Department of Sociology
Garrett Baker has been awarded “First Place” in the Gene Carte Student Paper Competition by the American Society of Criminology for his paper, “Shattered Dreams: Paternal Incarceration, Youth Expectations, and the Intergenerational Transmission of Disadvantage.” The paper is forthcoming in Sociological Science. Garrett humbly called it a “nice testament to our department” as the paper evolved from his final project in Stephen Vaisey's 1st year stats class, to his 2nd year paper when… read more about Garrett Baker Awarded 1st Place in Gene Carte Student Paper Competition »
This summer, I worked as a researcher at the Institute für Mittelstandsforschung (IfM) in Bonn, Germany. Sociologists and economists at IfM Bonn work closely with German government ministries to conduct applied research into Der Mittelstand. At its core the Mittelstand refers to the assortment of German companies that are both owned and managed by individual entrepreneurs and their family members. The Mittelstand is the backbone of the German social market economy. Almost 94% of all German companies, using the… read more about Researching the German Mittelstand »
For the third time in three years, Jenifer Hamil-Luker has been rated in the “top 5%” of all undergraduate social science instructors at Duke. Impressively, she achieves this success while teaching 4 to 5 courses a year, including core courses for our major (e.g., Research Methods) and elective courses for our minors (e.g., Criminal Justice, Mental Health). This is also in addition to her many responsibilities as Director of Undergraduate Studies. Congratulations Jenifer—you are an amazing asset to the Department… read more about Jenifer Hamil-Luker Ranked in Top 5% of Instructors for 3rd Year in a Row »
Jessi Streib was named the 2023 co-recipient of the William Julius Wilson Early Career Award from the ASA section on Inequality, Poverty, and Mobility. The Wilson Award is given annually in recognition of early career scholars who have made major contributions to inequality research. The Selection Committee was particularly impressed by Jessi’s contributions to knowledge on social mobility, cross-class marriages, and inequality at the intersection of race, sex, and class. Congratulations! read more about Jessi Streib Named 2023 Co-recipent of the William Julius Wilson Early Career Award »
The Department of Sociology congratulates Professor Edwyn (Ed) Tiryakian, Lecturing Fellow of Markets and Management, on being named one of the top undergraduate instructors in the Social Sciences. These faculty are ranked in the top 5% for at least 2 of 3 categories, including: Overall Quality of Course, Overall Quality of Instructor, Intellectual Stimulation of Course. Professor Tiryakian is the son of Edward Tiryakian, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Duke University, and he says of his father "...of… read more about Edwyn (Ed) Tiryakian Named in Top 5% of Undergraduate Instructors »
Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD), the international sociology honor society, began in 1920 to “acknowledge and promote excellence in the scholarship in the study of sociology.” In 1967, AKD became a certified member of the Association of College Honor Societies. Over the past 100 years, universities have established almost 700 AKD chapters. We welcome and honor the newest inductees to Duke’s chapter. Jocelyn Aviles-Vazquez Clementine Biddle Serena Biondi Arianna Buchanan Michael Cao Mackenzie Culp Andrew Danowitz… read more about Duke Sociology Welcomes the 2023 AKD Inductees »
Fatima Fairfax has received the 2023 Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship. The fellowship is a nationally-competitive award that is made to individuals who “….have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level in the U.S., show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.” The fellowship provides three years of… read more about Fatima Fairfax Receives 2023 Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship »
Aidan Combs has been named the 2022-2023 Vorsanger-Smith Scholar. The Vorsanger-Smith Scholar Award is presented annually to recognize overall excellence in the graduate program. Excellence is assessed for all areas of performance in the programs, including coursework, examinations, professional presentations, publications and awards, evaluated contributions as teaching and/or research assistants and departmental citizenship. The award consists of the honorary designation during the following academic year as the… read more about Aidan Combs Named 2022-2023 Vorsanger-Smith Scholar »
Samuel Snelson has been selected to receive a 2023 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based masters and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. NSF Fellows are anticipated to become knowledge experts who can contribute significantly to research, teaching, and innovations in science and engineering. The five year fellowship offers awardees… read more about Samuel Snelson Awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowship »
Lynn Smith-Lovin has received the 2023 “Roll of Honor” award from the Southern Sociological Society (SSS). The Roll of Honor is the highest recognition bestowed by the SSS and recognizes a career of distinguished intellectual contribution to Sociology. This is Smith-Lovin's fifth lifetime achievement award! She has also received the Coleman Award from the ASA Mathematical Sociology section, Cooley-Mead Award from the Social Psychology section, Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sociology… read more about Lynn Smith-Lovin Receives 2023 “Roll of Honor” Award »
Congratulations to Aidan Combs on being selected as the winner of the Graduate Student Odum Award given by the Southern Sociological Society. Aidan's award winning paper is titled “Estimating Ambiguity in Cultural Meaning” To learn more about Aidan's research interests, click here. For more information on the Southern Sociological Society, click here. read more about Aidan Combs Wins Southern Sociological Society Award »
Duke Magazine explores Bail’s efforts to bust myths about digital extemism and show there are ways to make social media platforms less polarizing. read more about Chris Bail Calls for a Reset of Our Partisan Digital Divide »
A new Duke University study appears to ease concerns that clergy would steer congregants suffering from depression away from mental health providers and instead rely only on their faith. Clergy are often the first point of contact for people suffering from depression. About 90 percent of clergy members surveyed for the Duke study embrace a medical understanding of depression; about 10 percent said they’d counsel their congregation members to address depression solely through religious means. “We consider this good news… read more about Most Clergy Follow Science on Depression Treatment, Duke Study Finds »
Long winter nights make for good reads. Duke publications from the fall and winter include attractions for readers of many interests. For history buffs, there's new history of the American West and a timely assessment of economic sanctions. For politicos, there's a blueprint for protecting democracy and a study of the contributions of migrants to various cultures. Movie fans can read about the history of Asians in theater and cinema and a surprising look at the politics of Marvel movies. Many of the books,… read more about Warm Up With Winter Books From Duke Authors »
