I am currently an advanced PhD Student in the Department of Sociology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a specialization in Women's and Gender Studies. I teach courses in Sociology and Women's and Gender Studies. I also sit on the Student Editorial Board as the Chair for the Committee on Social Media for the journal Social Problems.
My research focuses on inequality as it pertains to masculinities, sexualities, health and the body, work and occupations and the sociology of sport. I consider myself a strong qualitative researcher with growing skills in mixed methods.
My research provides insight on how social institutions like workplaces, sports, and media perpetuate disparities related to gender and sexuality. This line of work is timely and has broad impacts. In recent years, there have been many public controversies related to masculinity and sexual assault, such as the backlash against the recent Gillette razor advertising campaign. The controversy stems from how the campaign supports the #MeToo movement and challenges representations of men and masculinity. Responses on both sides of the debate highlight how masculinity is deeply contested as social norms continue to shift. My research program examines how men respond, adapt, and challenge gender. For instance, I have researched the changing demographic characteristics of men in female-dominated occupations, boys who compete as baton twirlers, and men who identify as feminists.
Much of my work centers on gender and men’s experiences in feminized and female-dominated spaces like the sports and the workplace. My work on men in baton twirling explores how current and former twirlers negotiated their privilege, stigma, masculinity, and sexuality in the glitz and glamorous world of baton twirling. Using data from the U.S. Census and American Community Survey (ACS), I am also working on an analysis of trends in demographic characteristics of men in female-dominated occupations. Dr. Christina Falci and I build on prior research on the “unevenness” and “stall” of occupational segregation and how institutional structures shape and are shaped by gender.
My research focuses on inequality as it pertains to masculinities, sexualities, health and the body, work and occupations and the sociology of sport. I consider myself a strong qualitative researcher with growing skills in mixed methods.
My research provides insight on how social institutions like workplaces, sports, and media perpetuate disparities related to gender and sexuality. This line of work is timely and has broad impacts. In recent years, there have been many public controversies related to masculinity and sexual assault, such as the backlash against the recent Gillette razor advertising campaign. The controversy stems from how the campaign supports the #MeToo movement and challenges representations of men and masculinity. Responses on both sides of the debate highlight how masculinity is deeply contested as social norms continue to shift. My research program examines how men respond, adapt, and challenge gender. For instance, I have researched the changing demographic characteristics of men in female-dominated occupations, boys who compete as baton twirlers, and men who identify as feminists.
Much of my work centers on gender and men’s experiences in feminized and female-dominated spaces like the sports and the workplace. My work on men in baton twirling explores how current and former twirlers negotiated their privilege, stigma, masculinity, and sexuality in the glitz and glamorous world of baton twirling. Using data from the U.S. Census and American Community Survey (ACS), I am also working on an analysis of trends in demographic characteristics of men in female-dominated occupations. Dr. Christina Falci and I build on prior research on the “unevenness” and “stall” of occupational segregation and how institutional structures shape and are shaped by gender.