Abigail Richardson
(Curriculum Vitae) Abigail Richardson is working towards receiving her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Georgia by summer 2008. Her graduate training at UGA has concentrated on culture, social psychology, and gender, with an emphasis on identity, bodies, and health. She has also developed an interest in the life course and aging.
Ms. Richardson's dissertation examines the factors that influence the eating and dieting strategies utilized by women across the life course. The data comes from 40 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with white and African American women between the ages of 25 and 80, supported by quantitative survey data (n=500). The study incorporates three foci: how women conceptualize dieting and healthy eating, and how race and age affect these concepts and practices; the role of cultural discourses and local practices in women’s choices; and the role of aging and identity in bodywork. Overall, this research seeks to understand the agency women exert over their health- and appearance-related behaviors in the context of contemporary American society.
An additional area of research concerns Pro-Anorexia Websites, examining how these sites endeavor to create a social space of community for a group of individuals that feel persecuted. Further, they challenge the medical establishment along two axis: the definition of anorexia and the knowledge/power relation of the doctor-patient interaction.
Selected Honors, Awards, Grants
2007. Graduate School Dean's Award, University of Georgia ($1,000)
2006. Teaching Assistant Mentor Nominee. Institute for Women's Studies, University of Georgia.
2006. Outstanding Teaching Assistant. Institute for Women's Studies, University of Georgia.
2002. Departmental Research Fund. Department of Sociology, University of Georgia.
Contact Information
Department of Sociology
401 Baldwin Hall
Athens, GA 30602-1611
706-542-1275 (office)
706-542-4320 (fax)
abigailr@uga.edu
