Washington, DC—The U.S. Supreme Court overturned May 24 the constitutional right to abortion established nearly 50 years ago in Roe v. Wade.
The American Sociological Association has compiled a list of experts who can provide sociological perspectives on issues related to reproductive rights and the Supreme Court decision. These experts are available to answer media questions and provide insights for news stories.
Danielle Bessett is Professor of Sociology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Affiliate at the University of Cincinnati. Her research centers on the sociology of reproduction, including patient experiences of reproductive processes, disparities in access to care, and knowledge about reproductive health. Bessett’s work has been featured in numerous peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes. She has written for several publications, including the Columbus Dispatch, Ohio Capital Journal, MomRising, and more. Bessett has been quoted in outlets such as the Guardian, Dayton Daily News, Spectrum 1 News, Toledo Blade, Atlantic, and more.
Daniel L. Carlson is Associate Professor, Department of Family and Consumer Studies at the University of Utah; Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Family and Consumer Studies; and Board Member of the Council of Contemporary Families. His research interests include marriage and parenthood; gendered division of labor; the stress process; mental health; health disparities; and life course transitions and trajectories. Carlson’s work has been featured in numerous professional journals and edited volumes. He has written for mainstream publications such as the Harvard Business Review and CNN.
Sarah Cowan is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the New York University and Founder and Executive Director of Cash Transfer Lab. Her areas of expertise are American fertility, social networks, and survey methodology. Her published work focuses on overlapping subject-areas: abortion in the United States, pregnancies taken to term, and people keeping secrets from each other. Cowan’s work has been featured in numerous professional journals and edited volumes. She has written for several mainstream publications, including CNN and New York Times, and her research has been covered by several media outlets such as NPR, Salon, Daily Beast, MTV, and more.
Michele Bratcher Goodwin is Chancellor’s Professor at the University of California, Irvine, and founding director of the Center for Biotechnology and Global Health Policy. She is an award-winning author, advocate, professor, and social commentator. Her writings address pressing matters of law, society, and global health, including reproductive rights. Goodwin is the host of the popular podcast, On the Issues with Michele Goodwin, at Ms. magazine. Goodwin's publications appear across five books and more than 100 law review articles, book chapters, and commentaries. Her opinion editorials and commentaries can be found in the New York Times, LA Times, Salon.com, Politico, Forbes, the Christian Science Monitor, and other platforms. She is a frequent contributor to Ms. magazine.
Karen Benjamin Guzzo is Professor of Sociology at the Bowling Green State University and serves as the Director of the Center for Family and Demographic Research. Guzzo’s work examines what is considered "nontraditional" family behaviors. One line of research examines unintended fertility, looking at trends over time as well as the antecedents and consequences of unplanned births. A related line of work looks at nonmarital childbearing and multi-partnered fertility, where individuals have children by different partners. She is also interested in the measurement of fertility and family behaviors. Guzzo’s work has been featured in numerous professional journals and edited volumes. She has been cited in several media outlets, including WebMd, USA Today, Huffington Post, Glamour, and Washington Post.
Sarah R. Hayford is Professor of Sociology at The Ohio State University; Director, Institute for Population Research; and Faculty Affiliate, Ohio Policy Evaluation Network. She studies family formation and reproductive health, primarily in the United States and sub-Saharan Africa. Hayford is interested in how people make plans about these behaviors and who is able to carry out these plans. Recent and current research topics include the determinants of unintended childbearing in the United States and policy impacts on reproductive health access and outcomes in Ohio. Hayford’s work has been featured in numerous professional journals and edited volumes. She has presented at various public events and has been interviewed by radio channels.
Tracy Weitz is a Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Health, Risk, and Society at American University in Washington, DC. She is also a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. From 2014-2020, Weitz worked as an applied sociologist in her role as the Director of U.S. Programs for the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation in Omaha, NE. Until 2014, Weitz served on the academic faculty at the University of California, San Francisco where she co-founded and directed the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) research program. Weitz became the driving force in what was to become one of ANSIRH’s signature achievements—the complex research and advocacy efforts that led to the passage of California legislation allowing first trimester aspiration abortion to be performed by advanced practice clinicians. Weitz has produced numerous publications on various aspects of abortion, one of the most notable and widely read being her article “Rethinking the Mantra that Abortion Should be Safe, Legal and Rare.” This article is one of many that established Weitz’s reputation as one of the most creative figures in the world of reproductive health researchers. For more experts or resources, contact the ASA.
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About the American Sociological Association
The American Sociological Association, founded in 1905, is a non‐profit membership association dedicated to serving sociologists in their work, advancing sociology as a science and profession, and promoting the contributions to and use of sociology by society.
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