For Sociology: Kathleen Mullan Harris
For Sociology
In this episode of For Sociology, host Kevin Caners speaks with Kathleen Mullan Harris, recipient of the 2023 Kohli Infrastructure Prize for Sociology. Harris discusses her pivotal role in Add Health, a groundbreaking, nationally representative longitudinal study launched in the mid-1990s that has tracked over 20,000 individuals from adolescence to adulthood. The conversation delves into the study’s origins, methodologies, and major contributions, highlighting how Add Health has advanced our understanding of the intersections between social, biological, and health factors across the life...
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For Sociology: Gøsta Esping-Anderson
For Sociology
In this first episode of For Sociology, host Kevin Caners sits down with Gøsta Esping-Andersen, the inaugural Kohli Prize Laureate of 2023. They discuss Esping-Andersen's groundbreaking work on social mobility and welfare states, including his seminal book The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism. Gøsta also reflects on his academic journey from Denmark to the University of Wisconsin, his motivations for studying sociology and demography, and the pivotal moments that shaped his career. Through our unique Proust Questionnaire, we discover that if Gøsta weren’t a sociologist, he’d likely be...
info_outlineIn this episode of For Sociology, host Kevin Caners speaks with Kathleen Mullan Harris, recipient of the 2023 Kohli Infrastructure Prize for Sociology. Harris discusses her pivotal role in Add Health, a groundbreaking, nationally representative longitudinal study launched in the mid-1990s that has tracked over 20,000 individuals from adolescence to adulthood.
The conversation delves into the study’s origins, methodologies, and major contributions, highlighting how Add Health has advanced our understanding of the intersections between social, biological, and health factors across the life course. Harris also shares insights into the challenges of managing such a large-scale study and her vision for its future—aiming to follow participants throughout the entire course of their lives.
Episode Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction
00:44 – Meet Kathleen Mullan Harris: 2023 Kohli Infrastructure Prize Winner
02:33 – The Origins and Evolution of Add Health
05:12 – Challenges and Innovations in Add Health
06:26 – The Scale and Scope of the Study
08:49 – Data Collection and Participant Involvement
11:55 – Genetic Sampling and Oversampling
16:53 – Data Accessibility and Impact
20:49 – The Unexpected Success of Add Health
21:40 – Transition to a Longitudinal Study
22:03 – Innovations in Wave 4
23:57 – Integrating Biological and Social Factors
26:19 – Wave 5 and Future Directions
26:46 – Challenges in Longitudinal Research
29:09 – Significant Findings from Add Health
31:30 – Health Trajectories and Socioeconomic Factors
33:17 – Race, Ethnicity, and Social Mobility
34:41 – Personal Reflections and Sociological Insights
40:00 – The Future of Add Health and Sociology
41:29 – Conclusion and Farewell