Assistant Professor
Maguire Hall 129
845-398-4141
[email protected]
Carolyn Fraker (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and the Interim-Director of the Justice Studies Institute at St. Thomas Aquinas College. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in sociology from the University of Minnesota, and a B.A. in sociology from Grinnell College. In addition to her academic background, Carolyn has extensive experience in advocacy work and social policy research, including three years at MDRC, a social policy research organization in NYC. Carolyn’s research and teaching interests center on income inequality and welfare policy; medical sociology and health disparities; race, class, and gender; sociology of family; and urban sociology. Carolyn currently has two edited peer-reviewed book chapters with Demeter Press: “Engineering the Good Mother: A Case Study of Opportunity NYC” (2019) and “Racism in the Birth Room: Obstetric Violence in the US Context” (pending).
Born and raised in Arlington, Virginia, Carolyn moved to NYC in 2008 and fell in love with the city. She has lived all over Brooklyn, including Crown Heights, Bensonhurst, and Midwood, and currently resides in the Sheepshead Bay area with her husband, Valentin, and two sons, Adrian and Julian. Carolyn enjoys spending weekends exploring new corners of the city with her family, observing humanity — a hobby that NYC provides many opportunities for, and cheering on Liverpool FC in the English Premier League.
Publications & Professional Affiliations
PUBLICATIONS:
Fraker, Carolyn. “Engineering the Good Mother: a Case Study of Opportunity NYC.”
Maternal Geographies: Mothering In and Out of Place. Ed. Jennifer L. Johnson and Krista Johnston. Demeter Press. May 2019. http://demeterpress.org/books/maternal-geographies-mothering-in-and-out-...
Fraker, Carolyn. “Racism in the Birth Room: Obstetric Violence in the US Context.” Obstetric Violence. Ed. Angela Castañeda, Nicole Hill, and Julie Johnson Searcy. Demeter Press. Forthcoming in 2022. *Delayed publication due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Fraker, Carolyn. “Doula,” “DONA International,” and “Obstetric Violence.” (forthcoming) Women’s Health: Understanding Issues and Influences. Ed. Jillian M. Duquaine-Watson. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Greenberg, David, Nadine Dechausay, and Carolyn Fraker. 2011. Learning Together: How Families Responded to Education Incentives in New York City’s Conditional Cash Transfer Program. MDRC. New York, New York.
AFFILIATIONS:
Sociologists for Women in Society (SWS)
Eastern Sociological Society (ESS)
National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA)
Museum of Motherhood (MOM)
IAMAS
Degrees & Certifications
BA: Grinnell College, 2007, Major: Sociology, Minor: Gender and Women's Studies
MA: University of Minnesota, 2015, Sociology
Ph.D.: University of Minnesota, 2020, Sociology
