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The above diagram illustrates how my research fits together into a larger sociological framework.  In other words, this is how I "see" my place in sociology.   The first column presents three concepts that form the theoretical foundation of my research: the life-course, context, and social capital.  Quite simply, I am ultimately interested in the interaction between various stages of the life course, the contexts in which those stages occur, and the various "tools" (i.e., social capital) that lead to successful outcomes. 

The second column represents topics within those concepts that I emphasize within those sociological concepts.  The specific topics I have chosen in the past have been greatly influenced by my background in social demography, particularly poverty and the family.  Social demographers bring a valuable perspective to the study of sociology.  Specifically, we are sensitive to not only changing behavior per se, but also changes in the composition of a population that create the illusion of changing behavior.  For example, is the rise in cohabitation due to people increasingly willing to cohabit, or an increase in the percentage of people who have historically cohabited?)  Indeed, the impetus for my topics often comes from changes in the population.  My current research on the status of today's young adults was motivated by the unprecedented percentage of children who experienced divorce, female headship, and poverty in the 1980s.  I would like to think that my orientation makes the results of my research especially relevant to policy makers and grant-giving organizations. 

The third column brings these topics together to represent the papers that I have already published, are under review, or are in progress.  This diagram clearly illustrates that my specific papers are not disparate topics that I simply find "interesting".  (The numbers next to each box in the third column correspond with the numbers assigned to the 10 topics in the second column.)  One might argue that such a paradigm is restrictive, but that could not be further from the truth, especially early in my career.  I already have plans for future research that fits into this paradigm.  Specifically, I plan to investigate the consequences of being raised by grandparent.