Professor Ricarda Hammer has been selected by the Graduate Council's Advisory Committee for GSI Affairs and the GSI Teaching & Resource Center as a winner of the 2026 Faculty Award for Outstanding Mentorship of GSIs. Congratulations, Prof. Hammer, for this richly deserved honor!
Doctoral student Xavier Durham published his paper, "Carceral networking and penal liminality: A case study of a security NGO" in Punishment and Society.
What once seemed like just another prerequisite course at UC Berkeley would ultimately shape the trajectory of Monique Limón’s career in public service.
A sociology class sparked Limón’s fascination with the study of social institutions — how they function; who they serve; and how they can be reimagined to better support communities. As the first Latina and second female Senate President pro Tempore of the California State Senate, she uses those skills every day.
The Levenson Prize, established in 1987 in honor of the late historian Joseph R. Levenson, recognizes an English-language book that makes an outstanding contribution to understanding China’s history, culture, society, politics, or economy. It is awarded annually in two categories (China before 1900 and China since 1900) and is widely regarded as one of the highest honors in the field.https://www.asianstudies.org/aas-2026-prizes/
Doctoral Student Elena Amaya and Professor Robert Braun have published their paper, "Pedagogy of Fear: Folklore and the Far-Right in Weimar Germany," in the American Sociological Review.
Abstract:
From graduating college to dealing with health problems, major life changes can disrupt our social world. A forthcoming book, “Personal Networks over the Life Course: Dynamic Perspectives,” which was written by scholars from UC Berkeley and other institutions, examines how and why our relationships change over a lifetime.
UC Berkeley Sociology is launching a new course (SOCIOL 139) this spring to engage students in the work of famed sociologist and civil rights icon Harry Edwards. For 30 years, Edwards captivated students at UC Berkeley, where he developed the sociology of sport as a field. After retiring from campus, he consulted for professional teams and crafted diversity programs.
As part of UC Berkeley's 150W Project, celebrating 150 years of women's contributions to UC Berkeley, the Sociology Department has published Celebrating the Women Behind UC Berkeley Sociology.
On October 25, Prof. Stephanie Canizales received multiple awards from the International Society of Latino Authors for Sin Padres, Ni Papeles: Unaccompanied Migrant Youth Coming of Age in the United States:
Best Immigration Themed Book Gold Medal
The Raul Yzaguirre Best Political/Current Affairs Book Gold Medal
Best First Book (Nonfiction) Honorable Mention
Best Women’s Issues Book Award Honorable Mention
Professor Nancy Chodorow (1944-2025)
Nancy Chodorow, an esteemed sociologist, psychoanalyst and professor emerita at UC Berkeley, passed away on Oct. 14. She was 81.
Chodorow joined the Berkeley Sociology Department in 1986 after graduating from Radcliffe College in 1966 and receiving her Ph.D. in sociology from Brandeis University in 1975.
As part of the Legacy Project of the University of California Berkeley Emeriti Association, Professor Emerita Arlie Russell Hochschild discusses her life and career with Professor Emerita and Professor of the Graduate School Ann Swidler.
Website
Video
We are thrilled to share exciting news with our community!
Professor Martin Eirmann has a new book, The Limiting Principle: How Privacy Became a Public Issue
After serving nearly eight years incarcerated, Charlie Nguyen found redemption through education and the Rising Scholars program at Santiago Canyon College. Now a pre-law sociology major at UC Berkeley, Nguyen is committed to giving back and supporting justice-impacted students on their own paths to transformation.
Read more about the story here:
Charlie Nguyen News Article
Congratulations Charlie Nguyen.
Here are the 2025 conference awards recently won by Berkeley Sociology Faculty and Students
Associate Professor Yan Long's book, Authoritarian Absorption: The Transnational Remaking of Epidemic Politics in China (Oxford University Press, 2024), has recently won the following awards:
"Honorable Mention: Areej Sabbagh-Khoury, University of California, Berkeley and The Hebrew Universi
A recent UC Berkeley Sociology graduate and former teen mom, Mia Magaña Kelly overcame significant challenges and now strives to be a voice for others who have experienced trauma. Driven by a deep desire to understand people more fully, she is committed to using her experiences to inspire and uplift others.
Read more about her story here.
https://ls.berkeley.edu/news/teen-mom-turned-her-struggle-strength-recent-uc-berkeley-graduate
We're excited to share that Professor G. Cristina Mora recently co-wrote an op-ed published in the Los Angeles Times:
“Californians insist — immigrants deserve a path to citizenship”
Anna Palmer and Julio Salas, PhD students in Sociology, were awarded Mentored Research A
