Department of Sociology

In the wake of a fatal shooting in Minneapolis as former police officer Derek Chauvin stands trial for George Floyd's death, Alexes Harris, professor of sociology at the UW, comments on the two events.

What does the state of Washington owe people who were convicted under a drug possession law that's been overturned? Alexes Harris, UW professor of sociology, is interviewed.

Alexes Harris, Presidential Term Professor and Professor of Sociology, writes about the possibility of repaying people with now-voided drug convictions.

Professor of sociology Katherine Beckett is mentioned in this article about Washington's punitive approach to criminal justice.

Over 100 UW graduate and professional programs have been ranked by U.S. News & World Report to be among the top 35 in the nation.

Before March 2020, home was separate from work, school and day care. Now all these things are centered at home. Parents are adjusting to new roles, routines and relationships, and beginning to wonder if their old ones will ever return. The UW’s Julie Brines, associate professor of sociology, and Pepper Schwartz, professor of sociology, are quoted.

While there may be nothing better than cuddling with your pet, should you sleep with your dog in the bed? Pepper Schwartz, professor of sociology at the UW, is quoted.

“National crises, from wars to depressions, have nearly always required big deficit spending. But in many countries, including the United States, for the last half-century public debt didn’t get paid down during times of peace and prosperity. Economists and politicians argue about whether this leads to higher inflation, interest rates or capital flight. That debate ignores a truly dangerous consequence of high public debt: It undermines trust in government,” writes Edgar Kiser, professor emeritus of sociology at the UW, about the growth in public debt due to COVID-19 spending.

“The current system of [legal] fines and fees has created an albatross around the necks of the state’s lowest income residents,” writes columnist Naomi Ishisaka. UW sociology professor Alexes Harris is quoted.

Take a look back at the last year of the UW's research of and adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In practice, monetary sanctions have emerged as a ‘predatory’ punishment imposed by the criminal legal system with a varied set of penological aims to punish, generate local and state revenue, and expand social control,” writes UW sociology Professor Alexes Harris.

Professor of Sociology Robert Crutchfield, a nationally renowned criminologist, is mentioned in this podcast on defunding Seattle's police.

Robert Crutchfield, an emeritus professor of sociology and co-author of a new study has found that Black youth who have police contact at a young age may be more likely to have more contacts with police later in life.

In honor of MLK Day, the UW asked Black students, staff, and faculty to respond to the prompt, “What does MLK Day mean to you in 2021?”

School of Art + Art History + Design teaching professor Timea Tihanyi and Victoria Aukland, a senior majoring in sociology and dance explain how art can be beneficial in the cold winter months.