financial support to enhance …
Discover Public Health Abstract: People experiencing homelessness (PEH) are disproportionately affected by a range of physical and mental health issues. While numerous factors drive these disparities, the role of loneliness is overlooked. Using baseline data from a randomized controlled trial of an intervention aimed at reducing social isolation and poverty, this cross-sectional study assesses loneliness …
The Oxford Handbook of the Sociology of Global Elites Abstract: This chapter makes the case for conceptualizing elites as upper status groups—that is, as groups whom others perceive as having superior value in one respect or another. This conceptualization delineates an original research agenda for the study of elites in democratic societies premised on the …
SSM Mental Health Abstract: Millions of U.S. children experience maltreatment each year, which is associated with subsequent health risks, including psychopathology. We use data from up to 9692 participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) to update and extend knowledge about such health risks into the start of midlife. …