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College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Faculty and students work on an archaeological dig

Research and Engagement

We study what it means to be human, to live in society, to create and recreate ourselves and our cultures.

Purposeful Research

Our faculty — and our students — dig up tiny sherds of pottery and bones. They put entire societies and cultures under their microscopes. They’re driven to examine and understand what we can learn from the past — and how we can guide the future.

We’ve made our mark in studies of family sociology, ecological change, work and labor markets, migration, nonprofit organizations, and crime, to name just a few.

Our research, which appears in the top journals of our fields, creates new knowledge that informs pressing issues in our communities. It helps solve problems.

Recent Projects

November 20, 2024

Anthropology Students and Faculty Attend the Southeastern Archaeological Conference

The 2024 Southeastern Archaeological Conference was held in in Williamsburg, VA November 13 – 16. SEAC was founded in the 1930s, and is regarded as a premier regional organization in the Archaeology field. At SEAC, anthropologists from all over the world meet to share research and ideas, and advance the work of Archaeology in the…
an overcast sky

August 28, 2024

Study Raises Concerns About Residential Opioid Treatment Providers in N.C.

Only 12% of organizations that claim to provide residential opioid substance use services in N.C. were licensed by the state to provide residential substance use treatment. Associate Professor of Anthropology Jennifer Carroll explains the research.
a woman stands before a classroom of young children. her body language shows that she is listening carefully to one of the students

July 22, 2024

Even in ‘Care Work,’ Women Face Lower Wages if They Have Kids

Mothers get paid less than either men or women without children, even in fields that are traditionally thought of as being “women’s work.” We discussed the research with co-author and professor of sociology Anna Manzoni.

In the Community

As part of our university’s land-grant mission, we serve North Carolina citizens through our research and engagement activities. Locally, we bring our expertise to projects like the Friends of Oberlin Cemetery, an initiative to preserve a culturally significant African American cemetery in Raleigh.

We also work with industries and governments to solve problems related to food insecurity, climate change, child abuse, poverty and inequality, among other issues.

Our faculty and students also embed themselves abroad to explore the effects that tourism, globalization, political change and other factors have on communities.

Resources for Researchers

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences research office can help faculty navigate projects, locate funding sources and make connections in the community.

Learn more

Publications

Our faculty have made significant contributions to the breadth and depth of scholarship in their fields. These publications are indicative of our scholarship and our research interests.

  • Heimer, K., Malone, S. E., & De Coster, S. (2023). Trends in women’s incarceration rates in US prisons and jails: A tale of inequalities. Annual Review of Criminology, 6(1), 85-106. doi:10.1146/annurev-criminol-030421-041559
  • Thomas, M., Henderson, L., & Horton, H. D. (Eds.) (2023). Race, Ethnicity, and the COVID-19 Pandemic. University of Cincinnati Press.
  • Martin, L. L., Horton, H. D., Herring, C. Keith, V. M & Thomas, M. (Eds.) (2017). How Race and Complexion Matter in the “”Color-Blind”” Era. Sense Publishers.
  •  Thomas, Melvin, Cedric Herring, Moshe Semyonov, Hayward Derrick Horton, Loren Henderson, and Patrick L. Mason. 2020. “Race and the Accumulation of Wealth:  Racial Differences in Net Worth over the Life Course, 1989-2009.”  Social Problems.  (67):  20–39.  https://doi.org/10.1093/socpro/spz002
  • Thomas, Melvin, Richard Moye, Loren Henderson, and Hayward Derrick Horton. 2018. “Separate and Unequal:  The Impact of Socioeconomic Status, Segregation and the Great Recession on Racial Disparities in Housing Values.”   Sociology of Race and Ethnicity.  4(2):229-244..
  • Thomas, Melvin.  2017. “It’s Hardly Fair To Bring A Child Into The World With The Way Things Look. . .:  Anomie, Mistrust and the Impact of Race, Class and Gender.”  Sociological Inquiry.  88(2): 254-273..
  • Brantley, M. (2023). Can’t Just Send Our Children Out: Intensive Motherwork and Experiences of Black Motherhood, Social Problems, spad047, https://doi.org/10.1093/socpro/spad047