Christina Cross

Christina Cross

Assistant Professor of Sociology
Christina Cross

Research interests: Families and children, race/ethnicity, social inequality, social demography, education.

Christina J. Cross is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and a faculty affiliate of the Center for Population and Development Studies and the Department of African and African American Studies. Her research examines the role of the family in shaping people’s life chances and how its impact differs by their structural position in society. In particular, she explores how family structure, change, and dynamics influence individuals’ educational and economic outcomes—with special attention to if, how, and why these relationships differ by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Cross’ work has appeared in outlets such as Social Problems, Demography, and the Journal of Marriage and Family. Her forthcoming book, with Harvard University Press, examines heterogeneity in the impact of the socially promoted two-parent family on children’s wellbeing. Her research been supported by organizations including the Spencer Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the JPB Foundation, and the Social Science Research Council. It has received awards from the American Sociological Association, the Population Association of America, the National Council on Family Relations, the Society for the Study of Social Problems, ProQuest, and the Midwest and Southern Sociological Societies. Cross holds a PhD in Public Policy and Sociology from the University of Michigan.

Link to CV for Christina Cross

Contact Information

644 William James Hall
33 Kirkland Street
p: 617-384-0117

Current People