Dr. Wadsworth's research is focused on three areas. The first is subjective well-being (happiness, life satisfaction, etc.) He examines the individual and social correlates of subjective well-being. In other words, who reports being happy, and why. The second is violent crime. He has published extensively on the causes and correlates of violent crime rates in the United States. The third is suicide. Specifically, his research has focused on explaining why some racial and ethnic groups have lower rates of suicide and how and why these rates have varied over time.
keywords
subjective well-being, happiness, life satisfaction, social comparison, suicide, homicide, violent crime, disadvantage, poverty, immigration
Teaching
courses taught
SOCY 1001 - Introduction to Sociology
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Summer 2018 / Summer 2019 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Summer 2020 / Fall 2020 / Summer 2021 / Summer 2022
Examines basic sociological ideas including social relations, social interaction, social structure, and social change. Examples are drawn from societies around the world.
SOCY 1004 - Deviance in U.S. Society
Primary Instructor
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Summer 2018 / Summer 2019 / Fall 2019 / Summer 2020 / Fall 2020 / Summer 2021 / Summer 2022
Examines the social construction of deviance in the U.S., the process of acquiring a deviant identity and managing deviant stigma, and the social organization of deviant act, lifestyles, relationships and careers.
SOCY 2091 - Topics in Sociology
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2021
Variety of courses taught by visiting and regular faculty. See current departmental announcements for specific content. Students may receive credit for this course up to three times for different topics.
