Weinberg College welcomes Assistant Professor of Instruction Rebecca Ewert to the Department of Sociology! Ewert recently answered a few questions about her research and what inspired her to pursue her area of study.
Where are you from? Where did you study?
I’m from Shasta County in Northern California. It’s a beautiful place with a lot of natural beauty in the form of mountains, forests, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls. I went to community college there and then transferred to UC Davis to finish my BA in Sociology. I got my MA and PhD at the University of Chicago.
What inspired you to pursue your area of study?
Growing up, I was pretty obsessed with noticing and discussing the social inequalities I saw around me, particularly gender inequality. At Shasta Community College, I took an Introduction to Sociology class that gave me the language to systematically describe, document, and begin to address those
inequalities. I was hooked!
Please describe your research.
While Shasta County is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to, it’s also a community with significant mental health struggles, even in comparison with the rest of California and other rural areas. So, when I was planning my dissertation research, I decided to investigate how gender, particularly norms around masculinity, self-sufficiency, and help-seeking, impact the mental health outcomes in this community. While I was planning the project, a massive wildfire hit the community and drastically changed both the physical landscape and the mental health experiences and resources in Shasta. I knew I had to pivot my project to focus on fire recovery and how mental health intersects with that process. In this work, I examine how folks of different genders, ages, classes, and races navigate the recovery process and how financial, social, and emotional recovery intertwine and complicate one another.
How do you enjoy spending your free time?
I’m a big fan of reality television, especially the Bachelor franchise and Survivor. I also love cooking (and
watching cooking reality TV), playing board games, and spending time outside.
What is most fulfilling to you about teaching?
I love “the lightbulb moment.” Seeing students’ eyes light up and their heads start nodding when they see how an abstract theory in sociology can be applied to their real lives really makes my whole job worth it. I also love one-on-one conversations in office hours where I can really get to know students beyond their academic interests and learn about their passions – almost always, students want to make the world a better place. This is how I achieve my not-so-secret goal of turning everyone into a sociologist!
Why did you decide to come to Northwestern?
I came to Northwestern because this position combines my expertise in sociology and teaching with my passion and commitment to connect with and mentor students. I’m a Professor of Instruction, which means teaching is my primary job – something that is not very common for other kinds of professors who must balance teaching with a primary focus on research and publishing. I simply love teaching – I love being in front of the classroom, meeting with students in office hours, and mentoring student research. Besides, after getting my PhD in Chicago, I have a dense social community here and I just love this city! Go wildcats!