DAWN MARIE DOW 

My research investigates the impact of intersections of race, class, and gender on cultural expectations, life experiences, challenges, opportunities, and decisions related to work, family, education, childcare, and related policies. I have contributed to the field of sociology by revising theories related to work and family, race, gender, and culture, and by demonstrating how race, class, and gender, as social identities and historical processes, influence the behaviors and orientations of people and institutions. To underscore my work's broader implications and impact, I have written pieces sharing my findings on platforms such as The Atlantic, Sociological Images, and The Conversation. I have also presented my research in invited talks at universities and professional organizations, as well as on National Public Radio. In addition to my academic research, as a Racial Equity Scholar at the Urban Institute, I engaged in policy-oriented research on childcare access, affordability, and the racial wealth gap, emphasizing approaches that examine intersectionality, structural racism, and equity.  

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My work engages with pressing social issues, including how Black parents approach raising children while navigating concerns related to fatal shootings of African American boys and attacks on the self-esteem and worth of African American girls. I have also examined the social toll of work-family conflict and the myriad ways that structural racism amplifies the challenges experienced by Black families and other families of color during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. My award-winning book, Mothering While Black: The Boundaries and Burdens of Middle-Class Parenthood, was published in 2019 by the University of California Press and examines how African American middle- and upper-middle-class mothers approach parenting and their perspectives on work, family, and childcare. 

I co-authored an article visualizing class mobility and reproduction for Black and White adults in the U.S. with Daniel Laurison and Carolyn Chernoff. I co-authored an article with Mellissa S. Gordon, underscoring how family science would benefit from applying Critical Race Theory and related approaches to deepen scholarly understanding of family inequality. My research has also been published in journals such as Gender & Society, Journal of Marriage and Family, Sociology of Race & Ethnicity, Science Advances, Mobilization, and Socius.  

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During my time as a Racial Equity Scholar at the Urban Institute, I conducted a range of policy-oriented research, resulting in a range of research publications, including reports, briefs, fact sheets, and blog posts focusing on families' access to affordable, high-quality, culturally competent childcare at nontraditional hours and the racial wealth gap. This body of scholarship incorporated intersectionality, structural racism, and equity in its research design and analysis.  

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The twin crises of the pandemic and heightened attention to racial injustice following George Floyd’s murder and the killings of other Black people have brought into sharp relief the ongoing challenges Black families face under structural racism. I am currently conducting 100 interviews with Black parents and caregivers across the U.S., exploring their experiences and those of their family members regarding education, childcare, health, employment, law enforcement, and income and wealth during and after the pandemic. This research aims to build a more comprehensive understanding of what systemic racism looks like from the perspectives of those who live it, and how it shapes their daily lives.