My fields of specialization are race, gender, and class in the United States, and I focus on how identities are constructed and how inequalities are perpetuated in the United States. I teach courses in Research Methods, Race/Ethnic Relations, Gender and Society, and Sociology of Education. Because of my interests, many of my courses are cross-listed with interdisciplinary programs, including Women’s Studies, African American Studies, Urban Studies, and American Studies.    

Most recently, I am working on a theoretical and empirical analysis of how rural, Southern white people understand variations of whiteness. In particular, I examine how the meanings and usage of labels like “rednecks” and “white trash” are racialized, classed, and gendered. In addition, I have formed an undergraduate research team to explore the ways that social class affects the academic and social experiences of college students.

My teaching and research interests derive from my being born and raised in rural Mississippi. I love sociology because it has enabled me to look at my own life and the lives of others using my “sociological imagination.” This perspective allows us to see how our individual biographies are shaped by the historical and social contexts in which we live and how we as individuals shape those contexts, as well. Taking a sociological view has helped me understand how I am situated in society based on the intersections of my race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, social class, education, and other social statuses.  In my teaching and research, I want to help students see how their life experiences and opportunities are shaped by their social statuses and social contexts. Through understanding how society is constructed, I hope that students are able to see the possibilities for individual and social change and to be empowered to make positive changes in their societies.

Beyond Rhodes

I am happy to be back in the South to give back to the region that shaped who I am. And, of course, I am really delighted to be back “home” in the land of sweet tea and southern fiction. In my free time, you will find me enjoying these southern delicacies, and others like Jerry’s Snowcones, and walking my yellow lab, Shelby.