My current research is focused on the health of American veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). I am collecting data on the informal coping mechanisms used by American veterans in their post-deployment life.

In earlier research, I have studied how engagement with cultural practices such as leisure and recreation, media, and consumer culture shapes understandings of self identity in a postindustrial society. I have been interested in how the attractions of group participation—particularly those related to solidarity, emotions, gender, and identity—have the potential to obscure an awareness of the costs created by that group membership.

In addition to my research on veterans, I am now writing a book tentatively titled,“Fighting for Recognition: Identity and the Performance of Violence in Professional Wrestling.” The book (under contract with Duke University Press) is an ethnographic study of independent professional wrestling. Even though professional wrestling is one of the most popular “sporting events” in the United States, people are seldom aware of the constellation of independent promotions that operate beyond the purview of the highly profitable televised productions. Based on participant observation and interviews of  participants in the independents—where most wrestlers receive little-to-no pay—the project examines how young working-class men are affected by their acts of violence.

Selected Publications

-"Corbett's Cuts and their Implications for Race in Philadelphia Schools." The Color Line. (Online publication of The Society Pages). 6/5/2011.

-"Gap Growing between Military and Civilians." Op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer about aspects of the contemporary veteran experience. 10/19/2010.

-“Teaching Beyond the Core: The Hot Topic Alternative to the Survey-Based Introduction to Sociology Course.” The American Sociologist. 2010. (With Michael Schwartz). .pdf

-"A Raw Export." Contexts. Spring 2009. .pdf 

-“Passion Work: The Joint Production of Emotional Labor in Professional Wrestling.” Social Psychology Quarterly. June 2008. .pdf

-“Pain in the Act: The Meanings of Pain among Professional Wrestlers.” Qualitative Sociology. Vol. 31 (2). 2008.

-“Wrestling with Kayfabe.” Contexts. Spring. 5 (2). 2006.

-“The Hidden Discourse of Masculinity in Gender Discrimination Law.” Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society. Spring. 30 (3):1827-1849. 2005. (With Michael Kimmel). .pdf

-“Pumping Irony: The Construction of Masculinity in a Post-feminist Advertising Campaign.” Advertising and Society Review. 6 (3). 2005.

-“The ‘Reasonable Woman’ and Unreasonable Men: Gendered Discourses in Sexual Harassment Litigation.” In James Gruber and Phoebe Morgan (eds.) In the Company of Men: Male Dominance and Sexual Harassment. Boston: Northeastern University Press. pp.143-166. 2004. (With Michael Kimmel)