Through regular seminars and a working paper series, the Center provides an intellectual forum that enriches the research and educational activities of a broad range of faculty and students in the Department of Sociology as well as in other units of the University. Two ongoing projects of the Center are briefly described below. Life course studies encompass all stages of life from birth to death. Affiliated faculty use a wide range of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches, including qualitative and quantitative work, historical studies of the life course in different periods, comparative work that spans diverse societal contexts, and applied, policy-relevant research. Although the Center is not currently a degree-granting program, it enhances graduate education through research, seminars, and courses offered by Center faculty.
Graduate students participate as research assistants and as collaborators in faculty research.
Students and faculty alike share their research ideas, plans, and findings in the Life Course Center Seminar Series. This training grant, sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health, on the psychosocial determinants of mental health and adjustment in childhood, adolescence, and the transition to adulthood, supports one postdoctoral and three predoctoral students. Core faculty members from Sociology, the Institute of Child Development, and the School of Public Health's doctoral program in Health Services Research, Policy and Administration offer a series of core seminars and research apprenticeships. Trainees have opportunities to do longitudinal research on various topics related to mental health in childhood and adolescence. Competencies developed include solid disciplinary grounding, an interdisciplinary perspective, methodological expertise, and sensitivity to policy issues.