Research

Broadly, Tania’s research lies in the domain of medical sociology, population health, and political sociology. More specifically, she has focuses in sexual behavior and health, sociopolitical attitudes, and mixed methods research.

Sexual Behavior and Health

Mental Health and Sexual Behavior

This project investigated the intersection between mental health and sexual behavior among young women. Utilizing the Relationship Dynamics and Social Life (RDSL) study, which comprises weekly surveys of 946 women across 2,073 relationships and in-depth interviews with 68 women, I explore how stress and depression impact sexual dynamics. Specifically, I focus on three key stages: (1) access to a potential penile-vaginal (P-V) sexual partner, (2) transition to first P-V sex, and (3) subsequent P-V sexual frequency. Findings indicate that while access to partners did not differ based on mental health, stressed and depressed women transitioned to first P-V sex more quickly and engaged in more frequent P-V sex compared to their non-stressed, non-depressed counterparts. Importantly, depressed women reported less agency in their sexual decisions, often experiencing a lack of control ranging from acquiescence to coercion. - 2nd Place Winner: Alpha Kappa Delta Graduate Student Paper Award

Religiosity and Sexual Behavior

Co-authors: Jennifer Barber, Lisa Pearce

Another facet of my research delves into the influence of religiosity on sexual behavior, utilizing quantitative methods from the RDSL dataset. This study reveals that young women who frequently attended religious services spent less time in intimate relationships compared to less frequent attenders, largely due to a lower prevalence of cohabiting relationships. However, these women spent more time in committed, monogamous relationships. Highly religious young women also delayed first P-V sex and had less frequent sexual activity overall. Interestingly, those who frequently attended religious services but were not religiously conservative exhibited higher sexual frequency.

Sociopolitical Attitudes

Variations in Approval of Sex Education in the United States

This survey experiment investigates public opinion regarding a hypothetical sex education curriculum in school where three key dimensions were varied by whether the curriculum is 1. intended for elementary or high school students (age at instruction), 2. whether it includes Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual (LGB) topics, and 3. whether it is explicitly labeled as “age-appropriate.” Results show that respondents’ approval for the sex education curriculum varies by presence of LGB topics and the age group at instruction, but not inclusion of “age appropriate.” Interaction analysis demonstrates that the differences in age at instruction only apply to sex education that does not include LGB topics. For the curriculum including LGB topics, there is no difference in predicted approval between elementary school and high school. Open-ended comments by respondents show that while people show concern regarding student maturity, they were only more likely to approve sex education in the high school compared to elementary school when LGB topics were not included.

Public Opinion Toward General Offense vs. Religious Offense in College Classrooms: A Survey Experiment

Co-author: Brian Powell

This survey experiment observes how public opinion changes when individuals perceive a religious offense versus a general offense. Specifically, it examines whether respondents are more likely to privilege Christian or Muslim students when they are offended by an image displayed in a classroom. Respondents were randomly assigned to different vignette conditions, each describing an art history professor who either showed an image (of Jesus or Muhammad, or an unmarked image) that students found offensive after issuing a warning and permitting students to miss class. The findings suggest that Americans do not differentiate between perceived offenses against religious groups and general offenses when deciding whom to support, whether the students or the professor. However, there are notable differences in responses among different groups, particularly politically liberal and conservative respondents in the Christian condition. Qualitatively, I show respondents who agreed with the students were more likely to cite “religious freedom” in the Christian condition, whereas respondents who agreed with the Muslim students cited themes of “inclusivity and considerateness”.

Mixed Methods

While not necessarily distinct from my research interests, I leverage mixed methods approaches to provide a comprehensive understanding of different social phenomena.

Additional Projects

Du Bois’s Canonization and Sociological Legacy

Co-authors: Eehyun Kim, Tiffanie Vo, Cyrus Urheim, Fabio Rojas

We investigate Du Bois’s canonization trajectory and the factors that influenced his prominence. While existing theories offer insights into reputation-building and canonization mechanisms, they fall short in explaining Du Bois’s case. Our analysis reveals that Du Bois’s success stemmed from his adeptness in resonating with diverse audiences and his strategic positioning as a “bridge” between academic and activist circles. We argue further that Du Bois’s canonization transcended mere network promotion, relying instead on his work becoming a resonant public idea across multiple audiences. We use quantitative analysis of scholarly citations, data-scraping, language modeling, and qualitative examination of media portrayals, to show Du Bois’s repetitional trajectory. Our findings offer valuable insights into sociology’s historical evolution and the construction of intellectual legacies.