Photo: Matt Price
About Me
I am a sociologist and ethnographer specializing in crime and deviance. My work explores how rebelious subcultures like skateboarders navigate urban spaces, construct identities, and engage in forms of cultural resistance.
Research
Edited Books
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Lifestyle Sports and Identities: Subcultural Careers Through the Life Course
Edited with Becky Beal
This collection explores the evolving identities and career paths of participants in lifestyle sports like skateboarding, surfing, and snowboarding across their lives.
View on Routledge →
Journal Articles & Reviews
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From Core to Consumer: The Informal Hierarchy of the Skateboard Scene
An examination of the informal social structures and hierarchies within skateboarding culture.
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Authentic Subcultural Identities and Social Media: American Skateboarders and Instagram
This article explores how skateboarders use Instagram to construct and perform authentic identities.
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Valtavirta peesaa, aito harrastaja keksii itse: Skeittaus- ja lumilautapaikkojen autenttisuus
A look into the authenticity of skate and snowboard spots (article in Finnish).
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Skateboarding the Iron Cage: Professional Identity in Street League Skateboarding
An analysis of professional identity among competitors in Street League Skateboarding.
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Skateboarding LA: Inside Professional Street Skateboarding (Book Review)
A review of the book "Skateboarding LA" by Gregory Snyder.
Read More →
Presentations
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2018
“Subcultural Identities in the Age of Social Media.” Pushing Boarders First Annual Meeting. London, England.
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2017
“Subcultural Identity Development and Performance on Social Media: American Skateboarders and Instagram.” European Association for the Sociology of Sport Annual Meeting. Prague, Czech Republic.
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2016
“Committing and Bailing Out: Subcultural Careers and Exits in Skateboarding.” Eastern Sociological Society Annual Meeting. Boston, MA.
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2015
“Class Reproduction and “Middle-Class” Subcultural Participation.” European Sociological Association Annual Meeting. Prague, Czech Republic.
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2015
“The Culture Economy and Sports Marketing.” Invited presentation at the University of Jyväskylä. Jyväskylä, Finland.
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2014
“Remaining Core by “Selling-Out.” European Association for the Sociology of Sport Annual Meeting. Utrecht, Netherlands.
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2013
“Hegemonic Skateboarding: Shifting Ideologies and Performances in a Global Subculture.” North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Meeting. Quebec City, Canada.
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2010
“Azeri Culture.” Invited presentation at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Buffalo, New York.
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2009
“Graduate Education in the United States.” Invited presentation at Baku State University (Bakı Dövlət Universiteti). Baku, Azerbaijan.
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2009
“From Core to Consumer: The Informal Hierarchy of Skateboarders.” Eastern Sociological Society Annual Meeting. Baltimore, MD.
Conversations
KingShit Magazine
In Conversation: Ryan Lay
A discussion with professional skateboarder Ryan Lay about his charity, Skate After School, which teaches skateboarding to youth in underserved Phoenix communities. Kids learn lessons in generosity, respect, innovation, and persistence that help them thrive on and off the board.
View Full Article Scan →Press
That Noise
What the F*ck are Skateboarders?
Melikian Center 2020 Annual Report
Learning Russian, Speaking Skate.
Teaching
Teaching Philosophy
My approach to teaching is rooted in fostering critical thinking and encouraging students to connect sociological theories to their lived experiences. I believe in creating an inclusive and interactive classroom environment where students feel empowered to question, debate, and develop their own perspectives on the social world.
Courses Taught
- SOC 405: Sociology of Deviance.[Syllabus][Reviews]
- SOC 399: Independent Study.
- SOC 391: Criminological Theory. (Online and Traditional).[Syllabus][Reviews]
- SOC 391: Seminar in Criminology.[Syllabus][Reviews]
- KIN 315: Sport, Culture, and Power. (Online).[Syllabus][Reviews]
- SOC 371: Individual and Society.[Syllabus][Reviews]
- SOC 291: Subcultures and Countercultures.[Syllabus][Reviews]
- SOC 291: Sociology of Sport.[Syllabus][Reviews]
- SOC 285: Corrections.[Syllabus][Reviews]
- SOC 279: Race, Crime, and Justice.[Syllabus][Reviews]
- SOC 277: Police and Society.[Syllabus][Reviews]
- SOC 273: Juvenile Delinquency.[Syllabus][Reviews]
- SOC 209: Research Methods.[Syllabus][Reviews]
- SOC 206: Social Problems.[Syllabus][Reviews]
- SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology.[Syllabus][Reviews]