Professor Austin H. Johnson joined the Department of Sociology at Kenyon College in fall 2017. He is also an affiliate faculty member in the Departments of Gender & Sexuality Studies and American Studies. His research and teaching focus on gender, sexuality and social inequalities. Trained as a sociological social psychologist, Johnson’s work is especially concerned with the institutional mechanisms that link social structures and ideologies to everyday lived experiences.
As a public and applied sociologist, Johnson serves as director of the Southern Equality Research & Policy Center at the Campaign for Southern Equality. In this capacity, he leads community-engaged participatory research projects designed to support LGBTQ+ communities, inform policy and strengthen social change work. His recent research examines the sociopolitical determinants of health and the experiences of LGBTQ+ people navigating families, communities, health systems and public institutions.
Johnson’s academic writing has appeared in journals including Sociology of Health & Illness, Sociological Inquiry, International Journal of Transgender Health, Social Movement Studies and the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. He is co-editor of "Advances in Trans Studies: Moving Toward Gender Expansion and Trans Hope" and co-author, with Baker Rogers, of the forthcoming textbook "Transitions: A Post-Disciplinary Introduction to Transgender Studies." His public and community research reports have been used by advocates, health care providers, policymakers and journalists working to better understand LGBTQ+ life in the United States. His work has also been recognized with the American Sociological Association Sex & Gender Section’s Feminist Scholar-Activist Award, Kenyon’s Lavender Graduation Trailblazer Award and his appointment as a senior fellow at the Center for Applied Transgender Studies.
Areas of Expertise
Sociology of sexualities; transgender studies; organizations and institutions; public and applied sociology; community-engaged research
Education
2017 — Doctor of Philosophy from Kent State University
2013 — Master of Arts from Kent State University
2008 — Bachelor of Arts from University of South Carolina
Courses Recently Taught
This course is designed to help students develop a critical framework for thinking and writing about intersectional issues related to sexuality, sex, gender identity and gender expression. The course takes a broad view of examining queer and transgender issues from sociopolitical, legal, psychological, biological, cultural, ethical, philosophical and historical frameworks. We look at the fields of queer theory and LGBTQ+ studies out of which some of the most innovative and challenging developments in modern cultural studies are arising. Additionally, we examine the ways in which society interacts with queer and transgender identities in a number of spheres, including politics, health care, the arts, the sciences and more. This counts toward the introductory and diversity and globalization requirements for the major. This course paired with any other 0.5 unit/4 semester hour GSS course counts toward the social science diversification requirement. No prerequisite.
This course introduces students to the field of sociology through the study of social inequalities as they are created, maintained, and challenged within the institutions of our everyday lives. This course covers major themes in sociology by exploring how society operates within and through social institutions; how those institutions create and maintain social norms that disenfranchise some while privileging others; and how individuals challenge those norms to enact change in their everyday lives, local communities, and society at large. This course analyzes social structures and their impact on the experiences of individuals. We look at the ways in which social structures construct and constrain reality for individuals and how society and social institutions shape individual values, attitudes, and behaviors. The course examines sociological concepts through an analysis of culture, social inequality, social institutions, social movements, and social change. By the end of the course, students should understand common sociological concepts and perspectives and be able to consider aspects of the social world through the sociological lens. Students may take only one introductory-level course. This counts toward the foundation requirement for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every year.
Knowing how to answer a question, including what constitutes good evidence and how to collect it, is a necessary ability for any sociologist, or for any student reading the sociological research of others. Our goal is to learn to understand when and how to use research strategies such as survey questionnaires, interviews, fieldwork and analysis of historical documents. Students conduct small-scale research projects using these techniques. This course is not intended for seniors, although it is required for all sociology majors. Students are advised to enroll in this class as soon as they begin to consider majoring in sociology. This counts toward the methods requirement for the major. Prerequisite: 100-level sociology course. Offered every year.
Social life is saturated by sexuality in unstable and disjointed ways. From advertisements that promote the use of sexual enhancement pharmaceuticals to laws restricting access to safe and healthy sexual encounters, the sociocultural framing of sexuality is unequal and often illogical. This course examines sexualities as they are constructed, experienced and regulated across multiple social contexts and institutions. We explore the social history of sexuality and the evolution of its framing in contemporary society; lived experiences of those labeled or identifying as sexual minorities; privileges associated with hegemonic sexual identity categories; the ongoing sociopolitical regulation of sexual bodies, communities and desires; and the history of social activism centered on sexual minorities. Prerequisite: 100-level sociology course.
The work of W.E.B. Du Bois is foundational for contemporary sociology, and American sociology in particular. A theorist, social scientist, scholar activist and public intellectual, this early disciplinary founder left lessons that speak directly to conversations on the state of sociology and the role of the sociologist in the contemporary moment. His theoretical and methodological innovations continue to shape our discipline in untold ways. In this course, we engage with the scholar's original work, exploring the theoretical and methodological contributions of his research. We also engage with the disciplinary response to his work, from his era to ours, exploring how he shaped disciplinary conversations then and now. Beyond his contributions to theory and methodology, we engage with Du Bois’ work in shaping public understandings of race in American society and his profound influence on the American civil rights movement. Biographical and autobiographical writing provides the context for the development of the scholar's sociological imagination and his ongoing legacy for sociology. Prerequisite: SOCY 262. Junior standing.
This mid-level course is for those students who have taken the foundation course. Consult the department for further description.
This course brings senior sociology majors together to reflect on the theory, methods, and practices of the discipline. In a seminar format, students and the professor review and integrate a range of sociological concepts and ideas learned over the students’ course of study. We examine the implications of students’ sociological knowledge and skills for life after graduation, whether they plan to enter the workforce or continue their education in graduate school. The course additionally prepares students for the completion of their senior capstone paper in the spring semester, including benchmark assignments and presentations. This course is required for the major. Prerequisite: senior sociology major, completion or co-enrollment of one 300-level course in sociology.\n
This course is for advanced students. See online searchable schedule for further description. Prerequisites: permission of instructor and department chair.
This course is for students pursuing departmental honors. Permission of instructor and department chair required. No prerequisite. Senior standing and sociology major.
This course is for students pursuing departmental honors. Permission of instructor and department chair required. No prerequisite. Senior standing and sociology major.
