Faculty

Spring 2021 Office Hours: By appointment only (please send me an email at @kagartan@framingham.edu to set up a remote meeting)

Dr. Kaan Agartan holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Binghamton University. He has authored and co-authored publications which appeared in European Journal of Turkish Studies, Journal of International Affairs, and Capital and Class. He is the co-editor of Reading Karl Polanyi for the Twenty-first Century: Market Economy as a Political Project (Palgrave, 2007). His current research focuses on the relationship between social citizenship and the transformation of work patterns under neoliberalism.

Areas of specialization: Comparative economic and social development; labor studies; critical globalization studies; economic sociology; political sociology and historical sociology.

Courses regularly taught:

SOCI 101  Introduction to Sociology

SOCI 301  Sociological Theory

SOCI 320  Uncovering Meaning in the Social World

SOCI 340  Sociology of Work

SOCI 357  Sociological Perspectives on Globalization

SOCI 356 Social Movements

SOCI 495  Sociology Senior Thesis Seminar

CRIM 222  Global Criminology

GLST 101  Introduction to Global Studies

GLST 201 Case Studies in Globalization

Spring 2021 Office Hours: by appointment, via Zoom, Collaborate, and phone

Dr. Benjamin Alberti received his PhD from Southampton University in the UK, where he studied gender and the artwork of Bronze Age Knossos from a feminist perspective. He has since gone on to publish widely on this topic as well the ceramics of northwest Argentina and the Archaic rock art of northern New Mexico, where he also co-directs projects. Teaching what he loves, Dr. Alberti incorporates archaeology, anthropology, art, and materiality into many of his classes. In addition, queer theory, feminism, studies of masculinity, and social theory all feature prominently. During the summer, Dr. Alberti teaches on the graduate anthropology program at Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Argentina.

Areas of specialization: Ceramics; Late pre-Inca Northwest Argentina; Ontological Archaeology; Queer Theory; Feminist Theory; Masculinities, and bodies.

Courses regularly taught:

ANTH 161 Cultural Anthropology (honor and non-honors)

ANTH 172 Interpreting the Past: Archaeological Perspective (honors and non-honors)

ANTH 253 Gender Across Cultures (honors and non-honors)

ANTH 258 Critical Approaches to Men and Masculinities (honors and non-honors)

ANTH 313 Latin American Archaeology,

HONS 101 First Year Honors Seminar

SOCI 301 Sociological Theory

Spring 2021 Office Hours: Remotely by appointment

Dr. Demetrios Brellas received his Ph.D. in Archaeology from Boston University in 2016.  As primarily a zooarchaeologist, his research relies on the interpretation of animal remains from archaeological sites to understand the complex interactions between humans, animals and their environments in the past. His graduate work focused on the socioeconomic role of wetland environments and their resources in ancient Mesopotamian civilizations. In the past, he has conducted archaeological fieldwork throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East including: Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Italy. Most recently, his research has taken place in Greece, where he is a part of several ongoing projects, which involve the analysis of animal as well as human remains. He is currently the team zooarchaeologist at the Molyvoti Thrace Archaeological Project and Field School (MTAP) in Greece, where he continues to research animal economies and particularly the role of sustainable wetland and marine ecosystem use in ancient complex societies.                                                                                                                                  

Dr. Brellas also loves teaching, almost as much as archaeology. Before pursuing a graduate level career in archaeology he worked as a K-12 teacher and tutor for many years. Everyone learns differently and educators therefore must not take anything for granted when we speak. Therefore, his teaching philosophy focuses on finding the strategy that works for each student by using various teaching tools. These include hands-on activities, multi-media and online sources, relatable personal stories, field work, discussion, and building on each students individual experiences, which along with traditional instruction methods ensures that learning archaeology is relatable and works for everyone.

Areas of Specialization:                                                                                           Zooarchaeology of Complex Societies, Ancient Sustainability, Wetlands Archaeology, Heterarchy and Sociopolitics in Ancient Societies, The Ancient Near East, Bronze Age Archaeology, The Ancient Aegean, Analysis of Fish Remains, Forensic Archaeology, Social Zooarchaeology, Human-Animal Studies

Course Taught:                                                                                                                       ANTH 172: Interpreting the Past: Archaeological Perspectives

ANTH 161: Cultural Anthropology

ANTH 206: Forensic Anthropology

CRIM 231: Criminology of the Human-Animal Relationship

Spring 2021 Office Hours: Mon, Tues, & Thurs, 12:30pm1:30pm & by appointment. Virtual hours by Collaborate, Zoom, and phone.

Dr. Ferraro’s research and teaching are focused broadly on the ways in which power inequalities produce norm- and law-violations. His teaching approach is highly interactive and collaborative, designed to foster a classroom environment wherein learning is shared among students and instructor. His current research projects investigate the rise and consequences of right-wing state-level policies, including anti-immigrant and pro-gun legislation. Additionally, his research investigates the effects of changes in immigration on county- and city-level rates of crime and immigrant victimization.

Areas of specialization: Crime and deviance; immigration and social dis/organization; hate crimes and ethnic conflict; juvenile delinquency.

Courses regularly taught:

CRIM 121 Sociological Perspectives on Criminology

CRIM 270 Social Deviance

CRIM 301 Criminological Theory

CRIM 240 Drugs, Social Control, and the Law

SOCI 302 Quantitative Research Methods I

SOCI 303 Quantitative Research Methods II

SOCI 288 Immigration in the United States

SOCI 400 Special Topics, Social Conflict in Northern Ireland

Spring 2021 Office Hours: Tue 2:30-3:20pm, Fri 10:30am-11:20am & by Appointment  through Starfish

Zeynep Gönen has received her PhD from Binghamton University Sociology Department in 2011. Her work focuses on the subjects of law, punishment, policing and criminalization from a global and historical comparative perspective. Her first book The Politics of Crime in Turkey  (I.B.Tauris, 2016), explores the new forms of policing and criminalization of the racialized urban poor in contemporary Turkey. Her interests also include political sociology, gender, urban studies, home, and body, both in relation to the her broader research area of penality and outside of it.

Spring 2021 Office Hours: by appointment

Dr. Guadalupe-Diaz’s research and teaching interests lie broadly within the areas of sociological criminology, victimization, and social inequalities. Specifically, his research focuses on intimate partner violence (IPV) within LGBTQ communities. His work has explored sexual violence, help-seeking behaviors, police disclosure, perceptions of domestic violence law, and perpetration.  More recently, Dr. Guadalupe-Diaz has focused on transgender survivors of IPV, identity work, and victim identity. Other scholarly areas of interest include: queering criminology, race and the criminal justice system, and gender and sexuality. Dr. Guadalupe-Diaz earned his Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Central Florida and an MS and BS in sociology at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Areas of specialization: Violence in intimate relationships, sociological criminology and victimology, gender and sexuality, applied sociology.

Spring 2021 Office Hours: by appointment only

Dr. Meredith Marchioni received her PhD in Sociology from Florida International University. Her graduate work focused on social, economic, and environmental resilience within Alaskan commercial fisheries. More recently, she worked as a cultural anthropologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Subsistence. In this position, Dr. Marchioni conducted ethnographic research with Native Alaskan hunters and fishers and presented her data to resource managers and governing bodies. Her research and teaching interests include environmental law and society, qualitative and quantitative research methods, and race, gender, and human rights.

Courses:

ANTH 161: Cultural Anthropology

SOC 130: Social Problems

ANTH 207: Global Issues in Anthropology

ANTH 243: Native American Studies

CRIM 204: Crime and the Environment

Spring 2021 Office Hours: By appointment via Zoom or phone, please email me to schedule an appointment

Areas of specialization: Political sociology; social theory; political economy; power and inequality; social class; progressive politics; political consciousness; critical pedagogy

Courses regularly taught:

SOCI 130 Social Problems

SOCI 301 Sociological Theory

SOCI 308 Political Sociology

SOCI 495 Internship

Spring 2021 Office Hours: By appointment

Dr. McQuaid received his Ph.D. from Boston University, where he study the Massachusetts funeral market. His current research draws on his experience with both qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the ways in which cultural action shapes individual economic behavior as well as the broader implications that such individual action has for the functioning of markets as a whole. He is also interested in the possibilities that digital research methods – such as mapping and programming – might present for sociology as a discipline.

Areas of Specialization: Cultural sociology, death and dying, economic sociology, research methods, sociology of the body, and social theory.

Courses regularly taught:

SOCI301: Sociological Theory

SOCI302: Quantitative Research Methods I

SOCI303: Quantitative Research Methods II

SOCI366: Sociology of Death and Dying

Spring 2021 Office Hours:  by appointment, virtual hours by Zoom

Dr. Holly Pearson received her PhD in Education with an emphasis in Disability Studies from Chapman University in Orange, California. She also received a M.S. in sociology from Iowa State University and a B.A. in sociology with a minor in Asian Studies from University of Alaska Fairbanks. Her graduate work explored the socio-spatial intersectional experiences of racial and ethnic minorities with disabilities in higher education from an arts and visual methodological lens. 

Presently, she is: exploring the history of higher education, particularly in the dynamic between higher education architecture and diversity. She is also examining disability disclosure, hidden labor, and hidden curriculum among scholars with disabilities. She has published research on impact of disability studies curriculum, disability and diversity, disability and spaces, intersectionality, and arts-based and visual methodologies.

Areas of specialization: Disability Studies, Critical Spatial Studies, Architectural Theory, Intersectionality, Identities, and Arts-Based and Visual Methodologies

Spring 2021 Office Hours:  by appointment, virtual hours via Zoom

Dr. Rincón's research and teaching interests lie at the intersection of immigration, globalization, and race studies. She uses a comparative and global lens in teaching these subjects. Dr. Rincón's teaching is inspired by her research: her most recent study concerned the migration and incorporation experience of Latino professionals in the information technologies industries in the United States. In this research, she examines the racial and legal marginality professional migrants experience and their responses to it.

Areas of Specialization: Immigration, Globalization and Race and Ethnic Relations.

Courses regularly taught:

SOCI 101 Introduction to Sociology

SOCI 248 Race and Ethnic Relations

Spring 2021 Office Hours: By appointment only (either in-person, via Skype, or telephone)

Calista L. Ross completed her Master's in Sociology at Boston College, her Master's in Gender/Cultural Studies at Simmons College, and her Bachelor's in Women's Studies at Agnes Scott College.
Broadly, her research examines how people of color gain cultural citizenship as racialized, sexualized, and gendered beings, with her major projects ranging from qualitative research on black queer women's sexuality and media engagement, to cultural studies of hetero- and homo- normativity within American black queer cinema, and the racialization of Muslims in the Netherlands.
Calista's teaching interests include sexuality, gender, media and culture, race and ethnicity, embodiment, consumers and consumption, feminist and queer theory, and qualitative methods. Her pedagogical goal is to help bring about personal, cultural, and societal liberation through critical, contemplative, and creative education.

COURSES TAUGHT:

SOCI 212 Sociology of the Family

SOCI 215 Sociology of the Body

SOCI 218 Women in Society

SOCI 255 LGBTQ Communities in the United States

SOCI 263 Social Inequality

SOCI 264 Black Communities and Institutions

SOCI 315 Social Class

SOCI 325 Health and Illness

SOCI 340 Sociology of Work

SOCI 342 People and Organizations

SOCI 357 Sociological Perspectives on Globalization

SOCI 369 Sex/Sexualities in Society

CRIM 121 Sociological Perspectives on Criminology

CRIM 211 Crime and Inequality

CRIM 270 Social Deviance

ANTH 258 Critical Approaches to Men and Masculinities

ANTH Directed Study in Gender Across Cultures

ENGL 111 Reading Literature (Topic: African American Women Writers)

Spring 2021 Office Hours: By appointment / Tuesday and Friday 2:30-3 / Thursday 12-12:30

Virginia Rutter is co-author or co-editor of Families as They Really Are 2nd edition, The Gender of Sexuality, and The Love Test, and numerous review articles and chapters. She writes and researches topics related to sexuality in more- and less-committed relationships; divorce; family policy; infidelity; feminism; and inequality. She is a member of the Board of the Council on Contemporary Families; she mentors CCF interns at FSU regularly. In 2012, Rutter was awarded the FSU Distinguished Faculty for Excellence in Teaching Award. In 2014, Rutter was elected Vice-President and Director of the Framingham State University chapter of the Massachusetts State College Association. Her books, articles, columns, and engagement of public sociology through CCF and Sociologists for Women in Society aim to do what she does as an award-winning teacher at FSU: to make accessible and clear the best available social science research on families, sexuality, and diversity. You can read her Girl w/ Pen columns at The Society Pages.

Areas of specialization: Gender; sexuality; marriage; intimate relationships and families; family policy; mental health; survey research; public sociology

Courses regularly taught:

SOCI 495 Internship in Sociology and Criminology

SOCI 369 Sex/Sexualities in Society

SOCI 350 Education and Social Change

SOCI 312 Sociology of Childhood and Adolescence

SOCI 301 Sociological Theory

SOCI 212 Sociology of Families

SOCI 218 Women in Society

SOCI 101 Introduction to Sociology

Fall 2021 Office Hours: Dr. Sánchez-Connally will be on sabbatical during the Fall 2021 semester.

Dr. Sánchez-Connally is an alumna of Framingham State University. She holds a Master’s in Applied Sociology from UMass-Boston and a Ph.D. from UMass-Amherst.  Her interests are: Race and Ethnicity, Latinx Studies, Higher Education Attainment, and Immigration. She is a former Mary Miles Bibb Fellow and the recipient of the 2020 Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching.  Her research examines how communities of color create and transmit different forms of capital to underrepresented high achieving students. Her current project is a collaboration that looks at issues of legality and access among immigrant college students.

Courses regularly taught:

SOCI 101 Introduction to Sociology

SOCI 210 Latinxs in the U.S.

SOCI 203 Introduction to Critical Race Theory

SOCI 288 Immigration in the United States

SOCI 302 & 303 Quantitative Research Methods I & II

SOCI 495 Internship

CRIM 121 Sociological Perspectives on Criminology

CRIM 224 Juvenile Delinquency

Spring 2021 Office Hours: By appointment only, please email me at isilver@framingham.edu to schedule a Zoom meeting

Ira Silver has taught at Framingham State since 2002. He graduated summa cum laude from Amherst College and received his Masters and Ph.D. from Northwestern University. He has authored and edited four books and is currently working on a new one about social problems in American society.

Areas of specialization: Social inequality; charitable giving; community activism; social problem framing; technology and social change; death and dying

Course regularly taught:

SOCI 130 Social Problems

SOCI 263 Social Inequality 

SOCI 283 Society, Technology & the Future

SOCI 300 Animals and Us

SOCI 306 Nonprofit Giving

SOCI 366 Death and Dying

Spring 2021 Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and by appointment via Zoom or phone

Dr. Whalley’s research and teaching interests include sexual and gender violence, criminal-legal systems, critical criminology, the sociology of prison, and incarcerated populations. She uses ethnographic, community-based, transnational, feminist, and mixed methods in her work. She has published research on incarcerated women’s mental health and sexual trauma, prison abolition, rape crisis centers, and institutional sexual assault response. Dr. Whalley is also interested in gender and sexuality, incarcerated parenting, and postcolonial criminology.

Areas of specialization: Sexual violence, institutional responses to sexual and gender violence, rape culture, incarceration, critical criminology, transnational research, feminist criminology.