Dealing with Density
Classic urban sociology focused heavily on density's effects on human experience and relations. Given ongoing calls for densifying cities to make them more affordable and sustainable, density remains an issue of great public concern but sociological contributions have waned. A new research project examines how individuals experience density and how issues like noise, lack of space, and other challenges associated with density affect people's experience, behavior, and social relations in the city.
Overcoming ambiguity in potential experiences of discrimination
Individuals must frequently resolve ambiguity when facing potential incidents of discrimination and racism. How do they do so? Two ongoing research projects examine how individuals experience and respond to ambiguity.
One ethnographic project analyzes how Muslim Montrealers rely on collective narratives to impute missing information in potential situations of discrimination that occur in urban settings. The project combines insights from the sociology of narratives with research on ethnoracial discrimination to clarify how individuals transform negative but ambiguous treatment into perceived discrimation. Another project, conducted in collaboration with Laura Doering and Andras Tilcsik, examines ambiguous workplace discrimination against women professionals. The project draws on interviews, a survey, and a vignette experiment to understand the lived experience, perceived commonality, and behavioral consequences of ambiguous bias. |
Managing charges of racism
A new research project examines how corporations and public figures respond to charges of racism against them. The project’s goal is to assess 1) whether these actors are held to a different standard today than they were several decades ago and 2) whether their response strategies to charges of racism have changed. Since responses to charges of racism are increasingly managed by public relations experts, the project also examines how public relations professionals have, over time, discussed the ethics and tactics of responding to charges of racism on behalf of their clients.