The department of sociology at the University of Houston is a vibrant center of scholarly activity. The department’s thirteen full-time research faculty members conduct basic and applied research in traditional areas of the discipline, including demography, education, health, stratification and social psychology. We are also leaders in more recent and innovative areas of study, including the body, environmental sociology, food, social entrepreneurship, and visual sociology.

The department’s scholarly productivity can be measured quantitatively, yet appreciated stylistically. Along with publishing in various peer-reviewed outlets, our faculty have served on editorial boards and are officers in professional organizations. Over the past 10 years, University of Houston sociology faculty members have been involved in over $3.4 million in externally funded research — as principal investigators, senior researchers and consultants.

Stylistically, our work is timely and directly relevant to policymakers and decision-makers across a wide range of institutional fields. Several of our faculty make contributions directly relevant to healthcare and public health. Kathryn Anderson, Ph.D. focuses her research on understanding the social sources of health disparities in the United States, examining how race/ethnicity and urban neighborhood dynamics affect individual health. Maria Monserud, Ph.D. studies health and wellbeing, with an emphasis on social determinants, family context, and Hispanic aging. Relatedly Samantha Kwan, Ph.D. examines meanings about the body, body modification practices and various forms of embodied resistance. Zelma Oyarvide Tuthill, Ph.D. examines how health inequality is reproduced across intersections of race/ethnicity, nativity, gender identity and sexual orientation.  Neema Langa, Ph.D. studies structural forces that contribute to maternal and later-life health disparities among African and African American women in underserved communities. J Carlee Purdum, Ph.D. examines how hazards and disasters affect incarcerated populations and correctional facilities.

Our work also touches on social issues related to education and family. Pamela Quiroz, Ph.D. studies the sociology of education, as well as race and inequality, particularly as it relates to children, youth and families. Sheila Katz, Ph.D. examines women’s experiences in poverty, including domestic violence and access to health care and education.  Amanda Baumle, Ph.D. applies her legal as well as sociological insights to questions of mobility and sexual identity.

Our faculty also advance understanding of American culture. T. Xavia Karner, Ph.D. is exploring community engagement and networks within the world of professional photography and the social psychological aspects of artistic practice. Similarly, Shayne Lee, Ph.D. is a scholar of contemporary American religion and culture whose current work examines sociological approaches to the study of cinema.

Finally, we are creating knowledge directly relevant to business and organizational life. Scott Savage, Ph.D., for example, studies the social psychological aspects of small groups and their consequences for organizational behavior. Hyunseok Hwang, Ph.D. focuses on organizations' responses to institutional heterogeneity, grand societal challenges, and sustainability challenges.