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Our Emmanuel faculty are scholars who research a wide range of interests, and their findings are often published in books and prominent journals. Here are a few recent examples of Emmanuel faculty in print, and updates on future projects:
Dr. Catherine Simpson Bueker, Professor of Sociology
Dr. Catherine Simpson Bueker recently published a book, “Beyond White Picket Fences: Evolution of an American Town.”
Drawing on interviews, archival data, and participant observations, Dr. Bueker examines how Italian, Jewish, and Chinese newcomers influenced and were influenced by the established Wellesley community. She examines the ways in which immigrant and ethnic groups assimilate, retain their cultural backgrounds, and respond to discrimination, sometimes simultaneously, and, in doing so, alter the mainstream.
Some new residents responded to Wellesley by assimilating to it. They developed relationships with long-term resident neighbors, volunteered in their children’s schools, and ran for elected positions. In adapting themselves to their new community, however, they also influenced it by virtue of their distinct cultural backgrounds. Learn more here.
Dr. Bueker also recently published a retrospective article on the Indochina Migration and Refugee Act at the Public Seminar organization.
Dr. Javier Marion, Professor of History
Dr. Javier Marion recently traveled to Bolivia, where he celebrated the country’s bicentennial by releasing a new biography about a historic figure from the Age of Revolutions.
The Spanish language book “La causa contra el Tata Polanco, un arequipeño revolucionario en Charcas,” was co-authored with Bolivian historian Norberto Benjamin Torres. The title translates into “The case against Tata Polanco, a revolutionary from Arequipa in Charcas (Boliva).”
The book, which is coming soon to Amazon, tells the story of Mariano Polanco, a Franciscan friar who was charged with treason by Spain for supporting independence movements in early 19th century South America.
Latin American history is a focus for Dr. Marion, who said the narratives for North and South America are closely related and best understood in that context. He is also working on a biography of Juana Asurdui (Azurduy) de Padilla, a nearly mythical figure in the Bolivian and Argentinian wars for independence (1809-1825).
Dr. Katrin Križ Professor of Sociology
The upcoming book “Child Protection and the European Court of Human Rights” features a chapter co-written by Dr. Katrin Križ and three Emmanuel alumni.
The chapter analyzes how Norwegian courts and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) portray migrant children and their families in ECtHR judgments related to the Norwegian state’s intervention in family matters, especially regarding foster care and contact visits.
Dr. Križ co-authored the chapter with Emmanuel alumnae Mary Burns ’23, Gabriela Serra ’24, and Mary Shea ’23, and professor Daniela Reimer at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. The chapter can be downloaded for free here.
Dr. Caitlin Lawson, Assistant Professor of Communication & Media Studies
Research by Dr. Caitlin Lawson was recently featured in Social Media + Society, a leading scholarly publication.
The study, "Doing the Lord’s Work: Deconstructing Fundamentalist Christianity Through Cathartic Anti-Fandom on Reddit," explores a Reddit community that monitors and critiques fundamentalist Christian, namely evangelical, content creators.
Many members of the community were formerly conservative Christians who have since deconstructed some or all of their beliefs. This study approaches “fundie snarkers,” particularly those who have deconstructed, through the lenses of anti-fandom and affect theory, to deepen our understanding of anti-fandom as a simultaneously ideological and affective phenomenon. Through individual, semi-structured interviews with 20 members of r/fundiesnarkuncensored, the study explores the role that “fundie snarking” plays in members’ deconstruction journeys and vice versa. The study was co-written with Emmanuel alum Cecilia R. Hafferty ’24.
Dr. Lawson is also finalizing an article on white female evangelical content creators online, which will be part of a special issue of the journal Religion, State, and Society edited by members of the Religion, Disinformation, and Democracy research network housed at Open University in the UK.
Dr. Kathleen Mroz, Assistant Professor of Theology & Religious Studies
Dr. Kathleen Mroz recently received a grant from the Louisville Institute that will support her research project "No Salvation Outside the Body: A Theology of Eating Disorder Recovery.”
The project discusses the ways eating disorders have too often been treated as a moral issue in Christian theology. Dr. Mroz asserts that rather than treating eating disorders as a moral issue, the definition of recovery must constantly be expanding as we continue to uncover the ways that systemic injustices like fatphobia, racism, sexism, and ableism have shaped the treatment of eating disorders and our conception of what healing entails.
Dr. Mroz looks forward to publishing her work into a book which she hopes will reach not only other scholars of religion, but also health care professionals, and people who struggle with or love someone who struggles with their mental health.