One of my favorite quotes to describe sociology states “the fascination of sociology lies in the fact that its perspective makes us see in a new light the very world in which we have lived all our lives” (Peter Berger).  Every time I read that quote I immediately recall the movie The Matrix in which the main character, Neo, is offered a choice to take the Blue Pill and go back to life as he has always known it or to take the Red Pill and finally see society as it really is.  Of course, our courageous hero chooses the Red Pill, which means that he begins to see the world around him as a powerful matrix of social constructions that affect every aspect of his life.  In many ways this movie offers a description of what I like about sociology because the discipline sheds light on how we are socialized to believe things around us are “natural” and that our roles, behaviors, and attitudes are common sense.  Taking a sociological perspective allows us to question these assertions and to see how observable social patterns are maintained by structural arrangements and cultural norms that inform who we are and how we interact with others.  In fact, there is nothing “natural” about the forces that structure our lives, define our social groups, and provide opportunities for our success or restrain our potential. 

This awareness has motivated my own research, in which I study patterns of social inequality, visible (structural) and invisible (cultural) boundaries that keep people apart, and when and how individuals and groups can cross these boundaries.  One way that I explore these questions is by examining how consumer goods (such as wine) and knowledge about particular consumer goods confer status to consumers, reinforce boundaries across groups, and potentially lead to upward mobility.  In sociological terms, then, I study how economic capital (money), social capital (who you know) and cultural capital (what you know and how you act) combine to maintain patterns of inequality. Therefore, my areas of specialization are stratification, cultural sociology, economic sociology and social theory.

While my current research deals mostly with social class in the United States, I am also interested in how other factors such as race and gender intersect with class to structure social life. Therefore, my courses focus on these aspects of social inequality, boundaries, and social change as well. I also love to teach sociological theory—classical and contemporary—because theory provides us explanations of how the world works and helps us see how different theoretical assumptions and perspectives lead to social cohesion and conflict, as well as, divergent policy outcomes.  In fact, I love social theory so much that many of my favorite books listed on my Facebook page are sociological theory textbooks that I often include on my syllabi!

My hope is that students leave my classes with a better understanding that our lives are situated within a cultural and structural context that is not neutral or inconsequential.  And, instead of blindly living within “The Matrix,” students will meet the challenge offered by the Red Pill and begin to see the social constructions that structure their lives (and the potential negative consequences of these arrangements) and to become empowered to make positive changes in the world in which we live.