My research focuses on individuals in interpersonal relationships. I am especially interested in examining how people (consciously and unconsciously) communicate their identities to others, particularly when these identities involve "taken-for-granted" societal forces. The lines of research I pursue all have commonalities beyond their communication emphases. Each is conducted with the goal of disseminating findings beyond solely academic outlets. Further, each project works on the assumption that individuals shape society, and so by looking at people one-on-one, I seek to ultimately (big goal!) enact social change, even if it's "only" in the perceptions of individual people.
Violence Research
One line of research I am exploring involves men and women victimized in violent relationships. I am driven by a desire to influence professional support sources and to raise overall societal awareness. My research is conducted with the goals of (a) getting at the root of societal endorsement (implicit and explicit) of violence and (b) addressing popular and scholarly misconceptions concerning different types of victims.
Generational Genders Project
Another of my research foci, also pertaining to assumptions about men and women, involves looking at the messages we hear growing up - the messages that are passed among generations in families and subcultures. I am specifically interested in messages regarding gender roles, identity expectations, traditional family "norm" ideologies, and sexual role stereotypes. If our gender beliefs are ingrained from the time we're children (and these beliefs are what shape societal norms later on), looking at the myriad ways these beliefs are communicated in specific families and subcultures can shape educational strategies to re-inform mindsets influencing gender & sex stereotypes, power roles, interpersonal violence, etc.