Sociology

Rice remembers Steven Murdock, founding director of Rice’s Hobby Center and former director of Census Bureau

Steven Murdock, founding director of Rice University’s Hobby Center for the Study of Texas who served as director of the U.S. Census Bureau and state demographer of Texas, died April 7. He was 75.

Parents’ school experiences impact where they send their kids — and can exacerbate ‘white flight’

The decision of where to send a child for their K-12 education is a big one. According to new research from Rice University sociologists, approximately one-third of parents in their Dallas-based study make the call based on their own experiences in the classroom.

At work, bosses express religion more than subordinates, study says

How much individuals express their religious beliefs in the workplace depends on how much power they hold there, according to new research from the Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance’s Religion and Public Life Program at Rice University.

People are more critical of government when family and friends are hit by natural disasters

Whether they’re personally struck by or spared from natural disasters, people are more likely to distrust the government when their family and friends are victims, according to new research from Rice University.

Religious violence increases anxiety among Muslims and Jews, even if they have never been personally targeted

Fear of hate crime looms especially large in the minds of Jews and Muslims, even if they have never been personally targeted, according to a new study from Rice University and West Virginia University.

Biden appoints Rice's Ruth López Turley to National Board for Education Sciences

President Biden has appointed Ruth López Turley, director of Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research and professor of sociology, to the National Board for Education Sciences.

Transgender adults more likely to suffer from disability than cisgender counterparts, Rice U. study reveals

A new study by a Rice University researcher shows transgender adults of any age are more susceptible to disability than those who are cisgender.

Rice ranked by Niche as one of nation’s top 10 universities

Rice earns an “A+” grade and ranks as one of the nation’s top 10 universities in the latest ratings of American colleges compiled by Niche.

Five years after Harvey, Rice expert available to discuss new book on how disasters hit middle class

As Houston prepares to mark the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, the second-costliest hurricane to ever hit the United States, Rice sociologist Anna Rhodes is available to discuss her new book examining the storm’s impact on the middle class.

Muslims of Middle Eastern or North African descent most likely to report police harassment, study shows

New research from sociologists at Rice University and West Virginia University finds that almost 20% of Muslims report having been harassed by the police specifically because of their religion, more than four times the rate reported by people of other faiths.

New book exposes how natural disasters exacerbate inequality — in middle-class communities

The devastation of Hurricane Harvey, the second-costliest hurricane to ever hit the United States, wasn’t limited just to the most vulnerable residents in its path — it was also felt intensely by the middle class. Those struggles are the focus of a new book by sociologists from Rice University and the University of Wisconsin.

Rice experts available to discuss 5th anniversary of Harvey

As the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Harvey approaches, Rice University experts are available to discuss the storm’s ongoing impact.

Felony convictions hinder efforts to access stable housing even if no prison time is served, study shows

Even if they’ve never served time in prison, people who have felony convictions still have difficulty accessing stable housing, according to new research from a Rice University sociologist.

Interracial contact may not reduce racism, says report

Racial apathy and the belief that Black people no longer experience prejudice in today’s world represent the “new racism,” according to Tony Brown, professor of sociology at Rice University and lead author of the study, “Changes in Racial Apathy Among White Young Adults: A Five-Year National Panel Study,” published in the journal Sociological Inquiry.

Flooding exacerbates pollution exposure in at-risk urban communities

Increased flooding in the U.S. is exposing more people to industrial pollution, especially in racially marginalized urban communities, according to new research from Rice University, New York University and Brown University.