Research

The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at UMass Amherst is a national leader in many research areas within its departments, research centers, and institutes. Research activity in SBS is becoming increasingly diverse and interdisciplinary. Historically, most externally sponsored research in SBS has been individual investigator-initiated research projects. Now, the College is focused on developing larger networks and funding prospects within a model of institutional collaboration and research support. Currently, SBS is focusing on several major areas of developmental research: the Science, Technology and Society initiative; the Center for Research on Families; and the Psychology of Peace and Violence program , and Global Diversity Education. Each of these spans the departments of the College and includes collaborative efforts with researchers across the UMass Amherst campus and others.

For more information or to ask specific questions, contact Doug Anderton, associate dean for research affairs: 413.545.5973.

Sociologist Analyzes Inequality
“As the child of immigrants from two very different countries (India and Switzerland)—and brought up in a third country (the United States)—I have taken seriously the importance of a comparative and global lens,” says Associate Professor Joya Misra (sociology and public policy). As an Asian-American woman, I have also paid significant attention to how race/ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, and nationality intersect and shape experiences in crucial ways. Read more…