Overview
I'm a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Sociology. Before coming to Cornell University, I earned my PhD in sociology from the University of Chicago.
I study the situated interaction of culture and cognition, along with the resulting implications for sociological theory and methods. Improving our understandings of the cognitive processes people use in everyday life enriches our knowledge about cultural elements, and their meanings. I am particularly interested in how facets of identity are positioned in relations of alliance and enmity, as well as how varying aspects of the self at times rely upon different types of cognitive processes. To explore these issues, I use a multi-site, multi-method approach that combines qualitative and quantitative data gathered via participant observation, in-depth interviews, and structured field experiments.
In my most recent research I explored culture and cognition empirically by investigating the various identities expressed by evangelical Christians and self-identified atheists, including the way members of these groups understand “religion” as a social category. For more information about my research and teaching, see my personal website.
Research Focus
- Culture
- Cognition
- Methods
- Politics
- Religion
