Department of Sociology

Researchers have found that a small group of social media accounts are responsible for the spread of a disproportionate amount of the false posts about voter fraud. Ian Kennedy, a doctoral student in sociology at the UW, is quoted.

The 2020 census has been subject to court fights, shifting deadlines and pandemic-related process adjustments. Sara Curran, director of the UW Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, explains the developments with this year’s count.

In this lecture and follow-up conversation, distinguished teaching awardee and Professor of sociology Alexes Harris shares her research into how people’s interactions with institutions — like the criminal justice system — shape the outcomes of people’s lives. She delves into how those outcomes are different based on a person’s race and ethnicity, gender, income bracket and other identities people hold. Harris also talks about being born and raised in Seattle and how she got to be able to share her research with policy makers, legislators, judges and community members so her scholarship can contribute to a more equitable criminal justice system.

A proposal introduced during Seattle City Council’s budget deliberations would allow judges and juries the option to dismiss misdemeanor crimes that were committed because of poverty or while a person was experiencing symptoms of a mental illness or substance-use disorder. Katherine Beckett, professor of sociology and of law, societies and justice, and Alexes Harris, professor of sociology at the UW, are quoted.

“Institutions move slowly,” writes sociology professor Alexes Harris, guest editor of Viewpoint Magazine. “But we are at a moment for change and we need to apply and support constant pressure and expect certain outcomes.”

A new UW study finds that denser neighborhoods reach peak infection rate earlier while nearby neighborhoods won’t reach their peak infection until weeks or even years later. Zack Almquist, assistant professor of sociology at the UW, is quoted.

“2020: The Course” gives students an opportunity to hear from UW professors and special guests who will discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, race in the United States, the state of the environment, the economic recession, civic participation, citizenship and this election season and outcomes.

While the first known case of COVID-19 was located in Snohomish County back in January, the infection has not spread through the Emerald City’s neighborhoods evenly, according to new research from the University of Washington. Zack Almquist, assistant professor of sociology at the UW, is quoted.

A research team led by UC Irvine and the University of Washington has created a new model of coronavirus diffusion through a community. 

After Donald Trump won the presidential election in 2016, people in liberal areas were in shock — and wondering what a Trump presidency would mean for the country. A week after the election, we asked academics to write their thoughts. With hindsight being 2020, KUOW revisits the most prescient of those pieces, including those by 10 UW faculty members.

Muslims and atheists in the United States are more likely than those of Christian faiths to experience religious discrimination, according to new research led by the University of Washington.

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online. 

This five-year, $1.8 million training program at the UW will fund 25 academic-year graduate fellowships, develop a new training curriculum and contribute to methodological advances in health research at the intersection of demography and data science.

Katherine Beckett, professor of sociology and of laws, societies and justice, is quoted.

On Monday afternoon, the Huskies men’s and women’s basketball teams canvassed the UW campus urging folks to register for the upcoming November elections. They wore black T-shirts with a QR code that read: “Scan me. Register to vote.” UW Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Hopkins and UW student Hameir Wright are quoted. Alexes Harris, professor of sociology at the UW, is mentioned.