Biography

I am broadly interested in comparative inquiry that examines resource distribution within societies. My through line is exploring how states and civil society institutions tied to different political projects make sense of resource needs among citizens, and how these entities then pursue the organization and allocation of cultural and material resources. I approach this overarching interest by drawing from political and cultural sociology, to examine cases of “scarce goods” distribution in different societies: affordable housing, arable land, artistic works, and risk capital.

I also take on projects that examine the challenges and successes of social groups and organizations working to bring about higher degrees of social equality and/or establish more egalitarian political economies. In the past, I have examined state-led efforts to address dilemmas of land distribution, property concentration and social inequality in Latin America and rural regions of the US. More recently, I have been exploring land use decisions shaped by civil society groups trying to establish more “livable communities” and “affordable neighborhoods” in rural low-density areas of California’s Sonoma and Solano Counties.