Research Bio
Jennifer Johnson-Hanks is a cultural demographer, whose research focuses on the relationship between population rates and cultural patterns, and on the mediation of that relationship by individual intentional action. She asks, for example, how are individual actions coordinated into stable rates, such as birth rates or marriage rates? What roles do individual intentions play in accounting for action, and in the formation of rates? And conversely, how are intentions and demographically relevant actions socially and culturally structured?
Her first book, Uncertain Honor, was published by the University of Chicago Press in 2006. Co-authoring with Phil Morgan, Chris Bachrach, and Hans-Peter Kohler, Johnson-Hanks published Understanding Family Change and Variation in 2011. Her third book, called How We Count, is currently under review.
Johnson-Hanks earned her BA from Berkeley, and her MA and PhD from Northwestern, all in Anthropology. She is joint appointed in the Departments of Sociology and Demography.
Research Expertise and Interest
culture, population, social action, intentions, Africa, gender, fertility, marriage
In the News
Berkeley Talks: How Do We Make Better Decisions? (Revisiting)
Course Teaches How To Better Engage With Opposing Views
Watch UC Berkeley’s Dean of Letters and Science Explain the Liberal Arts in 101 Seconds
Teaching
Directed Reading [DEMOG 298 - 003]
Directed Research [DEMOG 299 - 003]
Individual Study for Doctoral Students [DEMOG 602 - 003]
Openness to Opposing Views [LS 104 - 001]
Openness to Opposing Views [LS 4 - 001]
Directed Group Study [LS 98 - 001]
Directed Reading [DEMOG 298 - 001]
Directed Research [DEMOG 299 - 001]
Individual Study [DEMOG 601 - 001]
Individual Study for Doctoral Students [DEMOG 602 - 001]
First Year Discovery Course [LS 1 - 001]
Openness to Opposing Views [LS 104 - 001]
Openness to Opposing Views [LS 4 - 001]
Directed Group Study [LS 98 - 001]
Directed Research [DEMOG 299 - 003]
Directed Reading [DEMOG 298 - 003]
Directed Research [DEMOG 299 - 003]
Individual Study for Doctoral Students [DEMOG 602 - 003]
Directed Group Study [LS 198 - 005]
Directed Group Study [LS 98 - 001]