Dirk Witteveen

Hi!

I study mechanisms of racial/ethnic, gender, and class inequality, social mobility, and stratification in education, the labor market, and the penal system. My research is focused on explaining the stark variation and inequities in populations’ socioeconomic well-being, including employment chances, household income, job earnings, college graduation chances, mental health, and life expectancy. Specifically, my analyses measure how individual-level events and macro-economic conditions or shocks shape the directions life courses. For example:

• To what extent do children of immigrants experience an ethnic penalty in a recessionary labor market?

• What is the effect of incarceration on premature death risk and does it vary by race or ethnicity?

• Does class background still matter for one's post-college labor market destination in modern-day society?

• Are U.S. and European youths more or less inclined to attend higher education during a recession?

• Is the longer pathway from a community college to a four-year institution equally beneficial for college graduates?

• Which interactions between social demographics and education pathway matter for understanding student loan debt?

• How did the COVID-19 economic crash impact income/job loss and, consequently, induce mental health symptoms?

• What are the racial/ethnic, gender, and class gaps in exposure to financial hardship during the COVID-19 lockdown?

The "academic publications" and "current projects" tabs provide links to my research findings.

I draw on quantitative data from both North America and Europe – in a comparative fashion where possible. I use a range of quantitative methods (from descriptive to computational), while retaining a strong interest in theoretical debates and qualitative research in my fields of study.

I'm currently a Postdoctoral Prize Fellow at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. I obtained my PhD in Sociology from the Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY). I'm currently on the job market.