Research

My research brings together theories of status processes, social identity, and intergroup relations to advance our understanding of how and why gender inequality persists in the U.S. context. Specifically, I examine the dynamic nature of gender attitudes across social contexts and the incentives that motivate support for gender equality, with a particular focus on intersections with race and class identities. I examine these processes through a combination of experimental, interview, and survey analytic methods. This work sits at the intersection of multiple areas of sociological inquiry, including gender, race/ethnicity, social psychology, culture, and inequality.

In my dissertation, I drew on theories of status processes and social identity to examine how and under what conditions men support equality with women. Understanding men’s attitudes toward women is especially important for advancing gender equality because men are often in positions of power with the resources and influence necessary to effect large-scale change. Previous research has measured demographic correlates of men’s gender attitudes, but scholars have yet to examine how gender attitudes are dynamic across contexts, shaped not only by the social characteristics of actors themselves but also by the context in which—and the women about whom—men express these attitudes. Employing three complementary studies, this research took an innovative, mixed-methods approach that combined in-depth interviews with experimental design. Specifically, it examined how men’s gender attitudes are shaped by 1) their audience 2) the target of their attitudes, i.e., the women in question and 3) men’s own life experiences. Together, these studies contribute a deeper understanding of the processes underlying men’s support for gender equality, suggesting actionable paths forward for addressing persistent gender inequities.

Projects outside of my dissertation explore a range of related topics including the durability of gender categories, social stratification and inequality in educational transitions, and challenges of sex and gender measurement in adjustment for survey nonresponse.