Rural sociology, policing, cultural sociology, cultural criminology, qualitative research methods, gender studies, horror, video games and pop culture
Michael Branch
Assistant Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Co-coordinator of Women's and Gender Studies
Recent courses taught:
- Introduction to Sociology
- Introduction to Criminal Justice
- Deviance and Social Control
- Criminology
- Sociology of Horror
- Otaku Sociology
- Sociology of Pop Culture
- Rural Life, Crime, and Justice
- Sociology of Video Games
Publications:
Branch, Michael. Forthcoming. “Cannibals and Chainsaws and Cousins, oh my! Whiteness, ‘White Trash’, and Pollution in Resident Evil 7”. In Race and Ethnicity: The Sociological Mindful Approach. 2nd edition. Edited by Jacqueline Brooks, Heidy Sarabia, and Aya Kimura Ida. Solana Beach, CA: Cognella Publishing.
Branch, Michael. 2023. “By Any Other Name: The Difficulties of Recognizing Female Police Violence”. Pp. 219-231 in The Emerald International Handbook of Feminist Perspectives on Women’s Acts of Violence. Edited by Stacy Banwell, Lynsey Black, Dawn Cecil, Yanyi Djamba, Sitawa Kimuna, Emma Milne, Lizzie Seal, and Eric Tenkorang. Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited
Branch, Michael. 2021. “‘The nature of the beast:’ the precariousness of police work.” Policing and Society 31(8):982-996.
Branch, Michael. 2020. “The Lasting Impacts of Policing Coronavirus.” Contexts, April 6th. (https://contexts.org/blog/structural-shocks-and-extreme-exposures/)