Stephen Vaisey
Assistant Professor of Sociology
University of California, Berkeley
University of California
Department of Sociology
Berkeley, CA 94720
What I Study
The main goal of my research is to understand the varieties, origins, and consequences of different moral worldviews. In other words, I want to know where people get their ideas about what a "good life" looks like and what it means to be a "good person" and to determine how that shapes the choices they make. Because moral judgment and behavior involve perception, evaluation, and motivation, I have found it essential to integrate insights from cognitive science into my research. Right now I am studying the ways different cultural models of the "good life" influence the trajectories of Millennial Generation as they make the transition from teenagers to "emerging adults." I have also conducted research on 1970s communes, religion and marijuana use, educational over-qualification, gene-environment interactions, and the relationship between poverty and educational aspirations, among other topics.
Most generally, I simply want know why people do the things they do, and to figure out the role of culture and cognition in explaining human behavior.
Contact Me
Email:
vaisey [at] berkeley [dot] edu
Mailing Address:
Department of SociologyUniversity of California
410 Barrows Hall #1980
Berkeley, CA 94720-1980
University of California
Department of Sociology
Berkeley, CA 94720
